Web Design - Five Ways New Business Enthusiasm Backfires

As every successful small business owner knows, it’s of crucial importance to hit the ground running from day one. Keeping up with the competition is one thing - actually stepping ahead of the game is something else, though in both instances you cannot expect to succeed by sitting idly by and waiting for success to be handed to you on a silver platter.Unsurprisingly therefore, it’s natural for the more proactive small business types to dive headfirst into every aspect of setting up their new business with quite extensive gusto. And as it’s no secret that the website of any given small business will play a huge role in determining its success or otherwise, it’s not uncommon for business newcomers to lose sight of things and shoot themselves in the foot…web-wise.  The good news is that by acknowledging and considering the most common mistakes small business owners make when it comes to web design, you yourself stand a much better chance of avoiding them entirely. So whether you’re already in the midst of designing your website or plan to start doing so in the near future, just be sure not to fall foul of the following five:

1. Poor Navigation

First up, the secret to fantastic navigation is simplicity – always has been and always will be. It’s far better to have a navigation system in place that makes it easy for your visitors to get where they need to be, than to have a navigation system that looks great but doesn’t serve any real purpose. Think about logical positioning, stripped-back design and no unnecessary garnish.

2. Showing Off

It’s almost impossible to avoid the temptation to build the kind of ostentatious website that simply cannot be overlooked or ignored by anyone looking enough to come across it. From the most remarkable 3D design elements to striking fonts to bright colours to all manner of images and video clips all over the place, chances are you’ll actually end up achieving the opposite of your intention. Ongoing surveys and studies have shown that today really is the day of simplicity and clean website design, so don’t fall into the trap of showing off.

3. Ignoring Mobile

To ignore the mobile web community these days would be as inadvisable as not bothering with a website at all. The simple fact of the matter is that as mobile web traffic has already overtaken conventional web traffic in most key markets, common sense dictates that mobile should actually be your number-one priority. And when it comes to prioritising mobile, this means ensuring not only that your site looks great on a mobile device, but is 100% accessible and user friendly.

4. Going Against the Grain

You want to stand out from the crowd and you want to be different – so does every other small business that has ever gone into business. Nevertheless, going against the grain can backfire pretty impressively as when a visitor arrives on your website, there are certain things they expect as normal. A little artistic flair is one thing, but you have to make sure that when it comes to the fundamentals of your website template in general, the whole thing moves and operates in a manner that’s familiar to your target audience.

5. Content Conundrums

Last but not least, never forget that when it comes to the average web user…as in about 99% of us…we’re pretty lazy and impatient when it comes to finding what we’re looking for. If what we’re looking for is hidden in the midst of reams of other content we have no interest in, it’s probably quicker to go look for it elsewhere. The problem being that as a small business, this may be your first opportunity to tell the world your story and generally how fantastic you are at what you do. In doing so however, you run the risk of crossing that fine line between a site packed with useful content and a site that’s so overcrowded with detritus, nobody in their right mind would bother heading back for a second visit.