Design, News

It’s often remarked that good user experience (UX) will help bring traffic to your website—that when you design your site so that it’s easy to navigate and to extract information from, it helps with everything from search rankings to site referrals. But of course, the inverse is also true: Bad user experience can actually repel users, and send your website visitors scurrying.

What does bad user experience look like? Really, any site that makes it difficult for users to explore is probably not a well-designed one from the UX perspective. With that said, there are a few specific UX failings you’ll want to be sure to avoid.

Avoid These UX Disasters

Ads in the Center of the Page

Have you ever been to a website where there’s a huge ad, positioned right in the middle of the page? If so, then you know how annoying these ads can be. They actually force you to navigate around them just to use the site—and for many users, the effort won’t be worth it. They’ll simply seek what they’re looking for elsewhere.

Slow Loading Time

Similarly, most Web users have little patience for a site that takes ages to load. If your page doesn’t load within four seconds—and ideally even less—then you’re almost certainly losing traffic. You may need to either remove slow-loading elements from your design, or else seek a faster server.

Overly Complicated Web Design

The best sites tend to be the simplest ones: They offer just a handful of options, laid out in a way that makes sense. When you overburden your visitors with different options, you’re not impressing them; you’re just overwhelming them. Make sure your website provides the user with a clear path toward the information he or she is after.

Auto-Play Videos

Here’s another one that you can probably relate to: You visit a site and are surprised to hear audio playing, perhaps drowning out the music you were listening to from your device. You can’t find the mute button, so you just navigate away from the site completely. The bottom line: Nobody really likes auto-play videos. They only serve to frustrate—and as such, they’re best avoided.

Pop-Up Ads

Thankfully, pop-up ads have largely become extinct. They still show up on a few sites, though, and are almost always a detriment to the user experience. Simply put, people associate pop-ups with spam sites. If you want your site to remain credible, you’re wise to ditch the pop-ups.

Poorly Written Copy

The writing on your website is an important element in user experience. You want your writing to be clear in conveying what you do, and what value you offer to the reader. Good writing will also help guide the user through your site, and provide calls to action where appropriate.

Stock Photos

Here’s one that may surprise you. Stock photos may seem fairly innocent, but actually, it’s usually pretty easy to spot them—and they can actually undermine your credibility. Original images are always best, especially for businesses like law firms or accounting agencies, where earning trust is key.

Create a Site Where UX is First

The good news is that all of these pitfalls are avoidable. One way to steer clear of them is to seek guidance from the Web design pros at Driven2020. In fact, when you contact us, we can schedule a full website audit, where we’ll provide concrete ways to make your site more effective—and that includes improving the user experience. Schedule your consultation; contact Driven2020 today!