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- Your Whitespace is Unbalanced
- Extreme Lack of Visual Hierarchy
- Ads are Posted Everywhere
- Low-Resolution Stock Images
- Don't Shy Away From Professional Assistance
Like any art form and creative expression, there are far more intricacies laid in-between website design that many newbie entrepreneurs get wrong or completely overlook, hurting the overall functionality and user experience for visitors.
As a result, companies often don't notice how impactful a role website design plays, unconsciously accepting subpar web traffic numbers and misrepresenting the real potential of their products and services.
Of course, with a bit of time and reflection, any website design will become better once experience starts to kick in and management notices what helps the company attract new customers and what works to their disadvantage.
But, instead of waiting for that to happen, we've curated a quick checklist of some of the most common website design mistakes that you may be doing right now and how you can overcome this issue as soon as possible.
Your Whitespace is Unbalanced
Whitespace is defined as the negative space in your website design that's left blank in the color of white or another neutral tone, depending on your website's color theme.
And while most newbies would think that cramming as much information as possible into a landing page is the most efficient way to go, it's actually pretty common knowledge to balance elements within the overall composition of the website because it improves content legibility.
However, that right there is where the problem lies because most startups get the balance wrong and either has too much or too little whitespace spread all across their websites, making it look either distasteful or rather empty.
For reference, Apple's landing page makes great use of whitespace, which creates a look that's easy on the eyes, accessible to navigate around, and highlights the CTAs that customers will gravitate towards.
A good rule of thumb is to make sure sections link with each other, and the whitespace should encourage viewers to keep reading.
Extreme Lack of Visual Hierarchy
Proper organization is what sets an impressive and professional website apart from all the so-so ones scattered across the internet, and there are no better criteria to evaluate organization than visual hierarchy.
You see, information and data displayed on a landing page may be equally helpful, but some of these elements are far more valuable to your visitor's time, like finding what category they need in an online marketplace.
For example, Amazon's landing page is quite cluttered, and while it does a better job after signing up for an account and displaying items based on your search history, it doesn't have the best visual hierarchy due to the sheer number of products available on the website.
As a result, potential customers might give up before they even make any progress on their purchase decision.
To resolve this problem, a great place to start for small businesses would be assigning different sizes, colors, and typefaces to make the impact and significance of each item or category a lot more varied.
Ads are Posted Everywhere
Google AdSense is an excellent way to earn another stream of income by monetizing your website, but one major issue most startups run into is having way too many ads blasted everywhere across the screen and making it near impossible to see anything meaningful.
Sure, there's nothing inherently wrong with ads, and some might even find what they're looking for by chance, but overdoing the display ads makes your website appear a lot less professional and more of a cash grab.
Ad placements should look organic and not forced, so a great principle to follow is thinking that less is more so that none of the advertisements take away the value of your actual content, products, or services.
Furthermore, we strongly recommend avoiding labels and headings that may mislead users because that will just hurt your brand's integrity.
Low-Resolution Stock Images
Lastly, while low-resolution stock images may seem like a no-brainer thing to avoid for website design, you'll be surprised at the number of websites that feature photos that are the slightest bit HD and just ruin the aesthetic of a page.
And while it's not the worst offense possible, it's very noticeable, and many website visitors don't react too kindly to these blunders.
In contrast, high-resolution images that promote your products and services make things a lot easier to read, understand, and prevent confusion altogether, whether that's ordering an artisan item or looking for an affordable COD courier for your packages.
Plus, you don't actually need the best camera and editing equipment to make things look high quality because many smartphone cameras today are very competitive.
So, as long as you don't push it beyond its pixel count, HD images should be the standard your company's website must follow.
Don't Shy Away From Professional Assistance
Overall, while various risk factors could take away from the functionality and user experience of a website, it's not impossible to overcome.
And even if you find it troublesome to deal with on your own, numerous professionals on the internet are ready and willing to provide their services and expert advice.
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