13 Website Design Mistakes to Avoid (And How to Fix Them)

Key takeaways 

• Slow loading speeds, poor navigation and non-mobile-friendly designs are top web design mistakes that hurt user experience. 
• Neglecting SEO elements like meta tags and heading structure reduces your site’s visibility in search results. 
• Security issues, including outdated plugins and missing SSL certificates, put your website at risk of data loss. 
• Most design errors can be identified through regular testing and fixed with proper tools. 
• Regular maintenance prevents common mistakes from affecting site performance. 

Introduction 

Ever landed on a website and immediately clicked the back button? That’s the digital version of walking into a store with messy shelves and no clear signs. Your website might be giving visitors that same frustrating experience. 

The hard truth? You only have seconds to impress.  

Design mistakes don’t just look bad—they drive people away. A cluttered layout, tiny text or a broken checkout process doesn’t just frustrate users. It could tip the scales in favor of your competitors by making them look elsewhere. 

These flaws don’t just hurt your brand. They cost you sales and traffic every day. 

In this guide, you’ll uncover 13 common website design mistakes. More importantly, you’ll learn how to fix them with simple, effective solutions. Let’s turn your website into a 24/7 conversion engine that keeps your visitors—and your revenue—right where they belong. 

What are the most common website design mistakes? 

Design errors plague businesses of all sizes. These mistakes range from technical issues like slow loading times to usability problems such as confusing navigation structures. When left uncorrected, these common web design mistakes can drastically reduce your conversion rates. 

The most frequent design errors include poor mobile optimization, unclear calls-to-action and neglected SEO practices. Many site owners focus on aesthetics while overlooking critical functionality. Security vulnerabilities and outdated design elements also rank high on the list of common website problems. 

Here’s a quick overview of the 13 most common website design mistakes and how to avoid them: 

Website design mistake	How to avoid it
1. Slow loading speed	Optimize images, minimize plugins and use quality hosting
2. Poor navigation	Create intuitive menus with 5-7 main items, add search functionality
3. Non-responsive design	Use responsive themes, test on multiple screen sizes
4. Unclear call-to-actions	Use contrasting colors, action-oriented text and strategic placement
5. Poor typography and layout	Use readable fonts (16px+), maintain contrast and add white space
6. Unoptimized media	Compress images, use correct file formats and implement lazy loading
7. Chaotic content organization	Create clear visual hierarchy, use proper headings and chunk content
8. Neglecting SEO in design	Build logical site structure, optimize technical elements
9. Bad metadata	Create unique page titles, compelling meta descriptions and descriptive alt text
10. Improper heading structure	Use one H1 per page, maintain proper heading hierarchy
11. Outdated plugins/themes	Implement regular update schedule, test before updating live site
12. No backup strategy	Schedule automatic backups, store in multiple locations and test restoration
13. Missing SSL certificate	Install proper SSL, redirect to HTTPS and fix mixed content issues

Let’s examine each of these design mistakes in detail to help you identify and correct these issues on your own site. 

1. Is your website too slow to load? 

Slow loading speed is perhaps the most damaging web design mistake you can make. This error directly impacts user experience and conversion rates. According to Illustrate Digital’s Global Page Speed Report, 46% of mobile users leave a site if it takes more than 4 seconds to load. This mistake also affects your search engine rankings as load speed is a confirmed ranking factor. 

Poor loading performance often results from technical oversights that compound over time. As you add content and features to your site, you may not notice the gradual slowdown until it becomes critical. This silent design flaw costs you visitors and sales with each passing second. 

How to fix slow loading times: 

Start by testing your website using Google PageSpeed Insights or other speed tools to identify specific issues. These tools provide actionable recommendations tailored to your site. 

Also read: Optimize Website with PageSpeed Insights in Account Manager 

Here are the most common speed issues and their solutions: 

• Optimize images: Compress all images before uploading and implement lazy loading so images only load when users scroll to them. Tools like ShortPixel or TinyPNG can reduce file sizes by up to 70% without visible quality loss. 
• Minimize plugin usage: Audit your plugins regularly and remove any that aren’t essential. Each plugin adds code that must load, so being selective can significantly improve speed. 
• Upgrade hosting: Quality hosting with sufficient resources makes a dramatic difference in loading times. Consider performance-optimized WordPress hosting if your site runs on WordPress.  

