wask code
THE RIPE STUFF

22 Jun ‘20

7 Web Design Mistakes to Avoid for Startups

22 Jun ‘20

In: Web Design & Development, / By: Ripe Media

web design mistakes

Your startups’ website is your elevator pitch. 

With a website, you have limited time to convince potential clients of the benefit of your company over the competition. Your website needs to be effective in aligning with your brand’s value and illustrate what you do that sets you apart. 

Giving your website a professional look can affect your chances of increasing your customer base. Here are the seven web design mistakes that startups should avoid.

1. Unprofessional or Poor Design 

When customers land on your website, they intend to see your value and what your services can do. If your site is unprofessional or exhibits poor design, you will lose that potential client. 

Website design can be crucial for drawing in customers. The cleaner and more focussed, the better. Unprofessional websites may exhibit various typos or content that is not related to business. Furthermore, a poor design could include font variances that are not readable. 

Additionally, if your website is formatted oddly or does not allow for easy navigation, then that can affect the likelihood of a return customer. Customers want smooth sailing and pleasant viewing experience. 

2. Disorganized Content

If your website includes blog posts, videos, or other forms of content, it is vital to keep that organized for easy navigation. If your content is disarrayed, it can confuse the viewer and make them feel overwhelmed. 

This goes hand in hand with the poor design; if your website is designed efficiently, it should allow the content to be viewed smoothly and without any confusion. 

3. Your Website Does Not Reflect Your Brand’s Message

One of the most prominent web design mistakes startups make is not stating their brand’s message early on in the website. 

When a viewer goes onto your website, you want to show off your best work and give them an idea of what your value is. Offer a homepage that is focussed, clear, and welcoming. 

This allows the customer to get to know your brand and feel more comfortable using your services. From the get-go, your website should feature what your mission statement and value proposition is. 

4. Not Providing Social Media Links 

Good web design includes integration and a sense of connectedness. 

One of the biggest design mistakes for your startups’ website is not to include social media links. If a potential client lands on your page, you want to make sure that your brand has left a lasting impression. 

Offering social media links allows a client to stay connected and also browse your various pages. This makes your brand come across as well-thought-out and provides for a consistent brand message across multiple platforms. 

Not to mention, linking social media on your website helps improve your searches. With this, you can reach a broader audience. 

However, you do not want to steer traffic away from your website. So make sure that the social media links are subtle and towards the bottom of your website. 

5. Web Design Mistakes: Poor Color, Font, or Text Size Choices

The science of color theory plays into website design too.

If your website is drab, it may stray a customer away. On the flip side, if your website is too outlandish, it can be overwhelming and look too flashy. 

With effective web design, it is finding a balance of clean and useful, but also exciting. Think of your brand’s logo or aesthetic, and then consider those tones in your website design. 

This also moves into font and text size. Picking a font that is too busy can distract from your valuable content. Pick fonts that are stylish but not too trendy. 

For web design, you have a wide variety of fonts to choose from. This way, you know that your content isn’t being drowned out by poor font choice. 

Color, font, and text choices are married together. They are the visual embodiment of your website design. It is crucial to think methodically when choosing them. 

6. Your Website’s Content is Out of Date

As the world changes, information changes. 

If your website hosts a blog, news portion, or other time-sensitive content, it is imperative to keep that website up to date. If you host a blog, continue posting on that blog.

When a customer lands on your website and sees that there have been no active posts in months or years, it can be a red flag that your brand is out of date or just not on top of what is trending.  

Content creation is a tremendous asset to your website. It is essential to keep it fresh by updating it weekly; this helps you be in the know of what is trending and promotes your brand to look aware in the world. 

7. Too Many Darn Pop-Ups

Pop-Ups can be very useful, but there is a correct time and place to implement them on your website. 

When a consumer lands on your webpage and is immediately faced with a pop-up, it can be a bit jarring and also frustrating. People want to read content and get a lay of the land first. 

Implement pop-ups after a few seconds of traffic; also, if you are offering some sort of special, the pop-ups can be added sooner to show the customer the special deal going on.

Like everything with web design, it is finding the right balance of offering your services, showing your brand identity, and creating customer interaction. 

Give Your Startup a Stellar Website

With these seven web design mistakes, you now know what to avoid when creating your startup’s website. 

With a simple, concise design, effective brand messaging, and content, you will have a stellar website that will draw customers in. Check out our blog for more information on web design and marketing. 

You Might Also Like

Share this: