7 responsive web design mistakes most websites make

7 web design mistakes that you need to be aware of

On that note, let us look at seven website design mistakes that you must watch out:

Bulking the website with unnecessary media

There is no denying the fact that adding images and videos is essential to showcase your business offerings visually. 

But too many videos and images can add substantial weight to the website, making it slower. That is why it is best to keep a check on media and ensure that only essential stuff is added to the website.

Slower websites mean lousy search engine rankings, as Google is more than happy to downgrade a website if it experiences a high bounce rate due to an unpleasant user experience. 

Not integrating SSL encryption

SSL or Secure Sockets Layer certificate is an encryption technology that helps keep hackers at bay by adding a layer of protection to the communication between the website’s server and the user’s web browser. 

Though SSL does not directly impact a website’s responsiveness, it does have a significant impact indirectly. Non-SSL websites are generally marked as ‘Not Secure’ by Google. 

In other words, Google will restrict non-encrypted websites, warning users about the hazardous nature of the website. When users see such warnings, they are tempted not to risk their data by visiting such websites. As a result, the website experiences a lot of bounce-back instances. 

Google has already stated in its Page Experience Update that it will downrank websites that do not have an SSL installed.  Also, users won’t be able to pay through their cards since PCI or Payment Card Industry restricts non-SSL websites from accepting payments online. That will be a big blow to any eCommerce website’s functioning today since most want to make it convenient for their users. 

So, if you want a budget SSL, you should buy a Comodo Positive SSL certificate or any other low-priced SSL today and save your website from becoming unresponsive.

Lousy understanding of target audience

The days of one-size-fits-all are long gone. Today, website designs are based on user preferences and persona.

However, the unfortunate truth is that most websites do not take the time to understand who they are catering to. These days buyers want convenience and comfort. Moreover, they hate monotonous designs that are unable to guess their preferences.

The image below displays how Amazon guesses the products that their customers might want to buy along with a t-shirt. Therefore, it is an excellent example of a responsive web design.

Creating links with non-responsive websites

While collaborating with other websites, you must also take care of their responsiveness. Sometimes, we upgrade our website and make it responsive, but while linking another website to ours, we forget to check how they take care of it. 

Let’s put that in context, suppose a user reads a beautiful article and is now motivated to click the CTA button that is supposed to redirect them to another website. 

But what if that website takes ages to load? What if the content that the user is looking for is absent? 

That will hurt your reputation even after having a responsive website. Therefore, ensure you tie up with websites that share your values.

Flaws in touch functionality

Lousy designs often encounter the problem of touch functionality. As a result, users want to click somewhere but reach somewhere else.  This mistake can damage your reputation and establish you as a good-for-nothing website. 

Therefore, create navigation systems that can ensure smooth touch functionality. Ask your designer to place at least 23 pixels of a gap between two items to prevent overlapping. Also, get your CTA buttons appropriately sized too. 

Not testing the website across devices

Not all devices are identical. A website designer must ensure that their website performs well on every device. 

Compatibility with mobile devices is the key here. Google will also downrank non-compatible websites because of high bounce rates.  Google also provides you with the facility of Mobile Friendliness Test, which can scan your website’s compatibility across all mobile devices. 

Since we all want Google to rank our websites, their scan report is perhaps the best thing to align your website against. You can consider the report and ask your designer to work on it by fixing the design and touch flaws. 

Hard to read content structure

If your content is hard to read, people will flock to another website that gives them reading convenience. 

Use basic Arial fonts and back it with suitable colour patterns while writing the content. Too much funkiness can baffle users who may not enjoy reading content. 

The letters should not be too small or too large and should be placed in appropriate areas.  Also, avoid hiding content while designing, increasing the website’s load. It will only compromise your page loading speed. So, chuck out unnecessary content from your website instead of hiding it. 

Conclusion

A pleasant user experience is all that matters today. If you can provide what a user wants, then there is no limit to how much you can grow. 

But user convenience is a constant study. You have to keep digging into new problems and figure out their solutions. Regardless of how perfect the system is, there are always flaws that need fixing, and if you can be the first one to figure out and solve those flaws, website responsiveness will not be such a headache for you.