Some (Most?) websites look great. Others, not so much because of website design mistakes.

But I’ve seen plenty of stunning websites and still couldn’t figure out what the business actually does. You probably have too.

Visitors should be able to verify what your business does within seconds. Otherwise, they may leave.

Mistake #1: Saying Too Much On Your Webpage

And then there’s the other extreme.

You know about your financing, warranties, certifications, equipment, employees, and awards.

So you put all of it on the homepage. Overkill.

Now visitors are staring at a long list of services, too many buttons, and enough information to keep them reading until next Tuesday.

Figure out what your customers came looking for and make it easy to find.

My thoughts: OutofTheBox.com has a home page which is too wordy. There is too much there. I know that and will be changing that down the road.

Here is another of my websites  plantedaquariumexpert.com. The home page is extremely simple. Simple makes it more beautiful.

Mistake #2: Your Navigation Is Too Busy

Keep the navigation menu at the top of your website simple:

Home. Services. About. Contact.

People understand those words.

Creativity is great in the right places. Navigation usually isn’t one of them.

Author note: I allowed this websites navigation get way too busy. Every page was in the navigation menu. To fix this I am creating a page for each specific catagory. For example I have a page called “Working With AI.” 

Making this change simplified the main menu significantly. Check out the revised menu using the link in the header. 

Mistake #3: (Unintentionally) Making It Difficult Customers to Take the Next Step

Ask yourself a simple question when looking at your webpage / website:

What do I want the visitor to do next?

Maybe you want them to read about a service. Maybe you want them to request an estimate using your contact form. Maybe you want them to call.

Whatever the next step is, don’t make visitors hunt for it.

Mistake #4: Making Fancy Website Design More Important Than Making Your Website Easy To Use

You can have gorgeous photographs, expensive graphics, clever animations and a homepage that looks like it belongs to a Fortune 500 company.

But if a customer can’t figure out what you do, none of that matters.

Before spending money redesigning your website, try something simpler.

Ask someone who doesn’t know your business to look at your homepage for ten seconds.

Then close it.

Ask them three questions:

1. 1. What does your business do?
   2. What areas does the business work in?
   3. How would you contact them?

An awesome-looking website is great.

An awesome-looking website that customers actually understand is better.

Just Say No: 10 Website Design Mistakes That Can Hurt Conversion

It takes less than one second for someone to form an opinion on a website they’re visiting. So, making a good first impression is vital to ensure users stay on your site long enough to engage with your brand or make a purchase.

Summary of this article (created by ChatGPT):

The Business.com article identifies 10 common website mistakes that can drive visitors away and cost businesses potential customers.

The main takeaway: A successful website doesn’t need fancy graphics or complicated features. It needs to load quickly, communicate clearly, establish trust, and make it easy for visitors to take action.

The article emphasizes that improving these basics can increase leads and sales without requiring additional website traffic.

You can read this entire article by tapping here. 

Bloated website and thin content