Website design is more than aesthetics - it's a powerful tool for building trust and driving conversions.
Studies show that a staggering 75% of users form opinions about a company's credibility based on its website design. Even more striking, 94% of users associate poor design with unreliability.
To maximise your site's potential, watch out for these 15 common website design flaws:
1. Above the Fold: We have been told a hundred times to put essential information above the fold, and do we do it? Well, some of us do, but the majority misses this simple advice time after time.
Above the fold means what you can see on a home page before you start scrolling, and it is your chance to hook that fish, because you only have 5-10 seconds (at most) to make the best impression.
2. Accidental Vertical Alignment: When multiple elements line up vertically, it can create an unintended visual path. This inadvertently guides users' eyes down a specific route, causing them to overlook crucial information placed outside this path.
Break up these accidental alignments to ensure all your content gets equal attention.
3. Insufficient Text Size Contrast: Your content hierarchy should be immediately clear. Aim for a 2:1 ratio between header and body text sizes.
H1 vs. Body
This stark difference helps users quickly scan and understand the structure of your content, improving overall readability and information retention.
4. Ineffective Social Proof Placement: Testimonials, user statistics, and other forms of social proof are powerful conversion tools—but only when strategically positioned.
Place these elements where they'll have the most impact, such as near call-to-action buttons or at decision-making points in the user journey.
5. Scarce Purchase Opportunities: Different users make decisions at different paces. You must cater to both quick decision-makers and thorough researchers, by placing purchase buttons at both the top and bottom of your product or pricing tables.
This ensures that conversion opportunities are always within reach, regardless of where the user is in their decision-making process.
6. Deceptive Button-like Elements: Do you know the saying 'If it looks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck, then it is a duck'? So, if it looks like a button, it should function like one. Non-clickable elements that resemble buttons can frustrate users and erode trust.
Ensure all interactive-looking elements are actually interactive, to maintain a smooth user experience.
7. Lack of User Behaviour Insights: Heat mapping tools provide valuable data on where users click and how they navigate your site. Without this information, you might miss crucial optimization opportunities.
Implement heat-mapping to identify and fix usability issues, enhancing your site's effectiveness. Try hotjar(dot)com or clarity(dot)microsoft(dot)com.
8. Suboptimal Mobile Plan Display: Approx 65% of all web searches are on mobile devices and 79% of those are on phones. On mobile devices, screen space is limited, so make the most of it by displaying your preferred or most popular plan first.
This guides users towards the option you want to promote, without hiding alternatives.
9. Confusing Feature Comparisons: When presenting multiple plans or products, align features for easy comparison. This clarity helps users quickly identify differences and make informed decisions, reducing decision paralysis and abandonment rates.
10. Poor Colour Contrast: Readability is crucial for conveying your message and maintaining user engagement. Ensure there's sufficient contrast between text and background colors.
This not only improves the general user experience but also makes your site more accessible to users with visual impairments.
11. Neglecting Dark Mode Users (this is a big one): With about 50% of users preferring dark mode, it's essential to preview your designs under these conditions. I have seen and emailed website owners advising them to change this many times.
Use screen darkeners to test how your site looks and functions in dark mode, ensuring readability and aesthetic appeal for all users.
12. Missing Conversion Opportunities: Capitalise on the persuasive power of testimonials by placing call-to-action buttons immediately before and after these social proof elements.
This strategic placement can capture users at the peak of their interest, boosting your conversion rates.
13. Default Monthly Pricing Display: While offering payment flexibility is important, defaulting to yearly or full payment options can encourage higher-value purchases.
This approach often benefits both the customer (through discounts) and the business (through improved cash flow and reduced churn).
14. Hidden Call-to-Action Buttons: Ensure your primary call-to-action buttons are visible without scrolling, both on desktop and mobile devices.
Placing these "above the fold" makes it immediately clear to users what action you want them to take, increasing conversion rates.
15. Excess Use of White Space (this is a personal annoyance):Â We are told we need lots of white space to break-up sections, and that is fine. But there is a growing trend to vastly over do it. Think of it from a users point-of-view - Do you really want to be scrolling down and down to get the meat off the bones? How much further must we scroll?
By all means space out the sections, but please choose your use of white space judiciously, and if the page is getting over-long, then you probably need to move some of the sections to a separate page.
By addressing these design issues, you can create a more effective, user-friendly website that not only looks great, but also performs well in terms of engagement and conversions. Good design is an ongoing process, so regularly review and refine your site to keep it performing at its best.
[This post was inspired by Ashley Couto from an article in Better Marketing, with extra advice added from our design experience]
If you have any of these issues, but no time to correct them - give us a call at Digital Advantage and we will sort it out for you. digitaladvantage.me
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