Websites play an integral role in the branding and image building of small businesses. They serve as the platform where potential and existing customers can explore and interact with the brand, especially for small companies that are engaged in online or customised personal selling.
Responsible for capturing the spirit, essence, as well as the vision of the brand, the web design of the company website, can prove to be a colossal deal-breaker or maker. To ensure that lousy web design does not repel potential customers, here are ten common web design mistakes to avoid at all cost.
A visitor to the site should be able to navigate easily between critical areas without any ambiguity.
Lack of a clear and functional navigation system can exasperate and drive away visitors.
While it is understandable that small businesses want to convey as much information about their brand to potential customers as possible, cluttered and packed websites can be a huge turn-off. A crowded website with too much information, text or even images is likely to confuse a visitor.
Businesses unnecessarily focus on the design, colours, and layout of the website instead of the content and its linkage. While a decent colour and layout scheme is likely to attract the customers, it can, however, prove to be distracting and confuse customers if the website is overtly flashy, glamorous and bright.
The CTA ensures the creation and continuation of business activity on the site. It instructs customers as to where they can click to learn more about the company or even shop online. An unclear CTA can result in loss of revenue.
If a visitor cannot easily find the brand’s contact information on their site, they will much likely leave immediately. Hence, contact information should be easily accessible and visible on the site.
If the advertisements pop up too often or cover the most critical areas on the website, they will most likely annoy the visitors, compelling them to leave. Hence, adverts should be placed smartly.
If a business is unaware of its target market and tries to accommodate the interests of all kinds of customers, it will sabotage the brand’s clarity of purpose.
The brand’s website may attempt to speak to and connect with other groups in addition to their target audience, which may disconnect them from their actual market.
If the site does not contain updated information about the brand and its portfolio, consumers may assume that the business is preparing to wind up and withdraw from the market.
Grammatical errors can create an unprofessional outlook about the brand, discouraging potential customers.
If you feel your current website is suffering from any of the above web design mistakes, please contact us today.
