- Rebecca Tomasis
- Apr 24
- 6 min read
We all know a well-designed website is crucial for attracting and retaining visitors to your business and that it can be a huge influence on their decision to engage with your brand. Effective website design not only enhances the overall look and feel of your website but it also plays a pivotal role in seamless user interaction and engagement.
Despite this importance of getting web design right, when it comes to designing a website many businesses fall into common design traps that can significantly hinder the user experience and reduce conversions. These mistakes often stem from a lack of understanding of user needs or an oversight in design principles. Poorly designed websites can frustrate users, leading to higher bounce rates and lost opportunities for engagement.
With stand out web design at the very front of creating a website, our guide will explore these mistakes in detail, providing practical tips to help you avoid them and enhance your website's performance.
Why User Experience (UX) design is at the forefront of avoiding web design mistakes
User Experience (UX) design is a critical aspect of web development that focuses on creating meaningful and relevant experiences for website users. It includes all aspects of the end-user's online interaction with your company, its services and its products. A well-executed UX design ensures that users find value in what you are providing, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.
When UX design is neglected, it can result in several website design mistakes. Poor navigation, confusing layouts and unresponsive elements are just a few examples of how inadequate UX can negatively impact user experience. These issues can frustrate users, causing them to leave your site prematurely and reducing the likelihood of conversions.
To avoid these pitfalls, it's essential to prioritize UX design from the outset. By understanding user needs and preferences, you can create a website that not only meets but exceeds their expectations. If you get your UX design right, you'll have a lot less potential design mistakes to contend with.
Integrating user feedback in your web design
Understanding and addressing user needs is fundamental to successful web design. By actively seeking and integrating user feedback, you can understand how to create a website that resonates with your audience. It can help you prevent mistakes before they happen or help your correct quickly those that slipped through. You can do this by using:
Surveys and questionnaires: Deploy online surveys to gather insights on user preferences and pain points.
Usability testing: Conduct tests with real users to observe how they interact with your website.
Feedback forms: Include easy-to-access feedback forms on your site for users to share their thoughts.
Analytics tools: Use tools like Google Analytics or Wix Analytics to track user behavior and identify areas for improvement.
The design on your website will evolve. It can constantly be changed, updated and improved even after your site is live. This can include fixing any mistakes that you missed or which crop up over time.
I think it’s important to check your website after you finish editing it. Publish it and check how it looks in the browser. Scroll through the site, check it on mobile devices and test it on different screen resolutions to ensure everything looks good and works properly. Dafna Rabin, Wix Templates design team lead
8 common website design mistakes you must avoid
01. Lack of responsive design
At the very least your web design should be mobile first. Creating a mobile-friendly website is a non-negotiable in an era where we know users access websites from various devices and most specifically their mobiles.
A site that isn't mobile-friendly can mean a poor user experience, as your website content may not display correctly on different screen sizes. This can result in frustrated users and decreased engagement.
Responsive design tips
Use flexible grids and layouts.
Implement media queries to adjust styles for different devices.
Test your website on multiple devices and browsers.
Learn more about how to build a responsive website with Wix Studio.
02. Cluttered interface and navigation
A cluttered interface can overwhelm users, making it difficult for them to find the information they need. This confusion can lead to higher bounce rates as users abandon your site in search of a more straightforward experience.
Website navigation design tips
Limit the number of menu items.
Use clear labels and logical categories.
Implement a search function for easy access to content.
03. Poor accessibility
Accessibility in web design means that all users, including those with disabilities, can navigate and interact with your website effectively. Poor accessibility can alienate a significant portion of your audience, leading to lost opportunities for engagement.
As soon as the user makes their website accessible, they open the door to a population of people with disabilities, which includes about a billion individuals. This creates tremendous business potential while fostering a space where everyone is welcome to participate and enjoy. Nir Horesh, head of SEO and accessibility at Wix
Website accessibility tips for making an accessible website
Use alt text for images.
Ensure keyboard navigability.
04. Slow loading
A slow-loading website can frustrate users, leading them to leave before the page fully loads. Mobile users are particularly sensitive to this. This not only affects user experience but also negatively impacts conversion rates.
Website speed optimization tips
Compress images and files. (Wix automatically compresses website images).
Minimize HTTP requests.
Use browser caching.
05. Unclear calls-to-action (CTAs)
Calls-to-action are crucial in guiding users towards desired actions, such as signing up or making a purchase. Unclear or poorly placed CTAs can result in missed conversion opportunities.
CTA design tips
Use action-oriented language.
Ensure visibility with contrasting colors.
Position CTAs strategically within the content flow.
Test different CTA's including position on page, color, text.
06. Ignoring SEO best practices
You can make zero web design mistakes and end up with a stunning website. However if your site isn't optimized for search engines (and LLMs), you will limit your online visibility and traffic potential. A beautifully designed website is ineffective if it can't be found by users through search engines.
Overlooking SEO best practices on your website can result in poorly structured content, missing meta tags, slow page speeds, and non-optimized images. Without proper keyword integration and site hierarchy, search engines struggle to index and rank the content accurately. Effective web design and SEO must work hand in hand.
SEO website tips
Don't neglect basic SEO on-page optimizations — alt text, meta titles
Understand how design choices will impact SEO, specifically your site's technical SEO — this means site speed, load times.
07. Intrusive pop ups and ads
Intrusive pop-ups and excessive ads are common web design mistakes that disrupt the user experience and damage a site’s credibility. When visitors are bombarded with pop-ups immediately upon arrival—especially those that cover content or appear in rapid succession—they’re likely to leave the site out of frustration. This increases bounce rates and lowers engagement.
Too many ads can make a website appear cluttered, slow to load and less ultimately trustworthy. Ads that autoplay sound or flash aggressively are particularly off-putting for site visitors. A well-designed website should guide users naturally toward its goals—whether reading content, making a purchase or signing up for a service.
Ads and web design tips
Use only as necessary, avoid cluttering with too many ads.
Sometimes simpler really is better — avoid flashy ads or interactive ads that can annoy rather than engage.
08. Vague content
Vague content can become a significant web design mistake by undermining clarity, engagement, and user trust. When your website content lacks specificity or relevance, visitors struggle to understand what the site offers or how it benefits them even if your visual design is strong.
Vague messaging also makes it difficult to create intuitive navigation and meaningful calls-to-action (CTAs), weakening the overall user journey. It can negatively SEO efforts, as search engines rely on clear, keyword enriched content to index and rank pages accurately. Without well-defined messaging, designers may fill space with generic text or design elements that offer little value, leading to cluttered layouts and an inconsistent experience.
Effective web design requires precise, goal-oriented content that informs layout, structure and functionality, ensuring both user satisfaction and business results.
Content tips
Be clear and concise, you can still be creative but make sure it makes sense.
Don't neglect your content, it matters as much as your visual design.
Explore these best website designs, for how to get it right.
Website design mistakes FAQ
How to prevent web design mistakes?
To prevent web design mistakes, start with clear goals and a user-first mindset. If you lead with a mobile-first design you can avoid a lot of UX and performance mistakes. It's also always a good idea to get feedback on your design planning and to envision how your site will work, as well as look, before getting started on designing a website. Learn more: Web design best practices.