In today’s digital age, having an online presence is essential for businesses and individuals alike. A well-designed website can be a powerful tool for reaching a global audience, but it’s crucial to navigate the world of web design wisely. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore five common mistakes in website design and provide valuable insights to help you steer clear of them.
Mistake #1: Flashy but Flawed
One of the biggest blunders in website design is creating a site using Flash technology. While Flash can deliver visually stunning effects, it comes with significant drawbacks. Recent studies by top internet marketers have shown that Flash-based websites can decrease the response from prospects and customers by as much as 370 percent.
Why is this the case? The internet is a diverse landscape with users employing various computers, connection speeds, and internet configurations. What looks amazing on one device may not even display on another. Not to mention, the longer loading times of Flash-based sites can drive visitors away, never to return.
Mistake #2: The “Internet Catalog” Approach
A common misstep is what we call the “Internet Catalog” approach. This involves creating a website with links to nearly every product or service on a single page. The rationale is to cater to everyone who visits, but this approach is fundamentally flawed.
Here’s the truth: Offering too many choices can overwhelm your visitors, leaving them unsure of what to do next. Confused visitors rarely convert into customers. This approach contradicts an age-old rule in direct marketing, endorsed by the most successful internet marketers: simplicity sells.
Mistake #3: Over-Optimizing for Search Engines
Optimizing your website for search engines (SEO) is a common practice, but it can be overdone. Web designers and marketers often advise optimizing every page for search engines, believing it’s the path to success. However, this can be a grave error.
Here’s the issue: When you over-optimize a page, it may require rewording or even removal of key content to please search engines. This can undermine the persuasive power of your sales copy, causing visitors to leave without making a purchase.
The key is balance. Instead of optimizing your main sales page for search engines, create separate “entry pages” for each relevant keyword, highly optimized for search engines. These entry pages can link to your primary sales site, ensuring a consistent stream of targeted traffic.
Mistake #4: Graphics Overload
Graphics can be a valuable tool for conveying information, but overusing them can lead to a distracted audience. Your sales message is the most critical element on your website, and it should take center stage.
Visitors typically make a decision within seven seconds of arriving on your site. If your site is laden with graphics, it might still be loading when those critical seconds elapse. Even more concerning, excessive graphics can divert attention from your sales message.
Here’s the deal: The flashier the graphics, the more they detract from your sales message. If visitors are distracted for even a moment, you risk losing a sale. Remember, your web copy is the primary driver of conversions.
Mistake #5: Ignoring Marketing Experience
Many web designers excel in creating visually appealing websites but lack the marketing knowledge needed to make a website profitable. Designers are not inherently marketers, and this oversight can be detrimental.
Having your website designed by someone without internet marketing experience is like owning a car without an engine – it won’t get you anywhere. While design is essential, it must go hand in hand with effective marketing strategies.
Read More: 5 Basic Rules of Web Design