Common Design Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Why poor design stands in the way of success
A website must persuade visitors within seconds. Too often a site fails because it isn’t mobile‑friendly, there are too many buttons and menus, or it simply loads too slowly. This leads to high bounce rates and missed opportunities. As a web designer and entrepreneur based on the Costa Blanca – serving Benidorm, Altea, La Nucía, Calpe, Dénia and Jávea – I see daily how small design decisions make a big difference. Below are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Common mistakes and solutions
- Cluttered navigation. Too many menu items or links make a website confusing and frustrate visitors. Limit the number of items and use clear labels. In my Real Estate Template case study I show how a clean menu structure and search function lead to faster navigation and higher conversions.
- Slow load times. Large images, heavy plug‑ins or poorly optimized code slow your site down. More than half of users abandon pages that take longer than a few seconds to load. Choose lightweight technologies like custom Next .js and minimise the use of plug‑ins. In the Gina Corsius case we improved trust and performance by optimizing speed.
- Poor mobile experience. Many visitors arrive via smartphone; a non‑responsive site hurts the user experience. Build mobile‑first and test across devices. My WordPress websites & updates service offers lean themes that work on every screen.
- Unreadable typography. Tiny fonts or low contrast make text difficult to read and drive users away. Choose fonts with enough spacing and ensure sufficient contrast with the background.
- Poorly placed call‑to‑actions. Buttons hidden at the bottom of the page or that don’t stand out result in missed conversions. Place key CTAs strategically and use contrasting colours. In my Next .js service and WordPress service I combine design principles with commercial thinking to make calls‑to‑action stand out.
- Unoptimized images. Large, uncompressed photos slow down your site. Compress images for web use and adopt modern formats like WebP.
- Excessive pop‑ups and animations. Too many pop‑ups or moving elements distract visitors and create irritation. Use these elements sparingly and only when they add value.
Conclusion and content advice
Avoid cluttered layouts, slow load times and unclear CTAs to build websites that inspire trust and boost conversions.
