10 Web Design Mistakes That Could Hurt Your Business

Your website is not just a gateway to your online store but also a key element of your brand identity. A poorly designed website can lead to user dissatisfaction and the loss of potential customers for your business. 

In fact, 38% of users will leave a site if the design is unattractive. This highlights the importance of a visually appealing and user-friendly website that creates a positive first impression.

This guide will explore the most common web design mistakes that may hinder your business’s growth. Consider actionable solutions so your website can be a source of powerful customer engagement and revenue generation. Read on!

10 Common Web Design Mistakes That Could Damage Your Business

Here’s a breakdown of the common web design mistakes that could be holding your business back, along with practical solutions to help you create a website that drives engagement and conversions:

1.  Lack of User Experience

A bad user experience (UX) can quickly drive visitors away and damage your brand’s reputation. Key UX issues, such as slow loading times, confusing navigation, or a non-responsive design, can frustrate users and increase bounce rates.

For instance, 53% of users will abandon a site if it takes more than three seconds to load. Similarly, navigation becomes a problem when it’s not intuitive or when users struggle to find important information.

Another common issue is encountering a 404 error page, which can leave users stranded and annoyed when a link is broken.

These UX mistakes create frustration, damage your site’s credibility, and ultimately lower conversion rates. To keep visitors engaged and improve overall performance, it’s essential to design with user experience in mind.

Solutions:

• Compress images using creative tools and reduce HTTP requests by combining files such as CSS and JavaScript.
• Use Content Delivery Networks to load faster everywhere.
• Clear hierarchy and create logical menu structures.
• Limit the number of menu options to avoid decision fatigue.
• Use responsive frameworks to ensure that your website works on all screen sizes.
• Test on various devices and browsers for consistency.

2. Your Website Isn’t Mobile Friendly

With 59.45% of web traffic coming from mobile devices, it is imperative to optimise websites for mobile.

Mobile users often find sites with improperly scaled images, unreadable text, or broken layouts. Beyond that, Google and other search engines favour mobile-friendly sites in search rankings.

Solutions:

• Utilise scalable fonts and fluid grids to ensure the content adjusts for any screen size.
• Use images and videos that can resize without losing clarity.
• Take Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to spot problems.
• Utilise heat maps to examine and adjust what people are doing on mobile devices.

3. Poor Design and/or Layout

Here are some of the most common mistakes businesses make:

• Overuse or improper placement of buttons may confuse visitors and mitigate the effectiveness of the critical calls to action.
• Inauthentic stock images or low-quality photography give an unauthentic look, while poorly spaced content becomes unreadable or impossible to navigate.
• Misusing the background of an image reduces readability and makes your design look amateur.
• The logo being too big can undermine the professional appeal of your website.

Solutions:

• Use sufficient white space to distinguish elements and direct users’ focus.
• Align content with a grid system for an aesthetically balanced look.
• Steer clear of clichéd stock images and consider custom visuals.
• Ensure all images are high resolution and optimised for web use.

4. Lack of Proper Branding

Weakened or poor branding is generic and unremarkable. It can confuse the visitors and make them doubt your business’s legitimacy.

Branding is not a logo but a combination of colours, typography, messaging, and tone of voice that can help identify your brand. 

Solutions:

• Use the same colour palette, font family, and design elements.
• Display your logo prominently but not obtrusively.
• Clearly state your USP (unique selling point) and UVP (unique value proposition) on the homepage.
• Your tone of voice should be uniform for all website copy.

5. You Have No SEO or Analytics

Without a solid SEO strategy, your website will be nearly invisible to potential customers searching for your products or services. Additionally, without analytics, you won’t have insight into how users are interacting with your site or what they’re looking for, making it difficult to optimise and improve your content.

A website without SEO fails to attract organic traffic, leaving you reliant on paid ads or other channels to generate visitors.

