Tasha It’s easy to make mistakes in business, and certainly when it comes to losing money.
Creators are those who are often a one-person band. They’re doing everything themselves when they start, and they’ll likely be doing a lot of the work even when they have a whole team around them.
Web design mistakes can often cost creators significant revenue, especially when they’re reliant on their website driving traffic to other socials or selling products or services through their site.
With that being said, here are some of the most costly web design mistakes creators can make this year.
Poor mobile performance and responsiveness
Designing for desktop first is a dire mistake to make, especially when nowadays, most people browse the internet on their phones. A non-responsive site is going to drive away the majority of your users, so you should be using responsive frameworks that are mobile-friendly.
You also want to test your site on real devices to ensure that it is, in fact, working properly as it should be.
Slow loading speeds
Any slow loading speeds on a page are going to immediately put off users from going any further into the website. In fact, they’re more likely to click off before the page has loaded fully. A 1-second delay in load time can cause a significant drop in conversions, so you’ll want to do everything you can to reduce loading speeds.
You can do so by enabling browser caching and compressing images, as this often contributes heavily to page loading speeds.
Missing or vague call-to-actions
Any missing or vague call-to-actions are going to contribute to the underperformance of your site. Burying this CTA too far down the page can be an issue. That’s why it’s important to make these buttons or pop-ups stand out with contrasting colors and by placing them above the fold every time.
Lack of a clear value proposition
Using vague or creative headlines, rather than clearly stating what is often, will likely cause new visitors, especially to leave within seconds.
Your homepage headline should explain who you are, what you do, and more importantly, what you can offer to the user coming onto your site for the first time.
Confusing navigation and cluttered layouts
Overloading your pages with too many elements or complicated, multi-level menus can often create what’s called a ‘cognitive overload’ and cause the user to abandon the site due to feeling overwhelmed or frustrated.
Simplifying your menus to 3-5 main categories and using a good amount of white space helps to guide the eye more successfully.
Missing trust signals and credibility
If your site is lacking testimonials, portfolio examples, reviews, etc, then this could cause potential customers to not trust your site enough to go through with anything you’re asking them to.
Feature real, high-quality imagery and testimonials so that you appear as legitimate as you are.
Neglecting basic SEO and technical hygiene
Finally, don’t forget the basics in SEO and technical hygiene. Fix any broken links and missing alt text for images, as this can all contribute to low search rankings, which means less traffic.
Web design mistakes cost creators real money, so make sure you’re not falling victim to any.
