5 New Website Mishaps to Avoid

So, you’ve decided to create your own blog, e-commerce store, or professional portfolio. 

Congratulations, and welcome to the digital world! It’s time to showcase your abilities but check out these helpful tips before you do. 

When the excitement takes over, we often overlook the common pitfalls many new website owners face. 

Today, we’re discussing the five mistakes new online creatives make and how to avoid them.

1. Ignoring Mobile Accessibility

This is the generation of smartphones, tablets, and all sorts of different-sized tech screens. 

Don’t make the mistake of overlooking mobile responsiveness on all platforms. 

You’ll want your website to adapt to different devices and provide users with an optimal viewing experience. Mobile optimization is an effective investment, according to 64% of SEO marketers. 

Frustrated site visitors aren’t the only negative you’ll face. 

Your search engine ranking will also take a toll. 

Start your website off right from the outset with an innovative design. Ensuring your content looks fantastic no matter what device your audience is using.

Before launching your website:

• Test Multiple Devices: See how your website appears on various devices to catch any display issues early on.
• Optimize Images: Compress images to improve load times without compromising quality.
• Use Responsive Frameworks: Leverage frameworks like Bootstrap or Foundation to streamline the mobile responsiveness process.

2. Disregarding Security

Don’t make the mistake of overlooking your website’s security, and you’ll pay the price later on. 

Neglecting website security puts both you and your visitors at risk. Your site should be equipped with an SSL certificate to encrypt data transmission and protect sensitive information. On average, websites experience nearly 95 attacks a day. On top of that, bots will pay a visit approximately 2,608 times a week.

Keep your plugins, themes, and your content management system up to date by installing patches and implementing hefty security measures. 

We also recommend getting a VPN to encrypt all your information and prevent damage to your website and reputation. 

3. Neglecting Navigation

Have you ever stumbled upon a website that was too difficult to navigate? 

Readers, buyers, and internet browsers will run to the next website if faced with complex and confusing navigation structures. 

Don’t turn your visitors away. 

Instead, prioritize intuitive navigation and streamline the process of uncovering the information they seek. Your menu should display clear labels, and your content should be organized logically. 

A user-friendly website enhances the overall user experience, encouraging visitors to explore further.

4. Don’t Overlook Speed

Patience is a virtue and has become even more rare. Instant gratification is the norm, so slow-loading websites just won’t do. 

The average load speed of the top 100 websites is 2.5 seconds on desktop and 8.6 seconds on mobile. Anything less, and your search results start to take a beating.

Enhance your website’s speed by:

• Optimizing your images.
• Leveraging browser caching.
• Utilizing content delivery networks (CDNs).
• Conducting regular speed tests.

A speedy website is one of the top contributors to a positive user experience.

5. Underestimating Content Quality

Your content is the main dish of the website you’re serving. It can have the most beautiful aesthetic, but if it lacks good content, your user engagement will suffer. 

Don’t underestimate the importance of delivering compelling, relevant, and well-presented content. 

Establish a niche and stay focused! Keep your page up-to-date with new, fresh content to captivate your audience. 

Set aside an appropriate amount of time to craft clear, concise copy. Complement your content with visually appealing multimedia elements, and voila! Quality content.

Conclusion

Launching a new website is not for the faint of heart. It is an exhilarating journey of trial and error. 

However, learning from these five previous mishaps should start you off on the right foot. 

Prioritize mobile responsiveness, implement robust security measures, focus on intuitive navigation, optimize website speed, deliver valuable content quality, and you’re well on your way to creating a digital masterpiece. 

Now, get out there and start influencing the world, one webpage at a time!