All businesses, large or small, need a website. If your business does not have a website, you can be losing out on a lot of exposure and sales. People turn to the Internet when they need to hire a contractor, find an attorney, or are looking to purchase goods. Whether you’re a local mom and pop shop in a small midwestern town or a large business in the middle of New York City, having a website is a must. On top of that, having a website that is user-friendly and helpful to visitors is a must, or they will turn away.
Having a website helps those searching online find your company and learn why they should do business with you. However, having a website alone is not enough. You need a website that is functional, looks great, and makes a good first impression on those visiting the website. Hiring a web designer can be extremely beneficial. It helps you avoid mistakes that are commonly made by non-professionals. Here are common mistakes that are found on websites and how a professional can help you avoid these mistakes.
Having a Slow-Loading Website
One of the most common mistakes that non-professionals make when putting together a website on their own is bogging the page down with pictures, videos, and ads. If you put too many graphics on your website, you can cause it to be slow-loading. This means that when someone clicks on your webpage, it will have a slow page speed and will take a while for it to load. This is problematic because many people do not wait for a slow-loading website to load. Even just a few seconds can be enough for a person to exit the page and look elsewhere, and this will lower your conversion rate which is the rate at which people take a certain action.
This action may be signing up for a newsletter, filling out a contact form, or purchasing a product or service. Slow page speed means people will give it a few seconds before they exit the page and search for another company with the same services. This is called the bounce rate – how many people exit the site without taking any action. Not only can this cause you to lose out on a client or customer, but it can cause your competitors to gain a client or customer. A professional knows how to design a webpage that looks great and that loads quickly.
Having a Website That is Hard to Navigate
Another common mistake that non-professionals make when building a website is having a website that is hard to navigate. It can take a while to build a webpage. You may think you understand how to design a website with UX (user experience) in mind but anyone who has tried to build their first website will know that it’s not as easy as they thought. As such, when you are staring at everything for hours, you may find the site easy to navigate and may know where everything is.
But, when clients land on your site, they may have trouble finding key information about your business or specific products if the page is not formatted in an easy-to-follow layout. A web designer with UX experience professional has experience working with consumers and knows how to make websites that are easy for everyone to navigate.
Having a Website Filled With Spelling and Grammar Errors
Not everyone who has a website is an English major. Unfortunately, this may mean that you or non-pro may build a webpage with spelling or grammar errors. While a couple of spelling errors or grammar errors here and there may not sound like the end of the world, it can be a red flag to those who find your website. Spelling errors or grammar errors may make your page look like it is not professional, or may cause people to wonder if your website is legitimate or a scam. A professional website builder works with writers and editors to ensure your page is free of spelling and grammar errors.
Not Having a Mobile-Friendly Website
The final common mistake non-professionals make when building a website is not having a mobile-friendly website design. Mobile devices and tablets are smaller, and they display websites differently than a computer or laptop does. More people than ever are looking at websites from mobile devices. A non-responsive site will be sized appropriately. They may not see your entire webpage. The type may be illegible or buttons too close to press. Items can also be cut off.
A professional web designer can build a responsive mobile-friendly website to ensure that users on a computer and users on a cellphone can fully access, navigate, and utilize your website.
Having a website that is slow-loading, hard to navigate, filled with spelling and grammar errors or that is not mobile-friendly can hurt your company nearly as much as not having a website, to begin with. When you are looking to have a great website created, you need to hire a small business web design company to assist you with web design NYC. They can work to ensure your website is unique to your business, while also ensuring that your website does not have common mistakes related to web design. Reach out to a web design company today to get started.