Biggest Mistakes in Web Design
There are plenty of mistakes in web design. Not everyone who builds a website is a web design expert. There are tons of free website builders out there, such as 1 and 1, Intuit, and Wix. They enable people to build a website without really knowing what they’re doing. This is great for a small business on a budget. The only problem is, that person may or may not know the principles of web design about how to build a proper website for best results. Here are 10 essential tips for avoiding the biggest mistakes in web design.
1. A Ton of Ads.
Placing too many ads on your site is a bad idea. A good rule of thumb is to only include 2-3 ads in the sidebar if they are large. If they are small ads, you can get away with 4-6. One thing I personally can’t stand is including a bunch of ads sprinkled in the article itself. if you are promoting a service or product, an ad is fine if it is relevant. However, having 3 or more Adsense ads in your article is annoying. It breaks up the content too much and in my opinion it interrupts and ruins the reading experience.
2. Way too many Plugins
If you have a WordPress site, it can be tough to refrain from trying to add every bell and whistle that you can. In this quest for pacing a lot of features in your site, you can really harm it more than help it. First of all, less is more. Having too much to explore and no real reason for having it all can just make the experience an unpleasant one for visitors. Another reason that you don’t want to use too many plugins is because it can really slow down your site. The harder your server has to work, the slower it will be. Having a slow site can be one of the biggest mistakes in web design. It not only makes people wanna leave, but a slow site can affect your rankings .
3. Too Many Popups
This is just plain annoying. One popup is enough. A lot of people hate them, period, but they are highly effective. I use one upon exit of my site. so visitors will get a weekly update of new stuff. it is effective for keeping people coming back. However, if you use more than one popup, you’re just annoying your visitors and they won’t be back.
4. Complicated Layout or Navigation
If you have multiple navigation menus, and it isn’t necessary, then you may need to consider consolidating. Use drop down menus and group your content into relevant chunks. People need a main navigation area so they know where to go. if you have 349464 links one one page, your visitors will be confused, and overwhelmed. They won’t know where to go and is one of the most common mistakes in web design.
5. Opening External Links in the Same Page
You never want to have a link to an external site go open in the same e window or tab. you never want to send someone away from your site in any circumstance. Setting your links to open in a new page or tab ensures that they can close that window or tab and your site will still be there waiting for them to continue to explore.
6. Not Collecting Email Addresses
This is a bad practice, because it is one of the easiest ways to grow your business. There is really no reason not to do it, even if you are on a budget. Mailchimp has a free plan that allows you to collect up to 2000 subscribers. After 2000 you’ll have to pay a monthly fee, but by that time you should be making enough from your site via ads or affiliate links to cover the $30 monthly fee. Not collecting email addresses from day one is one of the amateur mistakes in web design, and your site won’t grow as fast without them.
7. Not Sending a Newsletter Regularly
Two main points about people: They are busy and they are forgetful. I have been to sites that were totally fantastic, but I forgot about them or how to get back to them, until I received their email newsletter. You will see a 25% increase in return visitors when you send a newsletter each week. You can also track email metrics with different email companies’ dashboard information.
8. Broken Links
When you have a larger site, this can be a difficult task. However, it is one that is extremely important. There is nothing worse than clicking a link, excited to see content, and getting a 404 message. That is one of the quickest ways to lose a viewer and have them never come back. It diminishes your credibility and is just plain frustrating. This is considered one of the more common mistakes in web design, and just requires a little regular maintenance. Use this link checking tool to see if you have broken links on your site.
9. Type that is either too large or too small.
If people can’t read your article or message, then what is the point? Also, if it is difficult to read, because people are straining to see it, or it is too large, making it awkward to read, visitors will be very unhappy. It is distracting and if I have to read your content 2 or 3 times to put it all together, I will definitely not be a happy camper.
10. Color Combinations
This is a major one, and probably one of the most frustrating. Avoid crazy fluorescent backgrounds. They hurt your eyes. Also, avoid color combinations with low contrast. A good example would be if you had a black navigation menu. If you used dark grey type, if would be extremely difficult to read. Avoid color combinations like this. You want to create as much contrast as possible to make the entire experience an easy and pleasant one.
Conclusion
If you implement these tips for avoiding mistakes in web design, your sites will be an excellent experience for any visitor. Avoiding these mistakes in web design will keep visitors coming back and people will be happy to spread the word about you and your site. What do you think are some of the biggest mistakes in web design? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.