Designing a website can be a challenging task if you are unsure about how to go about it. There are businesses out there that will do it all for you. There are individuals that will undertake your endeavour. If you are braving the task on your own, however, there are a few things you may want to consider. The pitfalls of designing your own website are vast and varied and could come back to haunt you. Have a look at our Top 5 things to avoid when designing a website to make sure that you don’t end up getting caught in the same trap as those before you.
Broken Links
Having broken links on your page is a sure-fire way to stand out as a poorly designed website. Whether its links that do not work or link to the wrong places, taking the time to check and monitor your links is an important step in web page management. The dreaded ‘404 error’ pages are a thing to be avoided and the bane of any internet user. Once your site is up and running, regularly test your links to make sure they are performing correctly and I the right direction. Take the time to do this and your website will be well-developed and on the right track.
Contact Details
The whole point of a website is to get the user to do as you wish. Whether this is to send you an email, buy a product or sign up to a service, having a visible point of contact is of crucial importance. The contact information could take place in a variety of forms, an address, phone number, email address, social media account. Making sure these details are on every page is an important aspect of website design and failing to do so will leave users misguided and soon away from your site altogether.
Slow Server Times
We live in a world that is online 24/7 and with that comes short attention spans and rapid expectations. If the user has to wait 30+ seconds for a page loading, chances are they aren’t going to wait around. There are tests which can be carried out to identify why pages may be taking longer to load and fixes that can be made. A recent study found that users will only wait 5 seconds for a page loading before thinking about moving on. If your website is designed to include slow loading pages, look for solutions and find ways to fix the problem.
Outdated Information
Keeping on top of the content on your website is a necessary task which is a worthwhile endeavour. If the information on your page is old, irrelevant or outdated, interest in your page will plummet. If you are going to the trouble of designing your own website, make sure your content is up to date, informative and most of all interesting to keep the attention of all involved.
Poor Navigation
This links back to the server speed of your website. If users are left confused about how to navigate through your site, they will soon leave it. Make sure your important pages are clear and easy to see and don’t take 15 clicks to get too. Make sure your contact page is easily accessible so that users can get in touch if they wish. All these little tips go a long way in designing a website, make sure you abide by them and you will have a website to be proud of.
