Making a website better is not as simple as just putting up a site. There are many things that need to be considered when creating websites.
Above all, always remember that you are building for people and not for search engines. You can optimize your website for search engines, but if it doesn’t work well for people, then the site will not be successful.
Here are the most common mistakes we see people making when they create their own website:
1. Poor Navigation/User Experience:
A user should be able to easily find what they’re looking for on your website without having to scroll through your entire site first. It’s important that every page has a clear purpose and offers something different from other pages so users know where they are at all times.
2. Lack of clarity:
Your website needs to clearly explain what you do and how it will benefit customers’ lives (or businesses). If there’s anything unclear or confusing about the offering or branding of your business, then it’s unlikely anyone will want to buy from you or even check out more pages on your site.
3. It’s Not Accessible:
If you want to make sure that everyone can use your site, it needs to be accessible for everyone. Make sure that your website works with screen readers and other assistive technologies. Many people who are blind or have low vision use screen readers to read the web. People with dyslexia, cognitive disabilities or other disabilities often use them as well. If your website doesn’t work with these technologies, it isn’t accessible.
Use clear language and good grammar so people can understand what you’re saying. Avoid jargon, slang or foreign languages if you can help it — these will make it harder for some people to understand what you’re saying.
Make sure all images have alternate text (alt text) so search engines and screen readers know what they are about even when they aren’t visible on the page (for example, when someone has turned off images in their browser). While we don’t recommend putting too much information into alt text (since it may slow down load times), using alt text properly is still important for accessibility purposes
4. Lacks Branding:
A poorly designed website is like a business without a sign on the door. You’re invisible to your customers, and you’re losing money by not being found online.
If you have a small business, you know how important it is to have an attractive, professional-looking website. It’s also important for large companies, but for different reasons: Your website needs to be easy-to-use and easy on the eyes. Customers need to be able to find the information they’re looking for quickly and easily — no more than two clicks away from their starting point.
A poorly designed website breaks trust with your visitors, because it doesn’t look like it belongs to a reputable company. It can also be hard for people with disabilities or slow internet connections (or any combination of them) to navigate or use your online store.
Need more guidance? Check out our free Website Audit Checklist