A website that is well presented and easy to navigate can make the difference between a thriving online business and a mediocre or even failing one. If your website performs poorly, customers will lose trust very quickly and go elsewhere. There are multiple factors to consider when creating a good site, but here are some basic errors to avoid.
1. Ignoring User Experience
A website that looks modern and eye-catching, but has been but together with little consideration for the target audience, will not perform well. Think about what your user will be trying to find out, accomplish, or buy from your site, and make sure they can do this with the minimum amount of effort. Design the visuals around this concept, not beforehand.
2. Using Fussy Typography
A font that looks stylish and readable on paper does not always translate well onto the screen, especially smaller mobile devices. It may be tempting to make your site feel unique with some swirly gothic script, but chances are most people will struggle to read it. For the main text, stick to clear sans-serif fonts that have been optimised for web use.
3. Not Using A Responsive Design
In 2021, it is absolutely essential to have a website that is optimised for a range of screen sizes. This doesn’t just mean shrinking the webpage to fit the screen, it means having a layout that is programmed to adapt to a useable and legible format for each device. This should be done in a way that maintains a consistency of design throughout, however.
4. Being Lax About Security
Security needs to be a consideration right from the word go, because it is much easier to build a safe website from the ground up than to rush around closing loopholes later on. If a hacker breaches your website and accesses confidential data, it could be disastrous for you financially, and it will destroy the trust and confidence of your customers.
5. Poor Choice Of Colour Schemes
Too many extreme bright contrasts are hard on the eye, and can make the user experience stressful and confusing. A bright pop of colour here and there is fine, but it is better to think subtle and restrained if in doubt. Also avoid using too many dark colours, as reading white text on a dark background is much harder than vice-versa.
6. Avoiding Accessibility Issues
There is government legislation to ensure all public sector websites comply with accessibility requirements, but it is good practice to include them whoever your audience is. Use image alt description tags, adjustable font size, and enhanced colour contrasts to help the visually impaired, for example. Video and audio content is also useful in this context.
7. Not Optimising Navigation
It is crucial that the most commonly visited pages in your website are easy to find, not just in clear navigation menus at the top and bottom of the page, but also in larger linked elements within the page design. This is especially important if there are a large number of pages, which should be grouped into categories.
If you are looking for website design in Inverness, get in touch today to see how we can help.