Launching a website can be an intimidating process, especially if this is your first time doing so. According to a live web tracker, there are nearly two billion websites already, with more launching each second.
That doesn’t mean you have to get lost in the shuffle. Knowing what to avoid can help you avoid some major mistakes.
Here are five beginner web design mistakes to avoid and make your web launch a success.
1. Not Using a Sitemap
If this is your first website, you may not be too familiar with web development protocol. For instance, it’s important to plan your website by creating a fleshed out sitemap.
So what’s a sitemap and why is it so important?
Think of it as the blueprints for your website. It’s a breakdown of every page included on your site and everything included on those pages.
It’s important for two reasons. First, it’s helpful when designing a site so you don’t forget anything important. More importantly, however, it’s helpful for your SEO, as it increases your discoverability.
2. Not Having a Monetization Strategy
Whether you’re starting a blog for fun or business, having a monetization strategy is important.
One of the biggest website design mistakes you can make is failing to have a plan to monetize your content, especially if you’re planning on delving into affiliate marketing.
3. Failing to Plan For a Mobile Audience
The future of the web is overwhelmingly mobile. In fact, over half of all web traffic now comes from a mobile device.
Make sure that you’re prepared to handle an overwhelming amount of web traffic. This is one of the web design mistakes that a surprising amount of businesses fail to account for.
If you’re using a blogging platform like WordPress, your site should scale to mobile automatically. Otherwise, you’ll want to get in touch with your webmaster/developer to inquire about mobile scaling.
4. Using Outdated Security
No matter what purpose your site serves, it’s important that visitors feel safe when coming to your site. Avoid using outdated security tools when creating your site.
If you’re unfamiliar with current tech trends, you’ll need to set up SSL on your site for increased security. This takes your website from a vulnerable HTTP site to a protected HTTPS (the ‘s’ stands for secure).
Consult an online tutorial for assistance or use a plugin for your WordPress site.
5. Lack of Information on Your Homepage
With the technical details of your website out of the way, let’s talk about your homepage and what it should include.
Make sure that your homepage answers any questions a visitor may have about you or your business. Include the following to avoid any website design mistakes:
- Who are you?
- What do you do?
- Why should the audience care?
- How can they get in touch with you?
If your site is for ecommerce web development, for instance, you can detail your services in an introductory paragraph.
Avoid These Web Design Mistakes
Sidestepping these web design mistakes can take your website from a potential disaster to a contender on Google.
Looking for more great blogging and web design tips? Be sure to keep checking back with our blog for more expert advice on how to make money with your blog.