Every website is different, just as every business is different.  The needs of a website vary depending on numerous elements, for example; the audience, the business vision, the USP, and the visual brand identity. 

But one thing that all websites have in common is that they should help the visitor take the next step, whether that be to book a call, make a purchase or provide contact details. 

But some common mistakes often get in the way, so in this article, I’m sharing 7 web design fails you need to fix to provide a great user experience for your visitors! 

1 | Define the purpose of your website and keep it streamlined 

Define the purpose

Understanding what your website is for and defining this will help with tailoring it to your business and client needs.  For example, is it a simple brochure website detailing your services, contact information and more, or will you be selling products online?  

You should also identify your business USP, ideal client or customer, their most basic problem and the solution you have for them.

Once you know these you can use this in tailoring your website copy and content so that it really “speaks” to your visitors.

Related:

• The Importance Of Storytelling In The Development Of Your Brand

Streamline your website

Small and independent business owners are notorious for bombarding their website homepage with everything and anything they THINK is needed on a homepage.  One of the biggest tips I can’t emphasise enough is to keep your homepage (and website) clean and streamlined. 

Your homepage should be informative, it must tell the visitor what you do, and who you serve and there should be a clear route to be able to find out more as well as easy access to your contact details.

Does your homepage do this?

Related:

• How To Create A Great User Experience For Your Website

2 | Always add a call to action (CTA) on each page

As well as the whole website having a purpose, each page should also clearly have a purpose and a call to action. 

For example, if someone lands on your ‘Services’ page, they should be clearly informed of what your services are and HOW they can either book your services, get in touch with you or make a payment.

There is no point in listing what you do and how you can help if you don’t provide your visitor with the means to take action.

So add that call to action button!

3 | Use heading styles and body copy styles 

I have seen this sooo many times on many websites.  They have a visual brand in place including a font system and colour palette, but they don’t use it appropriately on their website.

By that I mean, they have no idea how to use these elements on their website.

You can use your brand colour palette and font system on your website to break up large chunks of text by introducing clever headings (and the associated styles) as well as images or icons. 

This will make your page easier to read, or skim-read, and will add visual interest to your page.  It is also really important for SEO as search engines use the headings to index the structure and content of your web page.

4 | White space or negative space is a good thing

White space or negative space is an amazing thing in website design. Allowing your content to breathe on the page makes it easy on the eye and therefore is more inviting to read.

Less is definitely more.  Spacing out the elements appropriately and consistently, including subtle dividers, and aligning the content all at the same time as including white space, or negative space will improve the overall user experience.

5 | Keep it on-brand

Your website is an extension of your brand, and your brand needs to evoke an emotion - a positive emotion) and your website needs to help your potential client act on that emotion.  Ensuring you use your visual brand elements, such as your colours, icons, logo, logo variation, submark, pattern and illustrations is a great way to ensure your website is on-brand. 

Don’t forget the tone of voice and language of your content is also a part of your brand identity and this should most definitely be considered and included on your website (and other material too, such as marketing material, and social media posts to mention a couple). 

Related:

• 20 ways to use your brand identity (not just your logo)

6 | Ensure it is responsive

Everyone uses their smartphones.  Therefore it’s important that your website is responsive so that you are reaching your audience, with them in mind, at any given moment - whether that is at 3am, or 3pm.  

Another reason to ensure your website is responsive is that Google is in favour of websites that are responsive and are optimised for smartphones, a responsive website is actually great for SEO as well!

7 | Make sure it is secure - SSL

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer.  It’s super important to ensure your website is secure and as safe as possible, for both your visitors and your peace of mind.  

You should always use “HTTPS” and have an SSL certificate to protect your website.  If you don’t have one it is important you get that sorted as not only is it your responsibility as the website owner, but it can also be costly with regards to your potential customers’ trust. 

All secure websites have a padlock icon in the URL bar…

Also… it’s worth noting “All domains correctly added to your Squarespace site are automatically protected with free SSL certificates to improve security.” - which is great if you are using Squarespace, or planning too!

Conclusion

Design is very subjective, but ensuring the user experience and user interface design is spot on will without a doubt show the results you are looking for - whether that is more bookings, more calls, more sales, or more inquiries.  Knowing where to place the right elements on a web page and therefore on a website requires a good balance between understanding the purpose of the website, understanding the brand, and last but not least understanding the audience.

I hope these 7 tips help you identify, and fix, any common fails you may have on your site.

If you need a professional Squarespace website designer to take a look at your website why not get in touch and book in a 30-min no-strings-attached chat and we can discuss how I can help you.