Are You A Website Newbie? Avoid These Common Web Design Mistakes
Once you have decided to embark on a journey to create your own website, there are two ways you can go about it – the easy way or the hard (and possibly business-losing!) way.
Unfortunately, many people take the hard path to building a website. They think they can just log into any free website builder program and start putting pieces together to form any sort of website.
What they don't realize is that the simple mistakes made when creating their website can make visitors leave it as soon as they see it - and not want to come back.
But this doesn’t have to happen to you. I’ve put together a handy list of a few common website builder mistakes.
Funky Fonts
If you have seen all the unique fonts available in Word or other programs, you may think that using a lot of those fancy writing styles is a way to make your website more popular or impressive.
The truth is quite the opposite.
When a variety of fonts are used on a website, it makes the page look messy, and even hard to read. Use fonts that are clear and easy to read. After all, if your customers can't read the page, they can't give you their business.
Bold Overload
As you build your website, you may be tempted to try and make a lot of your copy stand out by putting it in bold print. Avoid the temptation.
If you really have a certain phrase or key sentence that you want to make stand out on your page, you can bold it; however, be aware that bolding a lot of sentences and words does nothing but lessen the overall impact of the bold type.
On top of that, it is very frustrating to readers.
Over Capitalization
In order to emphasize your website copy, you may think it's best to capitalize many of the words you are typing. This is another nasty habit that many novices to web design get into, especially when they’re using a free website builder program.
Putting your copy in capital letters is equal to yelling at those reading your page. This will annoy visitors (read: potential customers) and will likely send them away.
Too Much Color
It's amazing how colorful you can make your website nowadays. If you have been doing typical store-based marketing, you may also equate all those bright and dazzling colors with signs used to get customers into a store.
The Internet is different.
When people bring up your website, it's the first, and often only, impression they will get of your company. If the colors on the screen are too bright, or contrast with the words, your marketing message will be hard to read and will send your prospects away.
Too Much to Load
While even most free website builder programs will allow you to add a lot of things to your webpage, that doesn’t mean you need all of them.
If you overload a site with pictures, music, videos or other graphics that have long load times, you will send some users – especially those with slower connections, away.
Too Much Copy
While you may have a lot to say about your company, most people don’t want to read that much. They want to know who you are, what you do and if you can help them. Then they want to know how to get a hold of you for that purpose.
If they have to read a novel to find the information they need, they will probably go elsewhere.
The best way to decide what to do, or not to do, on your website is to look around at other websites that you like and those that you don't. Make notes of what you did and didn't like.
Make sure to keep those ideals in mind when you log onto a free website builder service - and create your own online masterpiece.
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