how to fix your web design…
If you’re a solely online business then your website will often be the first contact that potential customers have with you. Before they even read any of the words on your site, your web design will make a powerful first impression on them, for better or worse. Even if you are an already-established brand, your web design will have a significant impact upon how your brand is perceived.
A professional looking website will engender trust and encourage people to do business with you. An unprofessional online aesthetic will have the opposite effect. To help you make sure your site is making the right impression, here are five common web design mistakes that can make your site look unprofessional, and a few tips on how to rectify matters.
1. Clashing colours
Colour is a fundamental part of web design and should be considered carefully. When choosing your colours make sure that they don’t overwhelm the screen, that they work together, and they don’t make any text on the page difficult to read.
2. Tacky stock images
There’s technically nothing wrong with using stock images, except when you’re using the same cheesy stock images as everyone else! Investing a little extra to source your own images can instantly make your site appear more professional.
3. Poor usability
The visual appearance of your website is just one aspect of web design. Usability is another core element and is something that can have a dramatic impact not just on how your site is perceived, but on its capability to drive conversions. To make your site look more professional, ensure it is intuitive to use and has simple but effective navigation.
4. Fancy or quirky fonts
Always go for readability over style. Using elaborate, decorative fonts can make the text difficult to read, so do yourself and your users a favour by sticking to easily readable fonts like Arial and Verdana. As a general rule, go for sans-serif type fonts over serif.
5. Pop-up windows on arrival
Asking new visitors to fill out questionnaires or sign up to your mailing list before they’ve even looked at your site is generally annoying and makes little sense. Wait until they’ve got to know you better!
