SEO Hosting Blog

The right design and layout are necessary for the success of your website. Too many companies look for cutting-edge, “unique” designs that might look cool on the surface but end up performing poorly when it comes to attracting and converting visitors.

If your website isn’t getting the conversions you want, take a look at this list to see if it’s committing one (or more) of these 8 deadly web design mistakes.

1.    Using colors that make it difficult to read—You’d think this is common sense, but so many web designers seem to get it wrong. You want to use background and text colors that make your content easy to read for new visitors. Don’t throw yellow text on a blue background. Or worse yet, don’t place text on top of a patterned background. Stick with the basics (black text on white background or something similar) to make it as easy on the eyes as possible. Otherwise, your visitors will never know what you’re saying.

2.    Using generic stock photos—We’ve all seen websites commit this deadly sin. Throwing in a stock photo of a bunch of guys in suits huddled around a conference table is more than likely a waste of space, and just as importantly, it doesn’t contribute to your brand or add anything to the user experience. Compelling graphics are an integral part of effective web design, but never throw in a subpar image just for the sake of having one.

3.    Using entry pages and Flash intros—If I land on your homepage and see either “Click here to enter” or a 30 second Flash intro, you can bet I’ll click the back button on my browser every single time. Remember, new visitors typically give your website 8 seconds to capture their attention. Don’t waste it.
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