Top Web Design Mistakes For The Wrong Impression Have you ever visited a website that made your jaw drop in the wrong way? If you have, you are one of the many who have experienced web design mistakes. Web designers often get carried away and want to impress visitors with their skills, but sometimes, that can really all go in the wrong direction. Keep reading to find out about web design mistakes that you need to avoid!
1. Make sure that you have some form of a search box available on your website. However, keep in mind that it is in your best interests to have a simple search engine that people of all skills can use. Some search engines don’t understand typos or different spellings of words which can make for a hectic time searching. People won’t stay on your website if they can’t find the page they’re looking for.
2. Never use PDF files on your website for reading material. It freezes up computers and it really breaks the flow of things. Imagine how annoying it is when you’re reading something and then you have to download something to read it further. PDF files are bad for online reading, but good for printing material.
3. It is important to successful web design that you have links in your navigation bar that change colors once visited. This helps users understand where they’ve been and where they’re headed. Checking out your website is much like a journey, but without the proper link colors, it can become hectic like losing a map.
4. People don’t want to read your content in a long and boring blob of text. In fact, if you don’t add any interest to your wall of text, people will feel intimidated, bored and overwhelmed; usually resulting in people fleeing your website. Incorporate the use of bullets, outlines, bold headlines and graphics to create text that is easy to tackle and keep track of.
5. Stay away from any and all design elements that can be misconstrued as advertising. People are turned off by flashing graphics and animations, pop-up windows or graphics resembling banner ads. These are all things that people may perceive as advertising and feel irritated at you for including them in your web design.
6. Don’t create a web design that has never been done before. This doesn’t mean that you should copy other people’s websites, but it certainly means you shouldn’t stray from the norm. Pay attention what popular companies are doing on their sites, and don’t create something that can be seen as over-the-top.
7. Answer questions when asked. This may seem like a no-brainer, but all too often, website owners lose business because they just forget about customer service. If someone asks you something, don’t misplace your manners and answer everything accordingly.
When people click to see your website, you generally have a few seconds to convince them to stay. If you can’t, there is a likely chance that the person will leave and so will many others. Use the mistakes from this article to avoid making your own.