Web design is by no means an exact science; there can be different sites using conflicting strategies with similar degrees of success. But there are definitely some design decisions which will hurt a site no matter what the size or reputation of the business that it represents.
This is where help from the website designers come into play, since they can help you to side-step common problems and come out on top in a competitive marketplace. It is important to ensure that you have figured out what you want your website to do for your business and that any additional needs such as the use of staff and visitor electronic signing in and membership elements are looked at in a separate conversation with a Visitor Management System specialist such as https://www.ofec.co.uk/web-and-software-development-services/digital-visitors-and-staff-signing-in-book.aspx, leaving your website to function separately.
But what are the mistakes that can be made in web design and how can you spot them before they cause real problems for your business?
Theme Fatigue
Plenty of sites are built using an existing third party theme and this can be a great way to quickly set up an online presence that looks good and functions smoothly. But where some businesses go wrong is in sticking with an unaltered theme, whether free or premium in origin.
To avoid the bland, generic look which is echoed by thousands of other sites, when you use a theme it is important to think of it as merely the starting point. From there you can make adjustments, add your own twists and enhance it with new features, ranging from aesthetic updates to interface overhauls.
Inadequate Images
Images have never been more important in the context of web design, since visitors now expect media-rich experiences which are easy to view on desktop displays together with high resolution mobile and tablet screens. And if your site has pictures that do not stand up to scrutiny, or fail to match the brand image you are trying to develop, the impact will be compromised.
Buying quality stock images, or better still getting a professional photographer or designer to create some unique pictures for your site, will allow you to overcome this. Also remember to be consistent across the site to avoid disconcerting juxtapositions.
Poor Page Load Speed
Does your site take longer than three seconds to load? Then you may be haemorrhaging visitors at an unacceptable rate.
Page load speed can be improved by adjusting the design of a site, eliminating extraneous plug-ins and optimising embedded content. But you may also need to re-think your hosting strategy and check that your site is located on an infrastructure that can serve your target audience well, regardless of location.