The Most Common Web Design Mistakes Made by Small Business

For small businesses with limited capital to play with, a website can effectively be the business…at least in terms of determining its success or otherwise. With no shop floor, no specific office and no physical means of pulling in the punters, it’s a case of making sure your website covers all bases and gets noticed.Sadly, the need to stand out from the crowd coupled with the enthusiasm to get things up and running can in many instances lead amateur web designers down the wrong path entirely. More often than not, it’s a few highly-common and relatively simple rookie mistakes that can deal a small business website a near fatal blow – one that makes it very difficult to make any real progress.    So if you’re guilty of any of the following, you might well be looking at the reason why your online business seems to have hit a brick wall:1 – You Forget Who You’re Reaching Out toA website that appeals to teenagers in a visual sense is not likely to have the same impact on an over-50s group, and vice-versa. The thing to remember is that there is no such thing as the perfect website design, as what works for one target group will be entirely ineffective for the next. As such, it’s imperative for small business website designers to thoroughly research what it is that hits home with the target audience you’re reaching out to and forget about anything else.2 – Poor NavigationIt’s more than a little common to overlook the importance of a solid navigation system, though doing so can be any site’s undoing. A site with a bad navigation system is like a massive department store with no signs or store map – are you more likely to spend hours searching aimlessly for what you want, or would you rather leave and go to the better place next door? It’s exactly the same principle with a website – make it easy for visitors to get where they need to be or they’ll leave in a flash.3 – Overcomplicating ThingsSpeaking of Flash, another trademark error of the web design newbie is that of going OTT with site design and losing track of what matters. These days, what matters most to web users is simplicity, ease of finding what they’re looking for and a general sense of calm. No matter how flashy and creative you get, chances are they’ve seen it all before and won’t be impressed. As of right now, less is more.4 – Lack of Calls to ActionA very simple mistake to make but also one that could kill your business flat – are you making it easy enough for visitors to buy or sign up if that’s what they want to do? You don’t have to plaster every square inch with “For the love of God please buy now!!!” buttons, but at the same time you do need clear and readily available calls to action.5 – Your Content is Anything But KillerAnd finally, the biggest problem with ‘filler’ content is that while it might seem a good idea to bulk-out your site, it actually dilutes anything and everything you have to say of genuine relevance. Your products will lose their luster, your industry insights won’t be taken seriously and your whole brand will come across as a bit of a joke – a site full of filler can actually be worse than a site with no content at all. And unless you can say with a hand on your heart that you’ve put your everything into every word of content on your site, you’re guilty!