For example, Bluehost WordPress Hosting provides NVMe storage and optimized server configurations specifically designed to eliminate speed-related issues. 

2. Are users getting lost due to poor navigation? 

Poor navigation is a critical web design mistake that ruins user experience. This error serves as a roadblock rather than a roadmap for your website visitors. Confusing menus, illogical site structure and poorly organized content are navigation design flaws that create frustration and lead to high bounce rates. 

Visitors expect intuitive pathways through your content, but many websites force users to hunt for information. This mistake often stems from organizing navigation according to internal company logic rather than user needs. When visitors can’t quickly find what they need, they typically leave rather than persist. 

How to create effective website navigation: 

To fix navigation problems, start with a user-centered approach to menu design. Consider what visitors are looking for and organize your navigation to match these priorities based on user research. 

Here are key navigation improvements you can implement: 

• Simplify your main menu: Limit it to 5-7 items focused on your most important pages. Use clear, descriptive labels that eliminate guesswork about what users will find. 
• Implement proper mobile navigation: Create touch-friendly menus for mobile users with enough spacing to prevent accidental clicks. Hamburger menus or collapsible options work well for smaller screens. 
• Add a search bar: Include a prominently displayed search function, especially if you have a content-rich site. This helps returning visitors who know exactly what they’re looking for. 
• Create logical content hierarchies: Organize related content in clearly defined categories and ensure users can understand their location within your site structure at all times. 

3. Is your website not optimized for mobile users? 

Non-responsive web design is a mistake that becomes more costly each year. With mobile traffic now accounting for more than half of all web visits, this error is no longer something you can afford to make. Google’s mobile-first indexing means your site’s mobile version primarily determines your search rankings. 

Many businesses create their websites with desktop users in mind, then treat mobile as an afterthought. This approach ignores the reality that many visitors will only ever experience your site on a smartphone or tablet. Poor mobile experiences lead to immediate abandonment, lost sales and damaged brand identity. 

How to fix mobile optimization issues: 

Test your website’s mobile friendliness using Google PageSpeed Insights to identify specific issues that need attention. Then implement a comprehensive mobile optimization strategy. 

Here are essential mobile optimization solutions: 

• Implement responsive design: Ensure your site automatically adapts to all screen sizes. Modern WordPress themes are responsive by default, but older sites may need updating to create a responsive website. 
• Create touch-friendly interfaces: Design buttons and interactive elements large enough for fingertip navigation (at least 44×44 pixels). Add adequate spacing between clickable elements to prevent frustrating mis-taps. 
• Simplify content for mobile devices: Prioritize the most important information for mobile users. Consider a “mobile-first” approach to content, where you design for small screens first, then enhance for larger displays. 
• Optimize mobile page speed: Mobile users often have slower connections or bad internet connection, so performance optimization is even more critical. Minimize scripts, optimize images and eliminate render-blocking resources. 

Also read: How To Make a Mobile-Friendly Website: 14 Best Tips for 2024 

4. Does your website lack clear call-to-actions (CTAs)? 

Missing or unclear call-to-actions represent a fundamental web design mistake that directly impacts user engagement. Your website exists to drive specific actions, whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter or contacting your business. This error essentially removes the bridge between visitor interest and actual conversion. 

Many websites contain great content that engages visitors but fails to direct them to the next step. This mistake is like creating a physical store with amazing products but no way to purchase them. Without clear guidance, even interested potential customers leave without taking action, resulting in missed opportunities. 

How to implement effective CTAs: 

First, identify the primary action you want visitors to take on each page. Different web pages may have different goals, from purchases on product pages to newsletter signups on blog posts. 

