Whether you have a web designer or you built it yourself, your website layout must balance form and function. If your website isn’t visually pleasing and isn’t easy to navigate, visitors will quickly exit. Don’t waste any more time and money on a poor website!

We made a list to help you avoid making layout design mistakes that will scare visitors away.

We’ve all seen examples of poorly designed websites. A bad layout has an impact on traffic patterns and the user experience. Generally, visitors spend less than two minutes on a new website. A visitor will stay only if the website layout is easy to navigate and page content is valuable.

It can be tough to critique your own site without bias, but you can learn to avoid or fix your layout. Base your layout design on website reading habits to show visitors important content before they want to leave. This data will give you insight to help you design a user friendly website and a strategic layout design.

Don’t let silly design mistakes ruin your website layout.

1.  Generic website design- 

   It’s obvious when a website looks generic. Be careful if you’re using a pre-made template, stock photography and stuffy industry wording. A generic layout doesn’t feel special. It’s easy to forget a website like this.

2. Disorganized layout and navigation- 

   Follow the standard navigation format, using a menu at the top with links to your Home, About and Contact pages. Your logo should be close to the top left corner. Comb through each page to fix or delete any broken links.

3. Fonts that give you a headache- 

   Resist the urge to go crazy with fonts. Too many fonts cause the eye to wander and they will distract from the content. Use fancy fonts sparingly. Your text must contrast with the background, to make for easy reading.

4.  Crowded, overwhelming text areas- 

   Make sure your text is large enough and spaced out well. Crowded text will get skipped over. Don’t stretch the text area across a full page. The Barnard Institute says ideal website layouts use 50-60 characters across.

5. Typos and grammatical errors- 

   Triple-check every paragraph for typos, run-on sentences, redundant paragraphs and confusing phrasing. Be as clear and concise as possible. Spelling errors and bad grammar will instantly ruin your written content.

6. Slow loading pages- 

   If your pages load too slowly, visitors will give up on your website. This can happen when you use too many images or your files are too large. Compress your images, or save for web, before uploading to your site.

7. Disruptive content- 

   If you’re using audio and video elements, do not set them to auto-play. Unexpected noise can cause visitors to exit your website. If your website featured a collection of audio or video clips, display them in a gallery.

8. Low quality images- 

   Your product photos should always be on a professional level. Whatever you do, refrain from using low quality images. You can get away with it on social media, but do not use amateurish visual content on your website.

9. Too many banners and ads- 

   Avoid treating your homepage like a bulletin board. Do not clutter up your pages with banners and ads, even if you have paid advertisers. Find a way to work a few ads into your website layout without overwhelming it.

10. Incompatible with mobile devices- 

    Websites must be built for mobile compatibility so they can load and function properly on smartphones and tablets. According to Google, a website that isn’t responsive will be penalized with limited exposure.

11. Too sales focused- 

    Don’t turn people off by sounding like an infomercial on your website. Pushy salespeople are just as annoying online as they are offline. Be informative and genuine, and make sure your overall message is helpful.

12. No next steps- 

    The flip side to being too sales focused is being too vague. Do your webpages include a Call To Action? What are the next steps your visitor should take? Make your CTA’s stand out from the rest of your content.

13. Antisocial content- 

    To maximize your website’s exposure, social media sharing buttons should be integrated. Make your content shareable so visitors can like, pin, post, tweet and spread it around. This especially goes for blog posts.

Fix your website by improving the layout

Avoid making mistakes that will scare visitors away from your website. Create a website layout that is easy to use, pleasing to the eye, and full of helpful, shareable content.

Designing your website with visitors in mind is crucial if you want to convert them into customers!