By Tanya Ganian · · 3 min readAvoid the web design mistakes that make life harder for visitors: complicated navigation, too much information at once, unclear headlines, slow-loading images, poor mobile design, hidden contact information and too many competing calls to action. Animations aren't bad in themselves, but they should improve the experience, not slow the site or distract from what matters.
Seven web design mistakes to avoid
Short answer: anything that makes visitors work harder to understand you or contact you.
- Complicated navigation. Don't make customers guess where your services are. Keep the menu short and labels plain.
- Too much information at once. Large blocks of text and crowded layouts overwhelm visitors. Use headings, short paragraphs and white space.
- Unclear headlines. Visitors should understand what you offer within seconds. "Commercial cleaning in Montreal" beats "Excellence, delivered".
- Slow-loading images. Huge image files make the site frustratingly slow. Compress and size images properly.
- Poor mobile design. A site that looks great on a laptop but breaks on a phone isn't finished. See how mobile design affects sales.
- Hidden contact information. Put your phone number and a contact button where people expect them, on every page.
- Too many competing calls to action. If every section asks for something different, visitors may choose nothing.
What about fancy animations?
Animations aren't automatically bad. Subtle motion can guide attention. But they should improve the experience, not distract from important information, slow the site or make people feel dizzy. Respect visitors who turn on "reduce motion" on their devices.
Mistakes that also hurt SEO
- Putting important text inside images
- One page for all services instead of a page per service
- Changing URLs during a redesign without redirects
- Leaving a "noindex" setting on after launch
See can bad web design hurt your Google rankings?
The bottom line
The best website design removes obstacles instead of creating them. Clarity, usability and trust come before decoration.
See what your new website should include and what makes a website user-friendly, or talk to us about web design in Montreal.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common web design mistake?
An unclear message: visitors can't quickly tell what the business does, for whom and where. A clear headline fixes a lot.
Are animations bad for a website?
Not necessarily. Subtle animations can help, but heavy or constant motion slows the site, distracts visitors and can cause discomfort for some people.
How many calls to action should a page have?
One main action per page or section, like "Request a quote", repeated where it makes sense. A secondary option, like calling, is fine.