Here are some common mistakes that beginners make when designing their websites:
Getting ahead of the game
Many people get so excited about the design part of their website that they don’t take the necessary preparation to make a truly effective website. Design should only take place after you’ve defined your goals, done your market research (for business websites), chosen a domain name, and found a web hosting service.
Going crazy with color
It’s great fun to experiment with color and patterns, but it’s important to know what works the best for your website goals. If the purpose of your website is anything other than for your own pure enjoyment, then you want other people to like your design. Therefore, it really doesn’t matter what you think looks good as long as the design works to appeal to your users.
Overlooking the planning stage
A lot of beginning website designers go straight to the design of individual web pages with nothing but a picture in their heads of what their website will look like. It is important, though, to plan out the structure and layout of your website before you dive in. Having a plan on paper will make your design process much easier.
Making a template after you’ve begun designing individual pages
If you design a bunch of web pages first, it could be a lot of trouble to go back later to change a design element in each page. Try creating a CSS template to achieve a consistent look throughout your entire website, then begin designing each page.
Design is too complex
Your website will not appeal to your users unless it is simple and straight-forward. Especially when you are just beginning in web design, don’t try to do everything at once. Make a simple foundation for your website and you can always add bells and whistles later.
Failing to test everything
Most people assume that design is largely a personal preference thing, and it is. But that doesn’t mean that you just choose whatever design looks good to you and leave it at that. Keep your audience in mind when you’re designing your initial website. Once you’ve collected data for a significant period of time, then go ahead and test certain design elements. Change one thing at a time and track your results for everything. Go with what the numbers tell you what works.
