Common Website Design Mistakes to Avoid

As a website owner, you might be proud of the website you have created for your business. However, the design of your website is one aspect of your website that can quickly become outdated. Website design mistakes can make your website look too old and no longer relevant, causing visitors to lose interest and potentially impacting conversion rates.

To help you avoid these mistakes, we have compiled a list of the most frequent website design mistakes that can make your website look too old.

1. Overuse of Flash

Flash was once a popular choice for creating animated websites, but it’s no longer seen as an effective design tool. Flash can make your website slow to load and vulnerable to security threats. It also doesn’t work on mobile devices, which account for an increasing percentage of website visitors. Consider using other animation options such as HTML5, CSS, or Javascript for any animations you want to include on your site.

2. Using Small Fonts

While smaller font sizes may have worked on desktop screens, they are no longer effective on mobile devices. Visitors are more likely to leave your website if they can’t read the text, which can have a significant impact on your business. Use a font size of at least 16 pixels for your body text, and larger fonts for headings and titles.

3. Minimal whitespace

Whitespace is the space between text and images on a webpage, and it is a vital design element. A design that’s too cluttered without enough whitespace can distract and overwhelm visitors. Too much whitespace can also make your website look empty and unfinished. To give a modern and clean look to your website, aim for a balanced usage of whitespace and clustered elements.

4. Ignoring mobile optimization

Mobile optimization is essential because mobile browsing accounts for a majority of website traffic. Websites that haven’t been optimized for mobiles can be hard to navigate, slower to load, and may not work as they should. Ensure your website is mobile-responsive, which means it adapts to different screen sizes automatically. You can use Google's mobile-friendly test tool to check if your website is mobile-friendly.

5. Bad Navigation 

Another website design mistake to avoid is having a confusing navigation. Your website should have an intuitive navigation menu that allows visitors to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily. Make sure your menu is organized and clearly labeled so visitors can find what they’re looking for without any hassle.

6. Poor use of color

The color scheme you choose can positively or negatively impact the perception of your website. Using too many colors or contrasting colors can create visual noise and make your website look outdated. Use a color palette that is consistent and balanced across your website. Make sure you use colors that complement each other, and avoid going too bold unless the brand identity requires it.

7. Poorly Optimized Images 

One of the biggest website design mistakes is not optimizing images properly. It’s important to make sure all of your images are compressed before uploading them to your website. By doing so, you can ensure that your pages load quickly, improving user experience and boosting your website’s performance.

8. Poor SEO 

Poor SEO is another common website design mistake. SEO plays an important role in the success of your website. Without the proper SEO practices in place, your website won’t be able to rank in search engine results, meaning fewer visitors and less conversions. Make sure you’re optimizing your site for SEO to get the most out of your website.

By avoiding these common website design mistakes, you can ensure your website is performing to its full potential. From optimizing images to improving SEO, these tips will help you create a website that is both attractive and effective.