Most Common Mistakes Made on DIY Websites

Everyone has a website. And many people decide that they do not want to spend a lot of money by hiring a web designer, so they make their own website. There are a lot of great options for DIY websites. These sites allow people to use templates and drag-and-drop elements to create a website. While people without a design background may be able to create simple websites, these are often lacking important elements and features.

DIY websites may be cheaper alternatives but they often come across looking unprofessional. There are many mistakes that novice web designers make when creating websites. These mistakes range from simple things like color choice to technical problems such as issues in search engine optimization and responsiveness.

Here are some common problems found on websites made by people without a design background.

5 DIY Website Mistakes

1. Clutter

Designers know that simple is best. But people without a design sensibility may choose to cram a lot of images and text into one space. They think that the more information they can share with a customer or reader the better. The elements of design tell us that a certain amount of texts work best in certain spaces and images are important as long as they are not overdone.

2. Music, Videos and Ads

Background music can annoy a visitor enough to get them to leave your page immediately. People do not like to be surprised by loud music when they click on your website. The same goes for videos that autoplay. People do not want to be forced to watch a video unless they choose to. Many DIY website creation sites require a premium account in order to have a website without ads. Too many ads and pop-ups can cause website visitors to lose their patience and not stick around to find out what a company or individual has to offer.

3. Responsiveness Across Browsers and Devices

A web designer knows that a website may be viewed on different size screens including laptops, large external monitors or small cell phone screens. In addition to screen size and resolution, users engage with many different browsers. A website will appear differently in each environment and a designer knows how to ensure the best quality site for whatever works for the user. But DIY web designers do not always optimize for different environments. When this is overlooked, websites might be impossible to navigate on certain devices or in certain browsers.

4. A Failure to Consider SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) needs to be considered before a website is built. Once a plan is in place, the site can be designed so that search engines find it easily and rank it in early pages. Many parts of the website contribute to SEO and DIY website builders may not account for all of those elements.

5. Text and Content Need Editing

If a DIY website creator is willing to cut corners and not hire a web designer, they most likely are not going to hire an editor to help with content. A website that contains too much text or text that is wordy or incomprehensible can make a business or an individual seem unprofessional. The best websites are minimal and clear. Their messages are direct and they say what they need to. They engage the audience with language that is accessible and tells them what they need to know.

If you are ready to help individuals and businesses create websites that drive sales and empower consumers then join the Bachelor of Arts in Digital Design with an Emphasis in Web Design degree program at Grand Canyon University today.

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