The internet is the perfect place to find tips and advice on how to make the most out of your website. However, there are so many mistakes that many people make when it comes to web design that it can be very frustrating to try and figure out what those are. Web design is an important part of having a website, and in order to be effective you have to ensure that it is done right. Here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid.
One of the most basic mistakes that people make is overloading the design with too much text. When you have too much text on a page, it can become difficult to read. It also doesn’t make for easy navigation. Many times this mistake is made by people trying to use too much Flash design or Flash images on their site. All of these things can really detract from a design and make it hard to get the point across. Instead, it’s important to use as much plain text as possible to get your point across.
Another common web design mistake is to include images that take up a lot of space on the page. This mistake can often result in a web page, taking up even more space on your computer than it does on the screen. Instead, it’s important to keep your images to a minimum, and to use as much picture searchable text as possible. For example, instead of having a long introduction for each picture on the page you can include a caption above each picture. This will clearly tell the visitor what the picture is about and will allow them to better understand the picture as well.
Not testing for cross-browser compatibility. Testing for cross-browser compatibility is an extremely important step for making sure that your site is usable on all browsers out there. Make sure to test the navigation. Make sure that your code works across all the major browsers, and that it works with all the features that you are using. There are a number of free tools that you can use to test out everything for yourself.
Not using animations or interactivity when it is important. One big mistake that many people make is thinking that they need to do this, but really, they don’t. Using flash animations or interactivity when it is important can result in visitors leaving faster, and more frequently.
Not testing for cross-browser compatibility. You need to test your web design with multiple browsers. While not everyone will necessarily be using the same browser versions, there is no way for you to test every browser. What you should do instead, is to test your pages against the most popular browsers. You will likely find that there will be many errors at the beginning, but as you work through the site with various users, you will eventually see your site loading quickly and smoothly in a wide variety of browsers.
Not making sure that your design is user-friendly. User-friendly designs will result in faster page loads and more satisfied visitors. You should also keep in mind that users will become frustrated if they have to wait too long to get to the page that they want to visit. Make sure that your design provides clear navigation for your readers so that they don’t have to spend a lot of time searching for what they want.
As you can see, there are many simple mistakes to avoid web design mistakes. Your page load time will be less affected if you keep these tips in mind, and your visitors will certainly appreciate the added efficiency. Happy design!