Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Last Updated on January 20, 2024 by Work In My Pajamas
When you are running a small to medium business, your website becomes even more important to you. If executed well, it can lead the right clients to your business. If executed poorly, it might just put people off completely.
In this post, we will look at web design mistakes that could tank your business.
In This Post:
Rushing to Get it Done
Okay, we know that without a web presence we are losing money, so there is some urgency in getting the pages published. The problem is that this urgency could lead to you making some killer mistakes.
It is better to first research what your target market is looking for before rushing headlong into the design. You will lose a little time this way, but at least you won’t have to waste money because the site needs to be redesigned later.
For example, if you don’t have a very tech-savvy target market, you need to be sure to lay things out very clearly for them and make the site super user-friendly. For getting a super user-friendly website you need to hire a web designer.
The Design is Cluttered
You want everything to be shiny and pretty on your site, so you cram it full of beautiful images and as much as you can possibly fit on the page.
This is the online equivalent that old junk store on the corner. You know what I mean – the place where you go if you are bored one afternoon and have time to sift through all the junk. It is, however, quite off-putting if you need something in a hurry.
The other consequence of having too much information on the site is that it creates problems with your load times. Lagging load times will hurt your site just about more than anything else will.
And, according to Forbes, as much as a 1% lag could lose you about 7% of sales. It is not something that you can afford to ignore.
Beating Around the Bush
This is not the time to be coy about what you want your visitors to do. Make sure that your call to action is crystal clear. Let them know exactly what steps to take.
Penny-Pinching with the Budget
Businesses do not have unlimited budgets, but this is not the area to cost cut. Get some idea of what the best web designers will set you back. It is liable to be less than you expect. Do research the reputation of the designer that you do choose to ensure you get what you pay for.
Content Past its Sell-By Date
Is there anything more frustrating than going from a company website and contacting the company about a product only to find out that they stopped selling it months ago? Or finding a nice price for a product online, only to find that the store price is a lot higher?
Not updating information can make your company look unprofessional and frustrate your clients. And it is bad for SEO purposes as well.
Aiming to Please Everyone
We are told this ad nauseum, but it is amazing how many people still ignore this advice. You cannot do it and what you end up with is a wishy-washy effect that really does not please that many potential clients.
Pick a target market and aim at that.
Doing it Yourself
This is not recommended for any companies outside of the IT industry. Designed a site is difficult. Getting it to work properly is even more so. Think of it like creating an advertising campaign – you aren’t going to do the whole thing yourself, are you?
Outsourcing your web design makes good sense from a marketing perspective.
Some of you are out there feeling a little bad right now. How many of you have been making these mistakes? Don’t fret about it now – the thing to do is to fix it but don’t do a rush-job. Start by doing your research and fix it once and for all.
