Common Web Design Mistakes That Hurt SEO – How to Avoid

Consider this: a lot of effort went into creating your site. You’ve chosen an eye-catching theme, adorned it with amazing photos, and penned an engaging piece of writing. It’s a solid bet that visitors will enjoy it (and you, of course).

The only issue? No one is visiting your site. There isn’t a single link to your website on Google’s first page (or any subsequent pages).

We need to know what is going on here. There is, however, a catch. Your website’s design may be to blame for its low search engine results. Is it time for a change in direction?

Ten common website design blunders that can harm your SEO and your rankings are discussed here, along with tips on how to handle them.

Site navigation that is difficult to navigate

Visiting a website and not knowing what to do next can be a frustrating experience. Perhaps you’ve seen something along these lines. We’re willing to bet it sent you fleeing for your life. Your visitors should not behave in the same manner. Yeah?

The opposite is preferable, as you want them to be aware of everything at a glance. You also want your website to be understood by Google’s web crawlers.

Make internal linking between your most relevant pages a top priority to accomplish this. You can get experts to help you with internal linking by searching on Google for “website design companies for small business near me”.

Page load time is prolonged

When it comes to the internet, people move at the speed of light. Every second counts when they’re whizzing through social networks, pounding away at email messages, or zooming past a slew of generic articles on Google’s search engine results page.

This means that if they spend the effort to visit your website and it takes an eternity to load, they will leave before you realize it.

It’s worth remembering that you didn’t come up with the ketogenic diet or the first pair of wool socks for men. The same information you have is available on some other websites. Keep your website visitors by making sure your pages load in less than three seconds.

Incredibly, the stunning WordPress theme you painstakingly selected may be the source of your website’s interminable loading times. Switch out your slow theme for one of these time-tested favorites to get things back on track.

• OceanWP: Using the OceanWP theme, you can have a unique design without sacrificing performance. It looks fantastic on all devices, including mobile phones and tablets, with a fully responsive theme.
• Hello Elementor: Using this theme, which is simple and minimalistic in design, you will have an extremely fast website with a clean interface.
• Astra: One of the fastest loading WordPress themes is Astra, which has a theme that is one of the most modern-looking themes available. Moreover, it is effortless to use, thanks to visually appealing pre-built demos for popular industry segments such as animal care, outdoor recreation, etc.

If none of these themes appeal to you and you want something more personal, you can search online for a “web design company near me”. They will help design a theme that is suitable for you.

A website that is not mobile-responsive

Has anyone you’ve met recently stated that he does not have access to a smartphone? This individual most likely answered a slew of questions for you if you were fortunate enough to do so. To be honest, we expect everybody to have access to a mobile device in the future.

In fact, the United States has 275 million mobile phone users. To put this in context, the United States has a population of 331 million people. Do these individuals consume online content through their mobile phones? That’s right; we’re serious!

According to recent statistics, smartphones are responsible for 70% of all online content consumption in the United States! Globally, smartphones account for 52 percent of all web traffic.

Google, of course, made notes and introduced mobile-first indexing to its search results. For indexing and ranking purposes, it prefers the mobile version of a website. You can assume your site to be completely invisible in the SERPs if it is not mobile-friendly.

A non-mobile-friendly website is also five times more likely to have visitors abandon the site altogether. However, do not be concerned because mobile-friendliness can be achieved with a few simple changes. To do this, start by finding a web design agency. You can look through Google by searching for “website design agency near me”.

H1 tags are not present on the website (particularly on the Home Page)

A search engine bot will search for your H1 tag as the first item when determining what your website is about. The absence of one will almost certainly result in your site being ranked lower in the search engine results pages (SERPs). Although it is beneficial to Google, including an H1 tag serves additional purposes. It’s also a big hit with your customers.

To placate both Google and your users, here are three tips for using H1 tags to placate both Google and your users.

• In your H1 tag, include your main keywords.
• Place your H1 tag above the fold, which is the conspicuous space that people see before scrolling down to read the rest of your content.
• Use the 5-second test to determine whether something is a good idea. It is excellent if viewers can determine exactly what your website is about in five seconds or less.

Images and media files in large sizes

Are you compelled to saturate your site with eye-catching imagery? We understand what you’re saying. We’d all like our websites to be brimming with visual content. And that’s fantastic.

However, did you guys know that image files and large file types can cause your website to load more slowly? Run your website through Google’s PageSpeed Insights Test to be entirely convinced this isn’t actually occurring.

To discover what Google thinks about the pictures you’ve used, scroll to the section below. To reduce the size of images that are too big, you can either reduce their size or compress and re-upload the photos to your website.

Obstructive pop-ups

Do you make use of pop-up windows? Don’t be concerned. When used appropriately, pop-ups can increase the number of email subscribers by up to 1,375 percent.

When your pop-ups disturb and frustrate your customers, you have an issue on your hands. According to Google, websites that display intrusive pop-ups will have difficulty ranking highly on search engine results pages (SERPs).

What is the solution? Create popups that your target audience will enjoy. OK. Because they are unlikely to love them, you must create high-converting pop-ups that do not annoy your visitors.

A pop-up window, for example, could appear after a visitor has probably spent 1 minute on your website. If a visitor has browsed halfway down your website, you can send them a message. Creating tasty-looking pop-ups is also another option you have for attracting customers.

The Use of Text in Photos

It’s surprising how so many web developers make this mistake when it’s not difficult to prevent. Adding written text inside a picture has the disadvantage of removing the opportunity to use an H1, sub-headline, and search terms above the fold when the photo is displayed.

Keep in mind that while your visitors can read the words contained within images, Google cannot do so.  

The ability to scroll indefinitely

Occasionally, you may find yourself scrolling toward the bottom of a website and seeing new content being loaded. Infinite scrolling is what you’re looking at here. Moreover, while it is acceptable, it does present a challenge. Scrolling is not possible for Google crawlers. The additional pages on your website won’t be indexed due to this.

Consider the following scenario: your website has 100 pages in total. However, you will only see the ten most recent articles because that is your default setting. When Google crawls your site, it will not be aware of any additional content besides the top ten posts on the homepage.

Content that is too thin

Your website acts as the virtual storefront for your business in the digital age. Therefore, you should design it so that visitors are drawn to it and understand exactly what you have to offer. Additionally, you should optimize for keywords to make it possible for customers to find your website.

To ensure that you kill two birds with one stone, what should you do? It is best not to have too much information.

Below you’ll find three indicators of poor content:

• The absence of service and product pages: By removing these pages from the site, you are forfeiting the opportunity to rank for related keywords.
• On a single page, you list various products and services: Each page should contain only one keyword, which is a fantastic idea! In other words, each page will feature one service or product. Prepare your website so that Google can understand what each of your web pages is about as quickly as possible. Greater visibility in the search engine results pages (SERPs) should be your reward.
• Product pages with little or no content: When it comes to your product pages, don’t just skim the surface of what’s there. Fill them with high-quality, keyword-targeted writing.

Make sure that the content you create is captivating enough to convert users into buyers. Resist the temptation to write sloppy copy for your website.

No 404 Page on the Website

Having a 404 error page is a must-have feature. Unlike that haphazardly created page on a Saturday with nothing else to do, this page has a specific purpose. That you care about their interaction with your site is conveyed effectively on this page.

Maintain their attention on your site and direct them to the next page on the website. You could use your 404 page to make customers smile instead of making them feel frustrated if you use your imagination.

Examine your website for any vital web design errors if you don’t see the outcomes you predicted from your SEO efforts. The resolution of these problems should assist you in improving your position in the SERPs.