With three-quarters of all people judging a company based on its website, having a high-quality online image is very important. Still, many organizations do not know what it takes to make a site that stands the test of time and draws in customers. So, what are some of the main areas to focus on?
This article lists the most common errors with business website designs so you can avoid falling for them. If you plan to upgrade your site in the next year, keep this list handy to refer to so you know you will get the best results possible.
1. Lack of a Clear Message
Your website is a conduit for you to communicate who you are and what you provide to potential clients or customers. If your messaging is unclear, you will instead have people visit your site and then “bounce”, going elsewhere.
Ensure that every sentence you use carries some meaning to it. Do not use forty words when four will do. Also try to ensure that every statement you make has a clear and precise goal, such as answering a specific question.
Last of all, when you lay out the site, make sure it tells a “story”. Introduce a concept or a problem people might have, draw people in by advertising a solution, then explain the details once they are hooked.
2. Non-Responsive Design
With so many people accessing websites via mobile, you need to ensure your business site suits such a format. Gone are the days when you could make a site for only one screen resolution and be happy with it.
These days, you need to make sure a website not only fits on-screen and looks good. Also, it needs to respond to interaction like users expect a mobile-friendly website should.
Doing this will likely need you to use a different layout for a site when on a mobile, for example, switching up a header menu for a “burger” dropdown menu.
When you design the site, use web design tools to create a consistent experience across all devices. Some software even allows you to transfer UI straight from Figma to WordPress, for example, saving you time and money.
3. Lack of High-Quality Graphics
Nobody wants to go to a website and see a massive block of text. It would help if you had good visuals to create an appealing aesthetic and also break up any text, making it much easier to read. Having a background on your site can also break up a webpage, drawing attention to important sections.
Try to invest in high-quality stock photos relevant to your offerings. Though, remember to optimize their size to ensure the website loading speed does not drop. This makes you look like you pay attention to detail and promotes you as a professional entity.
4. No Call-to-Action
At various points on your website, you need to encourage your visitors to engage with you directly. If you do not, you may miss the opportunity as they think your offering is interesting but cannot see a way to get involved.
Place buttons or links on your site using action-oriented language, such as “Sign up today”, or “Learn more here”. People are more likely to click on these as they offer direct interaction and obvious results.
Also, ensure these are visually distinct from the text and background in the area. This can push users to take a step they would not otherwise take.
5. Terrible SEO
SEO is the practice of giving yourself the best opportunity to appear high in Google’s search rankings. Neglecting this can often mean very few people visit your site as they never know it exists.
Make sure to research keywords your target audience might use to search for your services. When you have this, change up your content so you focus on these terms and allow people searching for them to find you. When creating your site, use meta tags, keyword-laden headings, and appropriate alt tags on images to boost this further.
At the same time, try to create content, such as a blog, that others will want to read or share. After all, receiving links from external sites is another method of SEO boosting.
6. Confusing Navigation
Ensure you provide intuitive ways for people to find what they want on your website. This might involve several methods of traveling between pages, whether it be through text search or a simple header menu.
Whichever option you choose, make sure it does cause people to move between pages. If you instead have multiple major sections on the same page or a site that changes the offering of a single page, it is harder for users to go “Back”. If they find they cannot navigate as they might expect, they are more likely to bounce in frustration.
7. Lack of Consistent Branding
You want to ensure you have consistency across your whole site in terms of language, imagery, color choices, and other elements. It might even be useful to create a brand messaging guide so you or others can follow it moving forward.
If you can, hire a graphics designer to create assets that not only fit the website but your brand too. This helps give you a consistent look across your whole site.
8. Overwhelming Visuals
Try not to use large visuals on your business website homepage that take up a whole screen and do not convey value. Avoid animations, too, as these often draw the eye when you do not want them to.
Instead, focus on a few relevant and impactful images that improve the user experience. This can include enhancing the user’s view of your brand, or it could involve helping with navigation.
You could even use white space to create a cleaner layout, guiding a user through the site and focusing them on specific messages.
Resolve Errors With Business Website Designs
Now you understand what the most likely errors with business website designs are, you can avoid making those same mistakes. But what if you want to go the extra mile and improve even further?
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