Website Design Mistakes That Could Cost You Customers
by Leeia Ladipoh on January 30th, 2008
In today’s world of technology and instant gratification, there is no excuse for any business to be without a website. Even if the sale will be completed at a physical location, many people look up the business they are going to work with on the Internet first. That means if you don’t have a website, they will likely find someone else in your area to give their money to.
Just having a website is not enough. It’s important to make sure you have a website that is attractive to customers, helps them find the information they want and need, and is user-friendly.
Many people who delve into a website for the first time are drawn to all the “extras”. With that said, how do you know if you’ve gone too far? Let’s take a look at some common website design mistakes – and how to avoid them.
Enough is Enough
When picking the background and template for your website design, don’t overdo it. The days of website “wallpaper” (those tacky patterned backgrounds you saw on websites in days of yore) are over, as are blinking text and unnecessary animated images. Some background colors and designs may make it harder for customers to see the words on your page. The more difficult it is to make sense of a website (or the more frightening it looks), the less likely a consumer is to stick around. A simple or plain background is best, accented with pictures and images in appropriate places.
Make sure the color of the background and the color of your text are enough of a contrast that the text is easy to read.
Music May Be Too Much
If you run a business that relates to music, it might be alright to have music start playing when your website is loaded. Otherwise, skip the temptation to attach an auto-playing musical piece.
Many people listen to music on their computer, and your website’s music is going to clash with their music. This is especially true if you don’t give potential customers a way to turn your music off – they may well leave the site to stop it.
Forget Fancy Fonts
While they may be beautiful to look at printed on a piece of parchment paper, those fancy scrolling fonts have no place in your website design. They are not easy to read and may annoy customers who come to your site.
Instead, look for a font that is both attractive and easy to read, so you can educate potential customers instead of sending them screaming for the hills.
Lose the Long Prose
Unless you are an author, people are not coming to your website to read a book. Give them what they want – the information they came in search of. First and foremost, make sure your contact information is easy to find. There is no quicker way to send people looking elsewhere than to make it hard for them to figure out how to get a hold of you. While it’s ok to put some information about your company and service on the site, make it short, sweet and to the point.
A website is a virtual storefront. Make it an attractive one that offers your customers what they need and want, without making the mistakes that could send them away.