Creating a successful website on your own can be quite a challenge, especially if you’re not aware of the common pitfalls and design best practices. In this post, I’ll walk you through 10 common DIY website design mistakes. These mistakes not only harm user experience but can also negatively impact your SEO and conversion rates. By steering clear of these, you can build a more effective and user-friendly website.

1. Poor Font Choice

Choosing the right font is like picking the right outfit for your website. It makes a huge difference in how people perceive and interact with it. A bad Font Choice can turn visitors away because it’s hard to read and navigate.

Take script fonts, for example. They’re beautiful and elegant, perfect for headings or logos. But when it comes to body text, they often fall short. They’re usually thin and elaborate, which can make them difficult to read, especially on smaller screens or lower-resolution devices.

So when you do use a script font, think of it as a special accent—like a bold accessory. Keep it for headers or special elements and pair it with simpler fonts for the main content. Always test your font choices in different sizes and on various devices to ensure they’re easy to read.

Another thing to watch out for is Font Overload. Using too many different fonts can make your website look like a jumbled mess. Stick to two or three fonts max. This creates a harmonious and professional look.  To keep things consistent, create a font palette. Pair a clean sans-serif font with a serif for contrast and stick to these choices throughout your site. You can play around with different weights and styles within the same font family to add variety without sacrificing readability.

And don’t forget about Font Size! Text that’s too small can be a real struggle to read, especially for folks with visual impairments. On the flip side, text that’s too large can overwhelm the page and mess up your site’s visual hierarchy. Start with a base font size of around 16 pixels for body text. Use larger sizes for headings to make important information stand out. Using relative sizing units like em or rem can help keep your site flexible and accessible across different screen sizes.

2. Aligning Text Incorrectly

The way you format your text can make a huge difference in how people interact with your site. Titles and headings should be carefully aligned to grab attention and provide structure. Left-aligned headings are generally easier to read, keeping everything clean and organized.

Now, center-aligned headings can work in some cases, but use them sparingly. They might look nice, but they can disrupt the flow and make it harder for users to scan your content. Bold text for headings can help them stand out more. Just make sure your headings are consistently formatted throughout your site for a cohesive look.

When it comes to paragraphs, left alignment is your best friend. It makes blocks of text easier to read since readers naturally start on the left. This helps them follow along without any hassle.

Avoid centering paragraph text because it can look messy and confusing. Justified alignment might give you nice clean lines on both sides, but it often introduces uneven spacing between words, making the text harder to read.

Also, keep your paragraphs short. Breaking up long paragraphs makes your content more digestible. Proper text alignment and formatting not only improve readability but also help get your message across effectively.

3. Ignoring Color Theory

Colors play a crucial role in web design, influencing user experience and branding. That’s why it’s essential to understand the 60-30-10 rule. Here’s how it works:

– 60%: Dominant color – Sets the overall tone.

– 30%: Secondary color – Adds interest.

– 10%: Accent color – Provides highlights for buttons or important information.

This rule ensures your color palette isn’t overwhelming.

Consistency is key when it comes to color usage. Stick to a selected color palette to maintain a professional appearance. Randomly switching colors can confuse users and weaken your brand identity. I recommend using colors from your brand palette across different elements to create a cohesive look and feel. Of course, if you haven’t yet settled on a color palette, you should start there!

Colors also affect user experience (UX) and significantly impact how users perceive your brand. Align your color choices with your brand’s message and values. For instance, blue often conveys trust and professionalism, while red can evoke excitement and urgency but can also indicate errors or warnings in a web context.

Color contrast is essential for readability and accessibility. Ensure your text stands out against the background by using contrasting colors. For instance, dark text on a light background is easier to read than light text on a light background. Here’s a quick pro tip: use an online contrast checker to measure the contrast ratios and ensure your website meets accessibility standards.

4. Using Too Little White Space

In website design, white space isn’t just blank space; it’s a powerful tool. White space helps your website look cleaner and less cluttered. Imagine entering a room where everything is neatly arranged with plenty of space to move around. Your website should give a similar feeling.

When there is too little space between elements, your website can feel cramped. Visitors might struggle to find what they need. By contrast, strategic use of white space can guide the visitor’s eye and highlight important content.

Readability is also greatly improved with adequate white space. Text that is crowded together can be hard to read. When you use more space between lines and around text blocks, it helps the viewer read and understand content more easily. This makes your website more pleasant to navigate.

5. Lack of Clear CTAs

CTAs (call to action) play a vital role in user engagement and conversion. They help steer visitors toward desired actions like learning more about service/ product offering, signing up for newsletters or making purchases. When crafted well, they provide clear, direct paths for website visitors. A clear CTA eliminates guesswork, making it easy for users to know what steps to take next. CTA Action buttons that stand out and are strategically placed within your content can significantly impact your site’s performance.

However, too many CTAs on a single page can overwhelm visitors, leading to confusion and inaction. When users are bombarded with multiple buttons and links, they might not know which action is the most important. Aim for simplicity and clarity in your design. Prioritize one primary CTA for every web page of your website. A compelling CTA combines a strong visual presence with persuasive copy. Use contrasting colors to make buttons stand out and keep the design consistent with your brand. 

