5 Easy Web Design Mistakes to Avoid

The social media boom and rise of an internet filled with user-created content mean that it's never been easier - or more popular - to create a website. Plenty of free and paid services exist to provide small-business owners a jumping-off point to showcase your products, publish your blogs, or advertise your services. 

Web design can be easy, but it's still an art form! These five mistakes to avoid will help you make sure that your hard work doesn't go to waste.  

Mistake 1: Using a non-customizable theme
As you set up your first webpage, be sure to pay attention to the templates that you choose to use. While plenty of quality, un-paid options exist, you don't want to be limited in your customization options. As your business grows and changes, you want a website that is highly customizable and ready to grow with you!

Mistake 2: Ignoring SEO
Search-engine optimization (SEO) is definitely a buzzword in marketing. With all its musings about "the algorithm" and the extra work it sometimes requires, it can be tempting to ignore this step altogether. However, being strategic with keywords and ensuring that your webpage is highly discoverable on Google will help to make sure that more people get to appreciate your hard work! 

Mistake 3: Using too many fonts
We've all been guilty of this one. With hundreds of fonts at our fingertips, it's easy to sprinkle every form of typography and calligraphy across your pages. From a user experience standpoint, however, you'll want to stay consistent. Selecting a few favorites to use across all of your social media platforms and website will be easier on visitors' eyes and help to make your brand more recognizable. 

Mistake 4: Complex navigation
Sometimes it's trendy to have a mysterious, long-scrolling webpage. Still, user attention span on the Internet is shorter than ever! You'll want to make sure that every visitor to your website can quickly find the information they're looking for, using navigation tactics like hyperlinks, tabs, and suggested pages. 

Mistake 5: Poor choices in images
Images make your website more eye-catching and should definitely be used. When selecting pictures for your website, be sure to find ones that are high-resolution. These will pop out more and add a sense of reliability and quality to your brand. To protect your assets and ensure that your website is truly yours, it's also important to check copyright protections on any images sourced from the internet. 

Web design is a learning process, but every mistake dodged is a victory (and every mistake made is a lesson learned)! For help navigating the brand-building process and growing your online influence, Clairant is here! After giving you five mistakes, we'll also give you one easy win: call Clairant today!