Being a small business, it’s easy to make small mistakes without even realizing. But it’s better than being a big business and making big mistakes, right? Well, when it comes to web design, like your personal website, both desktop version and mobile version, there are some common mistakes that small businesses tend to make or ignore. Yes, they are small mistakes, but they could easily have a big impact on your audience and your general image.

Pointing out some little errors here and there aren’t meant to hurt your feelings, but rather to help you realize what you might be doing wrong without even knowing it’s wrong. It happens to all of us, and we can’t deny it; we all make mistakes!

Here are the 7 common web design mistakes small businesses make. Let’s see if you fall into any of these errors:

1. Neglecting the audience. The first faulty mistake is simple: you ignore the target market. Who is your website targeting, and what is the best way to reach them? This is one of the most important questions whenever creating anything new. Before you start working on your site, you must do some research into your audience and find out what other type of webpages they are on and how they access information, via personal computer or mobile device. You need to do your research first and foremost!
2. Busy design. You know the saying, less is more, and that applies to your webpage design. A mobile device is small and compact, even a tablet is limited in display space, so why do you want to cluster all of that with lots of flashy images or layouts. Keep it simple and clean. With a clear design, it’s all about navigation; the browser can easily find what they’re looking for without blinding their eyes with bright neon signs. Try to keep it minimal without loosing your own style.
3. No clear function. The homepage is everything, remember that. When the browser first accesses your homepage, what do you want them to do next? You have to set up a clear navigation, while also guiding them into the right direction. Do you want them to shop in your e-store, read your blog, or sign up for your weekly newsletter? You have to make sure that the features you want to focus on are clear and present, or else you might lose the browser.
4. Worrying about cost. For the most part, people think that if they spend more on something, they’re paying for the higher quality; and that’s not always true. Likewise if you pay less for something, then the quality is poor. Neither is true, and neither is wrong. Don’t worry about price when it comes to web design, instead, focus on the quality. When you’re looking for a web designer, don’t ask about the price first, make sure to check out their portfolio and previous work, you never know, the perfect designer for you could work for cheap, or he could work for millions. Make the right decision.
5. Old content. This of course refers to when your website is complete, but is still a mistake often made by small businesses. When you don’t update your website with new content, people won’t be interested in it anymore. If you opened your website in 2010 and haven’t touched it since, it’s not likely you’re making any businesses from that website. Try to update it at least once a week, and if you don’t have any new things to add, it’s a good idea to do a general maintenance check to make sure the links are working, etc.
6. A general audience. When you try to target your webpage to the entire world, it can become a little messy and unclear. You may want some big traffic coming onto your webpage, but you can’t handle it. You’re a small business, and you’re there for the smaller market. Focus on a specific group of consumers and stick with that. Slowly, and eventually, you can expand into larger waters, but for now, keep it small. Don’t overwhelm yourself!
7. Don’t do it yourself. Every now and then we feel empowered when we take on a DIY task and complete it to satisfaction, but when it comes to web design, don’t even give it a try unless you’re a designer. Hire a professional and let him do the work. Stick to what you know, and that’s running a business.

Is your website in the deep end? Learn from your mistakes and create the most successful webs design you can!

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