COMMON WEB DESIGN MISTAKES TO AVOID IN 2025 FOR BETTER USER EXPERIENCE
Building a successful website requires careful attention to detail. However,
several common mistakes often occur during the development process, and avoiding them is key to
creating an effective and engaging online presence.
As one of the leading website design companies, Ido Designs takes great care to avoid such common
mistakes and ensures every project meets the highest standards of quality and performance.
Here are some common mistakes that can occur while developing a Website:
Slow loading speed
Slow loading speed of the website can drive visitors away.
Common Mistakes:
Using heavy, uncompressed images, unoptimized code, and installing too many
plugins can significantly reduce your site’s speed.
How to Avoid It:
- Compress images using modern formats like WebP without compromising quality.
- Minify CSS and JavaScript to reduce file size and improve loading time.
- Enable caching and choose a reliable hosting provider to ensure fast and consistent performance.
Non-Responsive Websites
A website that doesn’t adapt to different screen sizes can negatively impact user experience
and reduce engagement. With most users browsing on mobile devices, a non-responsive design can
lead to poor navigation, distorted layouts, and higher bounce rates.
Common Mistakes:
Designing the website only for desktop users without testing it on tablets and smartphones.
How to Avoid It:
- Utilise a responsive design framework, such as Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS, to ensure your
site automatically adjusts to any screen size.
- Test your website on multiple devices and browsers to check usability and appearance.
- Prioritise mobile-friendly navigation with easy-to-tap buttons and readable fonts.
Ignoring Mobile Responsiveness
In today’s digital world, most users access websites through their smartphones or tablets.
Ignoring mobile responsiveness means your website may look perfect on a desktop but appear broken
or difficult to navigate on smaller screens, driving potential customers away.
Common Mistakes:
Designing exclusively for desktop users without considering how the website functions
or appears on mobile devices.
How to Avoid It:
- Adopt a mobile-first design approach to ensure your website looks great on all screen sizes.
- Use responsive design frameworks like Bootstrap or Tailwind CSS to create flexible layouts.
- Test your website regularly on multiple devices and browsers to ensure seamless performance and usability.
Neglecting SEO Basics
Even the most visually appealing website can go unnoticed if it’s not optimised for search engines.
Neglecting SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) means your website may struggle to appear in search results, making
it difficult for potential customers to find you online.
Common Mistakes:
Skipping essential SEO practices such as adding meta titles and descriptions, using proper heading
tags, optimising images, and including relevant keywords.
How to Avoid It:
- Use proper heading structure (H1, H2, H3) to organise your content clearly.
- Add meta titles and descriptions that accurately describe each page and include target keywords.
- Optimise images by using descriptive alt text and compressed file sizes.
- Create SEO-friendly URLs and ensure fast page loading speeds.
- Regularly update content to maintain relevance and improve rankings.
Poor Navigation
A website’s navigation plays a crucial role in guiding visitors and helping them find what they need quickly.
Poorly structured navigation can confuse users, increase bounce rates, and negatively impact overall user
experience. If visitors can’t easily locate information, they are likely to leave the site within seconds.
Common Mistakes:
Using complicated menus, unclear labels, or too many navigation options that make it hard for users to
move through the website smoothly.
How to Avoid It:
- Keep the navigation simple and intuitive, limit main menu items to essential pages.
- Use clear and descriptive labels that indicate exactly what users will find.
- Include a visible search bar to help visitors quickly locate specific content.
- Ensure consistent navigation across all pages for a seamless user experience.
- Highlight key actions (like “Contact Us” or “Get a Quote”) to guide visitors effectively.
Incorrect CTA Placement
A Call-to-Action (CTA) is one of the most important elements on a website it directs users toward the next
step, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up, or contacting you. However, placing CTAs in the wrong
locations or using unclear wording can cause users to miss them entirely, resulting in lower conversions
and engagement.
Common Mistakes:
Hiding CTAs in less visible areas of the page, using too many buttons that confuse users, or failing
to make them stand out visually.
How to Avoid It:
- Place CTAs strategically at the top of the page, within the content, and near the end, where
users make decisions.
- Use clear and action-driven text such as “Get Started,” “Book Now,” or “Contact Us.”
- Make CTAs visually prominent by using contrasting colours and enough white space.
- Avoid clutter, limit the number of CTAs per page to guide users effectively.
- Test different placements and designs to see which positions drive the best results.
Templated 404 Page Design
A 404 page appears when a user tries to access a page that doesn’t exist. Using a generic, templated
404 page can frustrate visitors, make your site look unprofessional, and cause them to leave rather than
explore other parts of your website.
Common Mistakes:
Relying on default or generic 404 pages without any guidance, branding, or options for navigation
back to useful content.
How to Avoid It:
- Design a custom 404 page that reflects your brand’s style and tone.
- Provide clear navigation options to help users return to the homepage or explore popular pages.
- Include a search bar so users can easily find what they are looking for.
- Add a touch of creativity or humour to make the experience memorable and reduce frustration.
- Track 404 errors to identify broken links and fix them promptly.
Building a successful website requires more than just an attractive design; it demands careful
planning, attention to detail, and a focus on user experience. By avoiding common mistakes such as slow loading speed,
poor navigation, neglecting SEO, ignoring mobile responsiveness, incorrect CTA placement, and templated 404 pages,
you can create a website that is engaging, functional, and effective in achieving your business goals.
At Ido Designs, we prioritise these aspects in every project, ensuring that each website we develop not only looks
exceptional but also performs seamlessly, providing visitors with a smooth, intuitive, and memorable online
experience. Paying attention to these details is the key to building a website that truly drives results and
leaves a lasting impression on your audience.
Planning to start a new website? Confused? Talk to us!
Contact us for a free business consultation with our designers