Follow these principles to create effective CTAs: 

• Design for visibility: Use contrasting colors from your brand color palette for buttons that stand out from your page design. Make buttons large enough to be immediately noticeable and include clear, action-oriented text like “Start Your Free Trial” rather than generic “Submit” or “Click Here.” 
• Strategic placement: Position CTAs at natural decision points—above the fold for immediate visibility, after explaining benefits and at the end of content when readers are ready for the next step. 
• Communicate value: Your CTA should answer “what’s in it for me?” Phrases like “Get Your Custom Quote Today” perform better than “Contact Us” because they communicate the benefit of taking action. 
• Test and refine: A/B test different CTA designs, placements and copy to discover what resonates best with your target audience. Even small changes can significantly impact conversion rates. 

5. Are you using unreadable fonts or cluttered layouts? 

Poor typography and cluttered layouts are design mistakes that create immediate negative impressions. These errors directly impact how users interact with your content. Issues like illegible fonts, insufficient contrast and too many elements create visual fatigue and make information difficult to digest. 

These problems are particularly significant for website accessibility and make your content unusable for people with visual impairments or other disabilities. 

The desire for uniqueness often leads to poor typographic choices, while fear of white space results in overcrowded designs. These mistakes prioritize aesthetics over functionality, forgetting that content must be easily consumable to be effective. When visitors struggle to read your content, they typically leave rather than strain their eyes. 

How to improve typography and layout: 

Begin with a comprehensive audit of your current typography and page layouts, focusing on readability and visual clarity. Make improvements that prioritize user comfort. 

Also read: How to Design a Web Page – Step-by-Step Guide 

Follow these guidelines to create readable, user-friendly designs: 

• Choose appropriate fonts: Limit your site to 2-3 fonts total. Use sans-serif fonts (like Open Sans, Roboto or Lato) for body text and save decorative fonts for limited use in headings. 
• Size text properly: Ensure body text is at least 16px on desktop and potentially larger on mobile. Small text is consistently cited as a top user complaint, especially among older visitors. 
• Create breathing room: Add sufficient white space around text and between visual elements. Increase line height to approximately 1.5 times your font size to improve readability of paragraphs. 
• Maintain strong contrast: Ensure text stands out clearly against its background. Dark text on a light background typically works best for readability. Avoid light gray text that causes eye strain. 

6. Do images and videos negatively impact your loading times? 

Unoptimized media is a web design mistake that sabotages performance. This error occurs when visual content that should engage users instead frustrates them with extended loading times. Issues like oversized images, wrong file formats and auto-playing video content are among the biggest culprits behind slow-loading websites. 

Many website owners upload images and videos directly from cameras or stock sites without any optimization. This happens because the visual difference between an optimized and unoptimized image is often minimal, while the file size difference can be enormous. A single high-resolution photograph straight from a camera might be 5-10MB when a properly optimized version could be under 200KB. 

How to optimize website media: 

Start by auditing your existing media library and identify oversized media files that need optimization. Then implement a consistent workflow for all new media. 

These strategies will help you optimize your website’s visual elements: 

• Compress all images: Use tools like Squoosh, TinyPNG or ShortPixel to reduce image file sizes by 60-80% without visible quality loss. For WordPress sites, plugins can automate this process. 
• Choose the right file formats: Use JPEG for photographs, PNG for images requiring transparency and SVG for logos and icons. WebP is a newer format that offers excellent compression for all image types. 
• Implement lazy loading: Configure images and videos to load only when users scroll to that section of the page. This technique dramatically improves initial page load times. 
• Host videos externally: Use platforms like YouTube or Vimeo rather than hosting videos directly on your server. These services optimize delivery and don’t consume your bandwidth. 

7. Does poor content organization affect your site’s usability? 

Chaotic content organization is a design mistake that creates confusion and frustration. This error directly impacts your website’s user experience and conversions. Disorganized content structures confuse visitors and make finding relevant information unnecessarily difficult. 

Content organization problems typically develop gradually as websites grow. What starts as a simple site design becomes increasingly complex with the addition of new pages, products or blog posts. This issue often stems from failing to periodically reassess your information architecture as your site expands, leaving users to navigate a labyrinth of disjointed content. 

