While easily customizable content management platforms make website development highly affordable and profitable with a slew of beautifully designed templates, there is still room for mistakes.
Web development knowledge and web design and coding skills are not necessary as one can easily create a professional-grade website with a great template. Start-ups and small business have many benefits of such platforms, however, a DIY designer may overlook some key features that a professional web designer or developer will not.
A website is a face to the world – and, in our technology driven world, a few seconds determine whether a new visitor will hit the “back” button or not.
But don’t panic, read on to see which common mistakes you need to avoid.
1. Put mobile first!
Our world is a mobile friendly world. It is estimated that more than 90 percent of internet users will access online content through their phones in 2017.
It’s no longer the question of having a mobile friendly website, but rather whether it’s better to chose responsive, adaptive or perhaps hybrid approach.
Modern businesses, especially small and middle-sized business, must understand that their brand needs to be present where their users are – which is heavily on smartphones and tablets.
The business that understood the importance of adapting to their users’ behaviour and needs don’t run the risk of being overrun by their competitors.
A successful business is the one that is accessible to anyone – anywhere.
Moreover, going mobile first signifies that you are putting user-experience and performance first as well.
2. Avoid a cluttered homepage!
You should never forget that your homepage is a virtual door to your office.
So, do you keep your office disorganized? Is your office messy?
No, it’s not, so neither should be your homepage.
Office clutter undermines productivity and motivation; the same can apply to the homepage design. If you don’t motivate your visitors to stay on your website by providing all necessary information clearly and easily – they won’t waste their time, but rather search through your competitors’ website.
Keep it simple and get straight to the point – tell them who you are, what you can do for them, and why they should chose you. Less is more – don’t forget that!
3. Use third-party widgets wisely!
You are certainly planning to create quality content appealing to the users who will share it, and you need sidebar widgets, like social media share buttons, but do you really need all of them?
When it comes to social widgets, you need to be smart and use those that will enhance and promote your brand.
As social widgets are created by a third party, many risk are associated with them – slow loading time, security threats, error messages, poor performance in general, and especially customer user experience. Social widgets affect the rest of the website in different ways, and there’s no control of any of third party products.
If you lose control over them, you will lose control over security, performance, availability, functionality and experience.
Apart from using only those social widgets that will successfully promote your brand, to decrease the risk of losing control you should opt for an application sequencing solution. With it, widgets can load in the appropriate time, in the right sequence and most importantly – independently.
4. Balance business and user needs and understand your users!
Are you creating a quality content? Does this content appeal to your users? How are you communicating with your visitors? Are you helping them solve their problems? Moreover, who are your users?
A visually appealing and mobile friendly website is as crucial as the content you create for your users. While you need to provide clear information on how you can help them, you also need to understand your users’ needs and their expectations.
Don’t fall prey to assumptions – use data and statistics.
You can easily engage with your visitors through surveys, emails or in-person, and get necessary information on what they need and how they need it. Your expectations and your users’ expectations differ – so what good is a beautifully designed website when it doesn’t address the needs of those aimed at?
Having read this, you can now feel confident and start creating your awesome website!