Website design involves not just technical expertise but also the ability to understand users’ needs. Even minor mistakes can discourage visitors from staying on your site. In this article, I’ll share common mistakes you should avoid to make your website effective and user-friendly.

How to Design Websites?

Every project should begin with clearly defining the business goal and thoroughly understanding users. Good websites are not only visually appealing but, above all, intuitive and functional.

• Website Objective – clearly define what you want to achieve (e.g., sales, lead generation).
• Importance of UI/UX – ensure users can easily find the information they need.
• Responsiveness – your site must look good and function well on every device.

Key Stages in Website Design

Analysis and Planning

• Market and User Research – discover what your customers truly need.
• Site Map – clearly layout the content structure to avoid confusion.

Graphic Design

• Visual Consistency – harmonious design promotes professionalism.
• User-Centric Design – design as if you were the visitor yourself.

Coding and Implementation

• SEO Optimization – help users find you on Google.
• Testing – ensure everything works correctly across different devices.

Most Common Website Design Mistakes

Ignoring UI/UX Principles

I once had a client who insisted on very creative navigation. The result? Visitors got lost and quickly left the site.

• Lack of intuitive navigation – simple navigation is essential.
• Lack of responsiveness – websites not optimized for mobile lose up to 50% of users.
• Inconsistent visual style – leads to user confusion.
• Overly complicated structure – users prefer simplicity.

Poor SEO Optimization

A friend neglected keyword strategy. Despite great aesthetics, traffic from search engines was minimal.

• Meta tag errors – even excellent sites can be invisible on Google.
• Lack of keyword strategy – without it, your content may remain invisible.
• Duplicate content – Google penalizes this by lowering rankings.
• Non-optimized URLs – makes indexing difficult.

Neglecting Load Speed

A friend once added large images to his site. The result? The site loaded in 15 seconds, losing most customers.

• Unoptimized images – compress images before uploading.
• Overloaded scripts – limit unnecessary add-ons.
• Lack of code optimization – simpler code leads to faster loading.

Lack of Accessibility

• Insufficient color contrast – text must be readable by everyone.
• Missing alternative texts (alt) – makes the site inaccessible for visually impaired users.
• Not optimized for screen readers – limits overall accessibility.

Technical Errors

Once, a client reported that their contact form wasn’t working for a week, costing potential leads.

• Broken links – regularly check and fix them.
• Form issues – regularly test to ensure functionality.
• Missing SSL certificate – security builds user trust.

Best Practices in Website Design

• Regular usability testing – get user feedback about your site’s ease of use.
• Monitoring and SEO optimization – continuously analyze performance and enhance content.
• Balance aesthetics and functionality – a beautiful website is primarily a usable one.

Summary

Creating effective websites demands attention at every stage – from user needs analysis, UX/UI design, to technical and SEO optimization. Avoiding common mistakes helps you build a professional, user-friendly, and effective website.