It’s no secret that the digital landscape is constantly evolving. As such, it’s important for businesses and organizations to stay up to date on the latest web design trends and best practices. However, there are some classic web design mistakes that you should definitely avoid in 2023 if you want your website to stand out from the competition. Whether you’re designing a new website or revamping an existing one, this article will provide you with five essential tips on how to avoid these common pitfalls and create an aesthetically pleasing and functional site.
1. Disregarding the 404 Page
When designing your website, you should never disregard the 404 page. The 404 page is what visitors will see when they try to access a page that doesn’t exist on your site. If you don’t have a well-designed 404 page, visitors will likely leave your site and never come back. Here are five of the worst web design mistakes you can make when it comes to the 404 page:
- Not having a 404 page at all
- Having a generic or boring 404 page
- Focusing too much on promoting other parts of your site
- Making the error message too technical or difficult to understand
- Not providing any guidance on how to continue
If your website doesn’t have a 404 page, visitors will be greeted with a blank page or an
error message if they try to access a non-existent page. This is confusing and off-putting,
and it will send them running in the other direction.
Your 404 page doesn’t have to be overly complicated, but it shouldn’t be boring either. A generic “404 Error” message isn’t going to cut it. Take some time to design a creative and helpful 404 page that matches the rest of your site’s aesthetic.
Your 404 page is an opportunity to promote other parts of your website that visitors might be interested in. However, you shouldn’t go overboard with this. A few strategically placed links are all you need. Don’t turn your 404 page into an advertisement for your site as a whole.
Your 404 page should clearly explain what has happened and why the visitor can’t access the page they were looking for. Keep your message simple, clear, and concise. Don’t bombard visitors with technical jargon or long-winded explanations.
Finally, your 404 page should provide some guidance on how to proceed. Include links to other pages on your site, a search bar, or even a contact form so that visitors can get in touch if they need help finding what they’re looking for.
2. Slow-loading pages
Slow-loading pages are one of the most common web design mistakes. Visitors to your website are impatient and if your pages take too long to load, they will likely leave before they even see what you have to offer. There are a number of ways to speed up your pages, including using a caching plugin, optimizing your images, and using a content delivery network (CDN).
Slow-loading pages are one of the most common web design mistakes. A slow website can be frustrating for users and can lead to lost business. There are a few things you can do to avoid this mistake:
- Make sure your site is well-optimized for speed. This includes using a content delivery network (CDN), optimizing your images, and using a caching plugin.
- Avoid using too many heavy plugins or scripts that can slow down your site.
- Keep your code clean and organized. This will help your site load faster and be more efficient.
- Make sure you are not making any other common web design mistakes that can slow down your site, such as using too much JavaScript or having a poor hosting provider.
3. Autoplay videos
One of the most annoying things for users is when a site automatically starts playing a video without any warning. This can quickly lead to users leaving your site, as they are not interested in watching a video at that moment. If you do want to include videos on your site, make sure to give the user the option to play them themselves.
Autoplay videos are especially annoying when they contain ads. Ads should never be set to autoplay; users should always have the option to choose when and if they want to watch the advertisement.
4. Unconventional Navigation
Unconventional navigation techniques involve using elements other than menus to help visitors navigate around a website. Examples include using content blocks with links instead of a menu, clickable images or icons, or even scrolling behavior. You could also use pop-ups to create interactive navigation experiences.
If your website navigation is anything other than a standard top or left-hand menu, you’re likely confusing your visitors. Stick to a conventional navigation system to ensure that people can find their way around your site easily.
5. Intrusive advertising
Intrusive advertising is one of the worst web design mistakes you can make. It not only interrupts the user experience but can also be a turn-off for potential customers. There are a few things to keep in mind if you must include advertising on your website:
- Make sure the ads are relevant to your target audience. If they’re not, they’ll just be a distraction.
- Avoid having too many ads on your site. A couple of well-placed ads are usually enough.
- Make sure the ads don’t interfere with the overall design of your site. They should complement it, not take away from it.
How to avoid making these mistakes
When it comes to web design, there are a few mistakes that can really hurt your chances of success. Here are the five worst web design mistakes to avoid:
- Not having a clear purpose or goal for your website. What do you want your website to achieve? Whether it’s generating leads, selling products, or simply providing information, make sure you have a clear purpose for your site before you start designing.
- Not understanding your audience. Who are you designing your website for? What are their needs and wants? Tailor your content and design to appeal to your target audience and you’ll be more likely to achieve your goals.
- Not making your website mobile-friendly. With over half of all internet traffic now coming from mobile devices, it’s essential that your website is optimized for smaller screens. If it’s not, you’re likely losing out on a lot of potential business.
- Ignoring SEO. Search engine optimization is crucial for getting found online, but too many businesses overlook it when designing their websites. Make sure you include relevant keywords in your content and structure your site in a way that search engines can easily crawl and index it.
Conclusion
Web design mistakes, if left unchecked, can lead to an overall poor user experience and a decrease in website traffic. In order to create a successful website that looks great and functions well on all devices, it is important to avoid the five worst web design mistakes outlined in this article: using too many fonts/colors, not having a good navigation structure, relying too heavily on stock images or videos, failing to optimize for mobile devices and overlooking SEO optimization. By following these tips you will be able to create attractive websites with better user experiences which will drive more traffic and sales for your business.