Solutions:

• Conduct thorough keyword research and implement high-performing keywords into content, meta tags, and alt text.
• Indulge in quality blogging that will attract backlinks and enhance ranking.
• Use Google Analytics, search consoles, and heatmap trackers.
• Monitor KPIs like Bounce Rates, CTR, and Conversion Rates

6. Your Website Does Not Contain the Relevant Information

Missing important information, such as contact information, obvious CTAs, or even full product descriptions, may mean lost opportunities and sales. 

Additionally, visitors may leave your site frustrated if they can’t quickly find what they’re looking for. For example, 64% of users expect to see contact information on a website’s homepage. If they can’t easily access it, they may think twice about doing business with you.

Solutions:

• Include your phone number, email address, physical location, and a contact form.
• Insert links to it in your header, footer, and CTAs so anyone can easily locate it.
• Put Important Information at the Top of the Page
• Place CTAs, contact details, and selling points in an area where a visitor doesn’t have to scroll to find them.
• Show your products or services with clear, in-depth descriptions.
• Include benefits, features, and FAQs to prevent buyer hesitation.

7. Your Website Isn’t Accessible

Inaccessible websites alienate a specific user group that has disabilities. This can reduce your brand’s credibility and market, making your business legally vulnerable. 

According to the CDC, by 2025, 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. will live with a disability that could affect their ability to navigate your site. Ignoring this group is unfair and bad for business, as it misses out on valuable customers and may lead to legal repercussions.

Solutions:

• Use alt text that is descriptive of each image to allow for screen reader support.
• Provide enough contrast between the text and the background to allow for easy reading.
• Your web page should be accessible with a keyboard only so it can be read by screen readers.
• Adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for compliance and inclusiveness.

8. Your Content Is Stale and Boring

Outdated content and unappealing layouts drive visitors away and make your site look irrelevant. Also, long paragraphs, interminable blocks of text, and awful formatting tend to disinterest readers. 

Additionally, if your content isn’t fresh or engaging, visitors are less likely to return or interact with your site. A website that looks stagnant gives the impression that your business is, too, which can negatively affect trust and conversions.

Solutions:

• Bring new life by writing fresh posts for the blogs.
• Revamp the product pages and refresh outdated content.
• Break out short paragraphs with bullet points or subheadings.
• Provide videos, infographics, and pictures to capture the various learning types and make your web page more attractive.

9. Social Media Links That Are Overwhelming

Placing social media links too prominently on your website can distract visitors and lead them away from your content. When users click on social media icons right away, they may end up spending time on platforms that don’t contribute to conversions, making it harder for you to keep them engaged.

Additionally, overusing pop-ups or placing social links in intrusive locations can create a frustrating experience, causing potential customers to abandon your site altogether.

Solutions:

• Place social media links in less intrusive areas like the footer or sidebar rather than the main header.
• Design your site to engage visitors before sending them to social platforms. Use something unique or an offer.
• Use pop-ups wisely since unnecessary or distracting ones might irritate your audience.

10. Your Site Is Not Secure

Lacking basic security features, like SSL certificates, can erode user trust and put sensitive data at risk. 85% of users will abandon a website if it’s not secure, especially when personal information is involved.

Security vulnerabilities are a major turn-off for visitors and can cause irreversible damage to your brand’s credibility. Without trust, users are less likely to convert or return to your site.

Solutions:

• Ensure your website uses HTTPS to protect user data and build trust.
• Keep plugins, themes, and CMS platforms updated to prevent vulnerabilities.

Final Words

Your website should be an asset that drives growth, not a liability that hinders progress. Common web design mistakes can frustrate users and reduce conversions, but with the right adjustments, your site can work for you, not against you.

At Crazy Domains, we offer innovative web hosting solutions designed to help you build a website that stands out, performs flawlessly, and drives results. We don’t just provide hosting—we provide the tools and support to ensure your website thrives. Whether you’re launching a new site or optimising an existing one, we’re here to help you succeed every step of the way. Visit our site for more details!