Everyone is Fighting for the Same Thing
As we explain in our training platform, Kindu, attracting, converting, and retaining digital customers is like trying to tame a wild horse; getting it right the first time is nearly impossible. The digital market is a battlefield where everyone is competing for the same thing: user attention. To achieve this, at the very least, you need an attractive, organized, and easy-to-navigate digital space.
Yes, we’re talking about your website.
In other words, when we have a special guest at home, we take time to make sure they feel comfortable, right? When it comes to your digital presence, your customers are the special guests. Creating a digital experience that makes them feel valued and cared for is crucial.
86% of consumers are willing to pay more for an excellent customer experience.
That said, you don’t have much time to capture their attention and spark their interest. According to various SEO agency reports, the average time a user spends on a website they don’t know is between 20-30 seconds. If they’re interested, that time may increase to 1 minute and 40 seconds.
In this competitive and challenging environment, if you want to stand out, your website needs to be up to the task. By fixing these 8 common mistakes many companies make, your business will rise above most of your immediate competition, bringing you closer to having a website that attracts and wins new customers.
1. Slow loading times.
Mistake: Slow websites frustrate users. “If I can’t find what I’m looking for and it takes too long to load, I’ll just close the site.”
Solution: Optimize your images and videos using an online compressor, and leverage caching to improve loading times. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help you diagnose your website's performance and identify areas for improvement.
2. Overloading users with content.
Mistake: Flooding your pages with too much text, images, and videos, without giving the interface elements space to breathe or maintaining a clear hierarchy.
Solution: Keep the design clean and simple, using white space strategically. Prioritize what content is essential versus what is expendable.
3. Confusing navigation.
Mistake: A cluttered navigation system, where the information doesn’t provide a clear path. In other words, a content maze.
Solution: Design an efficient navigation system with clear intent and logic. Establish a main objective and build the interface around it.
4. Neglecting the mobile experience.
Mistake: Fortunately, this is becoming less common, but many designers still focus only on desktop versions, putting mobile visibility on the backburner.
Solution: Use a design tool like Figma to preview and adapt the desktop mode. Additionally, create a dedicated section in your company’s Design System for the mobile experience.
5. Ignoring SEO principles.
Mistake: Not investing enough time in making your website visible on search engines like Google.
Solution: Properly optimize your Google My Business listing and focus on the four main pillars: Indexability, Content Architecture, Popularity, and Relevance.
6. Lack of visual consistency.
Mistake: Failing to maintain consistency in decisions regarding color, contrast, typography, iconography, buttons, etc.
Solution: Develop a Design System to ensure both your digital experience and brand presence are as efficient and consistent as possible.
7. Too many animations and videos.
Mistake: Using excessive animated content can distract and slow down the digital experience. However, not using any animations also affects the dynamic nature of your site.
Solution: Find a balance between animated and static content so users have a clear, direct, yet dynamic experience. Consider the functional purpose of each animation when planning them.
8. Forgetting about the user.
Mistake: Not keeping the user in mind when designing and iterating the website’s sections.
Solution: Understand your target audience’s needs (develop a Buyer Persona), conduct usability tests to analyze their journey through the site, and ask for their feedback on the experience.
Conclusion
Fixing these 8 mistakes is just the first step in starting your iteration process. This is something you must maintain over time, remember that. A website is not a static project; it requires ongoing attention and constant adjustments to stay relevant and effective. Every time you improve your site, you’re not only enhancing the user experience but also increasing your chances of attracting, converting, and retaining customers.
At Hordago, after delivering the final version of the website, we work hand-in-hand with our clients to refine and keep the new website in perfect condition.
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