A website for a company is more than simply a URL and some code that browser users suddenly turn into a vibrant brochure. It is a potent interactive tool that aids in brand presentation, ethics, product and service promotion, and, last but not least, lead generation. It is crucial for your business to have a website that provides great information to your customers and looks beautiful doing it.

An excellent website must be easy to use, packed with helpful content, perform flawlessly, and have an appealing and distinctive appearance. To build a successful website, a front-end developer and a marketer must collaborate. The marketing specialist is in charge of formulating the best plan for selling the business's goods, including advising on messaging, placement, content creation, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Calls to Action (CTA), tracking analytics, and many other details both before and after a website is built.

Building and sustaining an effective online presence requires understanding how to spot poor website design. Here is a quick list of website don'ts, followed by some advice on how to prevent them.

Build, Design, Layout

Outdated or broken landing pages that are returned after web search

This is a common problem for most websites that have been up for more than a few years. The optimal location for a visitor—and prospective customer—to arrive is not on pages with outdated material or broken functionality caused by technological issues. Review your website pages on a regular basis, and keep an eye on the functionality of your CMS platform (i.e., WordPress).

 On-site search functionality with low-quality results

In particular on e-commerce sites or product/service catalogues, site search is more than just a search bar at the top of your page. A strong site search feature improves user experience, lowers bounce rates, and boosts conversions. You may acquire a third-party search solution or use the built-in search capability of your CMS successfully.

External links that turn away visitors

To reduce the chance that a visitor may be diverted from your website, you should make sure that links to external websites open in a new Tab. Avoid external linking on crucial CTA landing pages that you want to convert, including "Contact us" pages.Low page speed, not optimized for mobile devices.

The quality of the website's code (CMS) and taking into account mobile device displays while creating the website's user interface are just a few of the many factors that impact this complicated technological issue. Discuss potential screen and speed concerns with your frontend developer, and keep an eye on the website's performance using third-party services (e.g., Webpagetest, GTMetrix).

Using a dated website Design

Because of this, website pages become less secure and SEO-friendly. Using an outdated CMS does not help editors create well-organized and appealing content. Modern platforms include well-maintained and current WordPress solutions or website creation and hosting services like Squarespace.

Having an uninteresting 404 page

When a user tries to click on a broken link, websites frequently display a "404 Not Found" page. By offering suggestions for related material and providing a list of the most crucial website pages, assist the user in finding the information they are looking for. Another technique to wow the visitor and make up for not providing the needed material is to have a fancy design and a witty message..

Crowded navigation menu

Instead of assisting the visitor in finding the most crucial pages of your website, a menu section with too many alternatives may really be confusing. Plan your main menu carefully, and don't forget to utilise the footer section by include the information that most of your visitors are seeking.

Content and Messaging

Poor language use

Make care to proofread your copy for spelling, grammatical, and punctuation mistakes and to write them professionally. Consider other elements of your website as well, such as the menu items and sidebar headers.

Low-grade visual material

Avoid using amateur, poor-quality images and movies on your website's pages, especially the Home page. Additionally, overusing common stock photographs is uninteresting; they should only be used seldom. Visitors may learn more about and get more engaged with a business or brand by viewing high-quality real-world images of it.

Not enough high-quality Content

You ought to treat others with respect since content is king! Low-quality content does not support your brand and is unlikely to result in conversions. If you want help creating your content, you might want to think about hiring a professional copywriting consultant.

Avoiding treating every page of a website as a potential landing point

You anticipate potential customers to show up at the main entrance when you own a physical and mortar firm. On your website, this is not the situation! Your website may receive visitors from a variety of sources, including news blog posts, business case studies, your portfolio, and, of course, your home page. Make sure each page greets visitors and informs them about your company, its offerings, and its services.

Never forget that creating a website "just so it's there" and delaying excellent practises for the future typically results in lost time and cash.

Content Writer

M Amish Aish