It’s happened way too often. After putting in hours of hard work on a project, I’ve saved a treat for myself as a reward. All day, I think about how good it will taste. But when I finally close my laptop and head to the kitchen, my heart sinks. The snack isn’t where I left it—in fact, it’s gone. Someone else has eaten it. Now, I’m not just hungry but also disappointed and aggravated.

This is exactly how your ideal client feels when they visit your website and it’s not designed well. They arrive expecting something but leave empty-handed and even more frustrated than before. They needed something, and your website didn’t deliver when they thought it should. The worst part? You might not even realize that your website turned them away.

To ensure your ideal client doesn’t miss out on what they came for, check your website for these 5 common mistakes.

Mistake #1: Cluttered Layout

When you overload a page with too much information, your ideal client will struggle to find what they need—even if it’s there. Like the condiment at the very back of the fridge, it’s frustrating to move everything to look for it. Sometimes, you can’t be bothered and use something else. This is the kind of inconvenience a cluttered layout on your website causes your ideal client. It’s a feeling you want to avoid at all costs.

Your ideal client is busy, so make it easy on them by:

• Using white space so your reader can intuitively organize visual information
• Cutting out unnecessary copy and elements so your reader gets to the point quickly
• Making clear beginnings and ends of sections with proper fonts and headings

Mistake #2: Poor Navigation

The worst feeling is when something feels like it should be somewhere, but it’s not. You could’ve sworn you left your keys on this table. Your sunglasses were there last you checked. You know you put your birth certificate in a safe spot… somewhere. The problem with the above is that where we thought we should keep something important wasn’t actually an intuitive location. 

You don’t want your website to be like that. You want your ideal client to intuitively navigate from page to page on your website, finding exactly what they think should be there. Good navigation improves your sales, SEO, and accessibility because if someone finds the information they need quickly, they’ll spend more time on your website, booking its rankings in search and your credibility in the industry. 

Fix bad navigation by:

• Making sure the page names are concise and immediately understandable
• Using the same navigation bar on all pages
• Making sure that your navigation is organized in a logical manner

Mistake #3: No Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

Have you ever gone shopping and found out after you checked out that something you needed was on sale? Where were the signs? How did you miss this?

CTAs are the signs on your website that direct you to what you’re looking for. Each step is clearly outlined so you know exactly what you want or don’t want to do next. Without clear CTAs, visitors might feel lost, unsure of the next step, and ultimately leave without taking any action.

Make sure your CTAs are clear by:

• Making them a bright colour so it’s easy to spot on the page
• Keeping the button design consistent on each page to prime the website user
• Center-aligning the buttons so the page is easy to scan

Mistake #4: Mobile Optimization

You can almost immediately tell the age of a business owner if you check their website on your phone and you have to zoom in to see anything. It’s like when you want to check out a restaurant across the street, but the menu in the window is smudgy and difficult to read. You walk to a different restaurant because you don’t have time to figure out what everything says. 

Did you know that most users view websites on mobile? Over 60% of users are browsing on a mobile device! Even if your website looks good on your computer, make sure you check your mobile phone to see if it still looks uncluttered, with clear CTAs and straightforward navigation. A non-mobile-friendly website can be a major inconvenience for your users.

Make your website mobile-friendly by:

• Limiting the number of pages so the website is scrollable
• Keeping your paragraphs short so it’s not overwhelming to read 
• Using a template that responds to different size screens so the website looks good on any and every device (from tiny phones to tablets to TV screens)

Mistake #5: Slow Loading Times

It’s wild how impatient I am with websites—and I’m not the only one. We expect a website to load quickly, and if it doesn’t, we have a negative first impression. It feels like when you’re late for a meeting and the elevator takes way longer than it should to open its doors. Your page speed is important. Even a one-second loading delay can decrease conversion rates by 20%. 

Make sure your website loads quickly by:

• Optimizing image size so it doesn’t take too long to load
• Deleting themes and plugins that you don’t need
• Limiting your animations, 3D elements, and large media (sometimes, less is more!)

Need To Know If Your Website Has These Mistakes? 

Hi, I’m Jordyn — a carb-lover, cozy gamer, and former aspiring police officer who decided to embrace her creative side. Book your no-strings-attached free website audit to see if you’re unintentionally scaring potential clients away.