Web design is one of the most crucial parts of digital marketing. A poor website design causes a site to lose visitors, which is throwing money out the window. When designing a website, there are some mistakes you cannot afford to make. We all learn from our mistakes. But, taking some time to research can help you avoid common web design mistakes.
Many beginners in web design always find themselves in a dilemma. You are starting your career, but you are stuck on the internet trying to gain web design experience. Let’s discuss some of the common pitfalls new web designers should avoid. Then you can learn from them.
Unrealistic web design goals
One thing you should avoid as a web designer is setting unrealistic goals for yourself. Many upcoming web designers have unrealistic ambitions. First of all, keep in mind that it takes a lot to dedicate your time to mastering web design. With that in mind, it is only fair that you set achievable goals for yourself.
Many upcoming web designers always focus on add-ons when they encounter a problem. For instance, I can add a video here, slide an image over here, and so forth. But, adding things is not always crucial than learning how to do it. First, learn how to execute those design ideas and see if they are solving your problem. It may be a great idea but an unrealistic one.
Set some goals for yourself. Focus on achieving one goal per project. Suppose you are working on a single project and there are several tasks you don’t know how to execute. In that case, focus on learning one task first before you complete that project. That way, you will never encounter such a problem again. Start with simple tasks and progress to the advanced web design tasks. Ask questions; you never know who will attach a simple tutorial showing you how to do something.
Overlooking the importance of content pages
The website blog contributes to the success of the website. It sets your website apart from your competitors. It is where you can add fresh and relevant content to engage your users. Integrating an active blog into your web design gives your site visitors value. So, your blog page should have regular updates with well written and relevant texts.
When it comes to the blog, you can focus on its design and outsource creating well-researched and quality content to essay writing services. A professional writer can write articles with engaging titles and use proper formatting to help you capture the readers’ attention.
Failure to develop your design arsenal
Acknowledge that web design is usually a repetitive process. You carry the same web design techniques from one project to another. If you acknowledge that at the onset of your career, it will be easy to learn the craft of web design. Instead of having to start every project from scratch, build your arsenal. That is, having design techniques and solutions you can always tailor to any project.
As you learn, you develop your arsenal then apply what you have learned in the past to your designs. For instance, have a collection in your computer where you keep resources for future use. If you learn how to add some effect to a video, you shouldn’t be googling how to do it the next time you have a project. It is easy and faster to tailor an existing resource or technique than to start again. In simpler words, learn the pros and cons of web design so that you can do that in the future on your own. For instance, always comment on your codes so that you can remember how you did it if you have to re-use it.
Too much or too little going on
While minimalism is growing to be a good web design trend, avoid overdoing it. Ensure you provide enough information so that the user knows what they want to know about the brand. Many web design beginners make the mistake of being too cryptic. That leaves the user guessing. Too much imagery and only a bunch of sentences with no clear direction will frustrate the user.
Also, avoid cramming your website with too much that it looks cluttered. A website with many images, videos, and texts takes longer to load and confuses the user. Before you design the website, sit down with the client and clearly understand their brand. That way, you can design the website around the brand’s core values. Ensure that the user understands what the website is about within only a few seconds of browsing.
Trying to reinvent the wheel
As an upcoming web designer, avoid overdoing simple designs. The most common themes such as headers, footers, fixed content, and navigation are an excellent way to start web design. Do not dismiss a good layout just because it is common. Begin with the basics, and creativity will follow after you learn the fundamentals.
Final thoughts
Avoiding these common pitfalls in web design can help you start on the right path. Find your approach to web design, practice, learn and try out new things.