Use clear and action-oriented language like “Sign Up Now” or “Get Started” to communicate what the user should do. Incorporate psychological triggers like urgency or scarcity (e.g., “Limited Time Offer”) to prompt quick action. Placement is also key: ensure CTAs are visible without the need to scroll and include them at strategic points, such as at the end of a sales page.

6. Using Low-Quality Images

Using low-quality images can give a negative impression of your site. Blurry images often occur if you use low-resolution pictures or stretch smaller images beyond their original size. They aren’t just unpleasant to look at; they also make your site look unprofessional. On the flip side, large high-resolution images can slow down your website, affecting both loading times and search engine rankings. To strike a balance, resize your images before uploading them. Aim for the smallest file size that still maintains good quality.

Using images without permission can lead to legal trouble, so always make sure you have the right to use them. Stock imagery is a good option, but be sure to follow the licensing terms. Some images are free to use, while others might require a one-time fee or a subscription. Using your own images adds originality, but make sure any people depicted have given their consent.

7. Poor Site Navigation Structure & Menu

One of the most common pitfalls in web design is making your site’s navigation too complicated. When you stuff too many options into the main menu, it can leave visitors feeling overwhelmed on where to start.

To make things easier for your users, try to keep your main navigation to five items. This way, people can quickly scan and find what they need. Tuck secondary options into in the footer.

Consistency is key! Your navigation should be the same on every page. That way, users won’t have to figure out a new menu system every time they click around your site.

And don’t forget about the words you use for your links. Avoid technical jargon or fancy terms that might confuse people. Stick with simple, clear language that tells visitors exactly what they’ll find when they click. For example, instead of a vague “Services” link, try “Web Design Services” or “SEO Services.”

Highlight your most important pages in the navigation bar. If getting people to contact you is a top priority, make sure the “Contact Us” link stands out.

Finally, keep experimenting with different words and placements to see what works best. User testing can give you invaluable insights into how people are actually navigating your site.

8. Overloading with Plugins

Plugins can be awesome, offering all sorts of features and customizations. But piling on too many can really hurt your website’s performance.

Here’s the deal: each plugin adds its own chunk of code to your site. This can slow things down, making your website sluggish and frustrating visitors, who might just leave instead of sticking around.

Too many plugins can also cause conflicts. Some plugins don’t work well together and can make your site behave unpredictably or even break it entirely.

So, what should you do? Be picky about the plugins you use. Stick to the ones that are absolutely necessary and add real value to your site. Check reviews and ratings to steer clear of poorly coded plugins that might cause problems.

Make it a habit to update your plugins regularly and remove any that you’re not using. This helps keep your site running smoothly.

For simple tasks, try to avoid plugins altogether. Sometimes, a bit of custom code can get the job done more efficiently without adding extra bulk. The key is to find a good balance between adding features and maintaining performance.

9. Ignoring SEO Best Practices

Ignoring SEO best practices can be a huge setback for your website. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is essential for making your site visible to potential visitors. If you don’t pay attention to SEO, you could be missing out on a lot of traffic and opportunities.

First and foremost, keyword research is crucial. Identify the terms and phrases your target audience is searching for and incorporate them naturally into your web copy. This helps search engines understand what your site is about and match it with relevant search queries.

Page speed is another important factor. Slow-loading pages can frustrate users and lead to higher bounce rates. Search engines take this into account, so it’s essential to optimize your site’s speed by compressing images, leveraging browser caching, and minimizing code.

Quality content is king. Create valuable, informative, and engaging content that meets the needs of your audience. This not only helps with SEO but also keeps visitors coming back for more.

Internal linking is also important. Linking to other pages on your site helps search engines understand the structure of your website and can improve your site’s crawlability. It also keeps visitors engaged by directing them to related content.

Lastly, keep your content fresh. Search engines love sites that are regularly updated. This could mean adding new blog posts or simply updating old content with new information.

10. Not Optimizing for Mobile

Not optimizing your website for mobile devices is a huge mistake in today’s world. With so many people using smartphones and tablets to browse, having a mobile-friendly site is crucial. If your website doesn’t look good or work well on mobile, you’re missing out on a big chunk of your audience.

First off, you need a responsive design. This means your site should automatically adjust to fit different screen sizes and orientations. Whether someone’s on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone, your site should look great and work smoothly. If users have to zoom in and out or scroll sideways to see your content, they’ll probably just leave.

Navigation on a mobile site should be simple and intuitive. Large, easy-to-tap buttons and a streamlined menu help users find what they’re looking for without any hassle. Drop-down menus and collapsible sections can keep things tidy while still giving easy access to all your content.

Load time is critical on mobile devices. People on the go don’t have the patience for slow-loading pages. Optimize images and leverage browser caching to keep your mobile site fast and responsive.

Touch-friendly elements are essential. Ensure that links, buttons, and other interactive elements are large enough to be easily tapped with a finger. Avoid placing links too close together to prevent accidental clicks.

Test your site on various devices. What looks good on one smartphone might not work well on another. Regularly testing your site on different devices and screen sizes can help you catch and fix any issues before your users encounter them.

Ready to ditch the frustration that comes with DIY? Hire me to design a custom website and blog!