Asking a business-startup fairy to bestow success on small and medium-sized businesses magically is a pure myth. Succeeding as an entrepreneur takes nothing but hard work and persistence on a consistent basis.

Saying that websites became a must-have in 2018 is an understatement. The reality is that even the most unusual ideas can find success online. However, there’s a catch—if you want the best chance of success, your online presence needs to be impressive. Did you know that some websites created over a decade ago, like in 1991, are still active? One major problem with newly designed websites is that owners often overlook what goes live. Those frustrating glitches and errors are still present.

SMB

Web design is more of an art which is experienced by the end users, i.e., thoroughly enjoyable, navigable, interesting and effectively usable. Apart from this, a visitor comes to your website for a specific reason, and it’s your prime duty to answer their queries and offer products and services for their betterment. However, there are a few bunches of spoken and unspoken “rules” web designers must follow.

  • Going On and on

Portraying all the pertinent business information in a single go has become a little passé. In today’s fast-paced world, those who cannot understand what your business is all about in a few seconds of stumbling in your site will tend to leave. So being a business owner you have to be very harsh on yourself- edit, edit, edit and don’t cram too much above the fold. Keep this in mind; a crowded website is never accepted, try giving some breathing space to your visitors. Besides, sites featuring tons of images, text, and other things going on will take a while to load- avoid busy designs. People hate being confused- so, be crystal clear!

  • Stale, out-of-date content

Updation, innovation plays a vital role in a website. So make sure that your site comprises of the latest information about your products, services, and company. In addition to this, your content must address the needs of your customers (or potential customers) and be updated as things change. Let’s take an example of a blog, try updating the blog every week and more. This won’t just drive your visitors but also keep your search engines happy. And do not put unnecessary links to your Facebook or Twitter page if you have a small following. Chances are there that your visitors might judge you by considering your business pretty small.

  • Set the Target

Life without goals is like a race without any finish line. Similarly, not knowing your target market will result in having no clue where you’re going. Now I have come across many websites who try to target everyone. Never do that! Try figuring out who your most frequent users are and focus on creating the best possible experience for them. Pleasing the masses simply means you will end up not pleasing anyone.

  • Poor optimization (SEO and speed)

The word traffic is annoying, but when it comes to websites, it’s something every business owner craves for. Even if you end up creating a fantastic website- clear, easy to navigate and visually appealing- site with very little traffic has no meaning. You need to work on some under-the-hood things such as:

Lazy with image names

Mahoosive images

Missed keywords

Ignoring Google My business

Installing all plugins

  • Taking the DIY route

Building a website is, in many ways, is a critical process. Business owners often get tempted to get distracted by the bells and whistles of the design process, leading to severe blunder. It is always advisable to consult a skilled web designer who can get what you desire without any consequences.

Start planning a few months in advance, the moment you decide to come up with a website. Think really hard who it’s for, what result you want out of it, what you want it to say and roughly how you want the information to be divided up. Then plan everything accordingly in regards to wireframing, design, coding, content, refinements, testing and launch. Rushing things creates problems.

  • Ignoring UX issues

Many of you often get confused in differentiating between UI and UX design. And since we won’t be able to explain everything in detail, it is essential for you to understand the basic yet crucial rules to apply when it comes to websites.

Theme selection- Choosing a theme without proper consideration of how the images and content fits aren’t how everything works. The point is something that has to be considered before buying your new template.

Links into links- Several companies tend to mention their email address in the text of a page and forget to make it a hyperlink.

Site on mobile devices- It has been found that more than 50 percent of users are looking at websites on their smartphones, instead of PCs. Test your site on your phone- try navigating through every page, test links, study each page. This will help you identify things that aren’t lining up or showing up properly.

Existing social media pages link- Never make a mistake of adding social media pages link as an afterthought. Besides, if they are no longer active, then it’s best to remove it.

  • Paying too little or too much

Many businesses feel guilty of hiring cheap professionals and end up with a horrible product. Simultaneously, companies often get distracted by expensive agencies that work with big brands. But they might not be able to help a small business that’s ROI focused. In simple words, don’t blow your budget on your website, so do your research well and make sure you are hiring a relevant web design company who has the potential to offer a quality product.

In a nutshell,

Business owners, it’s time to grow your bottom line by avoiding these common web design mistakes.