8 Web Design Mistakes to Avoid When Building Your Site in 2024

Did you realize that the design of your website accounts for 75% of its credibility? If there are numerous website design errors, visitors might think less of your business. Your company will be able to stand out online for the correct reasons if you can avoid making these mistakes when creating a new website or updating an old one.

1. Not giving accessibility top priority

The worst error in website design is to treat accessibility as an afterthought. The following four common accessibility mistakes are listed below:

Insufficient color contrast
Missing or inappropriate alternative text for images or graphics
Inadequate or missing visual focus indicators
Overlooking accessible names or labels

Let’s examine each of these in more detail.

Insufficient Color Contrast

One accessibility error that is commonly disregarded is color contrast. This error often arises from the fact that businesses develop websites with their brand color palette, which is typically not designed with accessibility in mind. The 2022 WebAIM Million annual report revealed that more than 80% of homepages have problems with color contrast!

Missing or Inappropriate Alt Text

Site visitors that use screen readers rely on image alt text to describe what the image or graphic conveys. You are excluding readers who require it in order to browse your website if it is absent or insufficiently describes the image. Since images are a component of your website’s content, it’s critical to approach them in the same manner as traditional websites. What information is being conveyed by including the image on your page? Be sure the alt text you use conveys that same meaning.

Insufficient or Missing Visual Focus Indicators

Visitors won’t be able to fully utilize your website without visual focus indications. Typically, focus indicators take the form of outlines surrounding interactive elements such as buttons and links. In order for users who are using a keyboard and can see the screen to navigate the website and know exactly where they are on the page and what to expect when they interact with the active element, it is critical that there be a clear visual indicator of which element on the page has the current focus.

Overlooking Accessible Names or Labels

If the content on your website is visual, take into consideration who might be utilizing If the content on your website is visual, take into consideration who might be utilizing assistive technologies. When creating pages and other elements that visually convey information, accessible labels for assistive technology should be used to express the same information.

For instance, card components with a “Read More” button or link at the bottom of each card are a popular trend in web design. The design visually communicates which item each button corresponds to, but in general, screen readers find it challenging to discern between these buttons if the accessible labels containing the necessary information are absent.

2. Forgetting the importance of responsive design

Even without taking into account tablets, mobile devices accounted for more than 58% of all website traffic worldwide in the second quarter of 2022. If using a mobile device to visit your website isn’t as simple as if the content on your website is visual, take into consideration who might be utilizing assistive technologies.

You run the risk of annoying visitors and raising your bounce rate because it is on a desktop. Sean Landry, Principal Product Designer at HubSpot, says there’s a rationale behind this. Many times, desktop web browser tools are used to create websites. One typical error is to overlook mobile consumers while assuming your clients will be seeing your website in desktop format.

3. Compromising user experience for aesthetics

A common mistake in website design that has become more prevalent in recent years is putting aesthetics before functionality. Due to the saturation of the internet, with the years seeing a huge expansion in new media and design, success now almost requires excellence. Sadly, this has led to an overuse of design and graphic components that enhance users’ experience without fulfilling or feeling detached from a website’s actual intent.

The overuse of content, animation, and large images that improve appearance but provide little purpose. It’s about balance and how the form serves the function, not about adopting a minimalist or new brutalism style.

4. Not making a customisation investment

You pass a clothes store with an eye-catching, imaginative window display while strolling around the downtown area. It weaves a story with a backdrop and catchy wording while showcasing a selection of clothing on sale. Then you pass a storefront where the window displays only a few articles of apparel on mannequins-Nothing grabs your attention.

Consider your website to be the online storefront for your company. It should feel specific to your business and represent your branding. Selecting a cookie-cutter template and not personalizing it is one of the biggest mistakes people make when designing websites.

To make the lettering readable, the image is either creatively cropped, extremely light, or extremely dark. I believe there are several reasons why this is such a mistake. First, it’s so commonplace that it’s become monotonous and predictable. What was once a striking design choice has become boring.

3. Compromising user experience for aesthetics

5. Using features that don't convert

Using ineffective features is another frequent mistake. Regardless of how visually stunning a feature is, keep in mind that the most important is the efficiency of your website. Relying on revolving carousels to display several bits of material at once is another typical mistake. Numerous studies have shown that people rarely engage with carousels, especially when using a mobile device when interaction costs are significant.

6. Having a lack of hierarchy

When visiting a website, have you ever been unclear about where to direct your attention? If so, it’s likely that the website you visited lacked a hierarchy. Titles and subheadings are used in newspapers to indicate importance; the typography on your website should do the same.

Having order on your website has a practical as well as aesthetic purpose. Elements of a webpage are arranged, which provide your website a logical layout that encourages visitors to accomplish precise tasks, fulfills the main objective, and, as a result, produces a flawless experience.

Resolving this is not easy, particularly if your business caters to a diverse clientele with varying objectives. Martinez, however, says that since this problem has the potential to significantly affect how consumers interact with your website, it would be ideal if you took action. Insufficient hierarchy misleads users and keeps them from accomplishing their objectives.

7. Having a confusing navigation system

Uncertain navigation is a problem because it can make visitors to your website feel less frustrated when they arrive. With more companies venturing into the digital sphere, website material grows increasingly dense and intricate. Maintaining a consistent and easy-to-navigate experience across many touchpoints and user journeys is crucial to guarantee a seamless changeover from initial visitor to advocate.

8. Not explaining your company's goals clearly enough

Visitors to your website ought to be able to quickly and easily understand what your business does. What if that image is even a tad fuzzy? You guessed it: users might stop visiting your website. Your website ought to increase your company’s legitimacy. Redesigning your website is probably necessary if it doesn’t confirm to visitors that they are in the appropriate place and communicate your company’s mission.

Avoid Common Website Design Mistakes to Boost Site Credibility

Avoiding typical website design blunders will increase the legitimacy of your website and provide users with an engaging experience that will entice them to return. A circular method that guarantees good alignment between teams, stakeholders, and user knowledge is necessary for web design, which is a team sport.

To make sure your website is heading in the correct path, there’s no better method than to test and iterate—including conducting user research and usability testing. Also, for more help, you can reach out to Trajital, a Digital Marketing Agency to help you in designing your website.