Top 5 Website Design Mistakes to Avoid at All Times

Designing a new website can be an exciting and experimental process. You can be tempted to experiment with website design ideas that can actually prove to be quite fatal. This especially holds true if you are getting an ecommerce website design. Mentioned below are five most common design mistakes that should be avoided at all times…

Don’t use fancy programming languages—your website should be plain, easy to look at, simple and programmed using the basic technologies available. Don’t use fancy designs or fancy languages in Flash or javascript. Many users may not have flash player installed on their machines and therefore will not be able to see the flash component on your website. Thumb rule – use basic programming languages like HTML.

Don’t use words to fill space—ensure that you use only relevant words and phrases on your website. Business websites should only have 100% relevant content that’s written by a professional. Statistics suggest that most users move to a new website after 30 seconds only! Make sure that your website content is crisp, clear, and attractive rather than being long, unclear, and boring. Thumb rule – be simple and direct with your site content.

Aim to educate the users—when designing a website, it’s important not to assume that users visiting your website will know what your website talks about. The website content should be simply worded. Try not to use jargons unless necessary and try to have a conversational tone to the content. Enumerate a point or an idea by using stories, citing examples, and client testimonials. In case of ecommerce website design the emphasis should be on using as few words as possible to convey the right meaning. Thumb rule – write from the perspective of explaining your business to a layman.

Nothing works like repetition—you must have visited websites that keep repeating just one or two important points in different ways through out the site. It’s a well accepted fact that repetition is one of the most important tools to create an impact and thereby benefit your website. All websites read in a one-dimensional manner, from up to down and vice-versa. Remember if someone visits your website and quickly browses the contents without reading it carefully, your purpose will be defeated. Therefore, make sure that you repeat the important point/s at least 3 times or may be more until the end of the page. Thumb rule – repetition is the key.

Don’t generalize your website—your website should be designed to be personal. Definitely, the single most effective method of selling product or services over the Internet is to ensure that your website is personal enough to reach to the target audience and sustain their interest for long enough to make a purchase or place an order. Don’t design a website that tries to reach everybody. Cater to a niche market by staying focused on your target audience. Thumb rule – a personalized website is a must.

These top 5 mistakes must be avoided at all costs!