If you’re running a small business in Fort Collins, then you know how important it is to have a strong online presence. In today’s digital age, potential customers are more likely to find you online before they ever step foot in your brick-and-mortar store. That’s why it’s important to ensure that your website is up to par.
Unfortunately, many small businesses make common mistakes that can hurt their web design and ultimately drive potential customers away. Keep reading to learn about five of the most common Fort Collins web design mistakes—and what you can do to fix them.
1. Not Having Key Information Easily Accessible
One of the most common web design mistakes is not making key information-like your business name, address, and phone number-easily accessible. Small businesses often leave out key details like pricing, product specs, contact information, etc. Potential customers should be able to find this information right away when they land on your website. Otherwise, they may get frustrated and move on to a competitor’s site.
Solution: If you want your website to be effective, make sure it includes all the potential information customers need to know. Ensure that your business name, address, and phone number are prominently displayed on your homepage.
You can also include this information in the header or footer of every page on your website. That way, no matter where a potential customer is on your site, they’ll always be able to find your contact information.
2. Poor Backend Design That Leads to Slow Loading Times
Another common web design mistake is having a poor backend design that leads to slow loading times. In today’s fast-paced world, potential customers will not wait around for a slow website to load.
In fact, over half of internet users expect a website to load in less than two seconds. Unfortunately, many small businesses overlook the backend design of their site, which can lead to slow loading times and other performance issues. If your site takes longer than that to load, you’re likely losing potential customers.
Solutions:
You can do a few things to improve your website’s loading times:
- Make sure that your images are optimized for the web.
- Avoid using too many heavy plugins or third-party applications.
- If you’re unsure how your website is performing, consider hiring a professional web design service to audit your site and make recommendations for improvement.
- Lastly, invest in a good web hosting plan to host your site on a fast server.
3. Unintuitive Design
Another common mistake in Fort Collins web design is having an unintuitive design. Potential customers should be able to easily navigate your website and find the information they’re looking for. Your website should be designed with your user in mind. If your website is difficult to use or navigate, chances are potential customers will give up and look elsewhere.
Solutions:
You can do a few things to improve your website’s design:
- Make sure that your navigation menu is easy to understand and use.
- Use clear and concise text throughout your site.
- Design page layouts that are easy on the eyes.
- Use images and other visual elements to help break up large blocks of text and make your site more visually appealing.
4. Not Being Mobile-Friendly
In today’s world, having a mobile-friendly website is more important than ever. Over half of internet users now access the internet exclusively on their smartphones. That means that if your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you could be missing out on a lot of potential business.
Solutions:
There are a few things you can do to make your website more mobile-friendly:
- Use a responsive design, so your site automatically scales to fit any device’s screen size.
- Avoid using large images or videos that could slow loading times on mobile devices.
- Use large font sizes so that potential customers can easily read your text on small screens.
5. Not Regularly Updating Your Content
Finally, one of the most common Fort Collins web design mistakes is not regularly updating your content. Potential customers are more likely to return to a website that regularly adds new and relevant content. If your website features outdated content, it will give visitors the impression that your business is also out-of-date.
Solution: Regularly add new and relevant content to your website. You can do this through blog posts, news articles, or even just by updating your product pages and ensuring your contact information is accurate. By regularly adding new content, you’ll keep potential customers returning to your site—which could lead to more sales and conversions.
Bottom Line
If you’re making any of these common Fort Collins web design mistakes, it’s time to make some changes. By fixing these issues, you can improve your website – and attract more potential customers. Avoiding these common mistakes will go a long way toward improving your website—and your business. So don’t wait any longer; get started today!
If you need help getting started, consider hiring a professional web design service. At Rank Rise Marketing, we specialize in creating custom websites that are both beautiful and effective. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
