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5 Common Web Design Mistakes

Businesses should constantly rethink their online marketing strategy. This means that you should always be on the lookout for new social network trends, always find ways to make your blog more engaging, and constantly try to improve your website.

The truth is that things that are wrong with the site are much more noticeable than all the good and useful features. That’s why “do no harm” should be the first priority of any web design professional.

 

First impressions

Visitors need very little time to decide whether they are going to stay on the site or not. Businesses often dedicate most of their time and energy to the products page or to telling a story of how the company came to be. All of this is important, but the home page should always be the main concern. First of all, it should be clearly identified with your brand and secondly, it should be easy to navigate and search through. This doesn’t mean that all websites should be minimalistic; just don’t throw too much at the visitor's face at once.

 

Call to action

The importance of calls to action couldn’t be stressed enough. The visitors should always be aware of what the next step should be. Some like you to use clever captions for call to action buttons and that can be charming for frequent visitors. New customers, however, should be told what to do in clear and simple terms. For instance, never use “join us” when you can say “sign up”. Add to cart and buy now buttons don’t have alternatives. They should be always visible and they should do exactly what is written on them.

 

Slow loading

A lot of animation and complicated graphics may seem sophisticated and an easy way to show your company is cutting edge at everything it does, including building websites. However, most users just find it annoying and frustrating if the site doesn’t load right away. According to experts from Seattle web design agencies, functionality should be treated as part of the design. It’s best to think about the average users and the way they interact with the site. The website itself is just a tool used to get the product, services or the information they need. It shouldn’t be a distraction.

 

No contact info

Companies usually view their website as a storefront window and don’t see the need to spend additional money on call centers and other customer services. This is a mistake, there’s always going to be people who want to actually call the business and make sure that everything is ok with their order. Keep the contact information visible at all times and make it easy for the customers to call. It shows that you care and that you’re willing to go the extra mile. Contact should include both text-based and call based means of communication.

 

No analytics

Websites should do more than present your products to the visitors. It’s also a way for you to know more about your customers. Use analytics to find out everything you can about your customers. Age, gender, and income are just the beginning. Knowing their interest in movies, books or other products similar to yours could help make your marketing efforts more effective. Also, information about how visitors use the site will help you improve it greatly.

 

By avoiding these common mistakes you can focus on what’s really important – using the site to display what’s great about your business and keeping in touch with the clients and potential customers.

 

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