How to improve content organization: 

Begin by mapping your current content structure and identifying areas where information is buried or difficult to find. Then, create a more intuitive organization system based on how users actually search for information. 

Follow these principles to create more usable content structures: 

• Establish a clear visual hierarchy: Use proper heading structure (H1, H2, H3) to organize content logically. Vary font weights and sizes to signify importance and help users scan efficiently. 
• Create scannable content: Break long content into shorter paragraphs of 3-4 sentences. Use bulleted or numbered lists for steps, features or any series of related points. Most visitors scan rather than read every word. 
• Implement progressive disclosure: For complex information, use accordion elements, tabbed interfaces or “read more” links. This approach keeps pages clean while allowing users to access detailed content when needed. 
• Maintain consistent patterns: Use repeatable content blocks and layouts throughout your site. Consistency creates familiarity and reduces interaction cost for visitors navigating your web pages. 

Also read: Website SEO Basics – How to Optimize your Content 

8. Are you neglecting SEO in your web design? 

Ignoring SEO considerations is a design mistake that limits your visibility online. This error goes beyond keyword research—it’s fundamentally about how your site is structured and designed. Many web design mistakes in this category directly impact your search engine visibility and rankings. 

SEO is often treated as a separate activity from design, applied after a site is already built. This creates situations where fundamental design elements work against search visibility. When search engines can’t effectively crawl, understand or rank your content, even the most visually appealing website becomes virtually invisible to potential visitors. 

How to implement SEO-friendly design: 

Integrate SEO considerations throughout the web development process rather than treating it as an afterthought. Focus on both technical and structural elements that impact search visibility. 

Here are key approaches to fix SEO design mistakes: 

• Optimize site structure: Create a logical SEO structure where any page is reachable within 3-4 clicks from your homepage. This structure helps search engines discover and understand the relationship between your content. 
• Improve technical performance: Address page speed issues, implement proper schema markup and ensure mobile friendliness. These technical factors directly influence how search engines rank your pages. 
• Create SEO-friendly URLs: Design descriptive, keyword-rich URLs that accurately reflect page content. Avoid parameter-heavy URLs and unnecessary numbers or codes that confuse both users and search engines. 
• Implement strategic internal linking: Connect related content with descriptive anchor text. This approach helps search engines understand your content relationships while distributing link authority throughout your site. 

9. How does bad metadata affect your website visibility? 

Neglecting metadata is a technical mistake with far-reaching consequences. This error deprives both search engines and potential visitors of critical information about your content. Poorly implemented or missing metadata reduces click-through rates and can prevent proper indexing of your content. 

Metadata often receives little attention because it’s invisible to regular website visitors. This issue occurs when web designers focus exclusively on the visible aspects of the site while neglecting the behind-the-scenes information that powers search visibility. Poor metadata essentially renders your content invisible or unappealing in search results and social sharing. 

How to fix metadata problems:

Conduct a comprehensive metadata audit to identify missing or problematic elements. Then systematically implement improvements following best practices for each metadata type. 

Follow these approaches to improve your website’s metadata: 

• Optimize title tags: Each page should have a unique, descriptive title that includes your primary keyword and accurately represents the page content. Keep titles between 50-60 characters to ensure they display properly in search results. 
• Create compelling meta descriptions: Write descriptions that function as mini advertisements for your content. While not a direct ranking factor, well-written descriptions significantly improve click-through rates from search results. 
• Implement image alt text: Add descriptive alternative text to all important images. This practice helps screen readers access your content and enables your images to appear in image search results. 
• Add structured data markup: Implement schema markup for eligible content types. This code helps search engines understand your content better and can result in enhanced search listings with ratings, prices or other information. 

10. Are you misusing or neglecting heading tags (H1, H2, H3)? 

Improper heading structure is a web design mistake that harms both user experience and SEO. This error prevents the creation of a logical content hierarchy that guides readers through your pages. Misusing heading tags (using them for styling rather than structure) or neglecting them entirely confuses readers and dilutes SEO effectiveness. 

Many website owners treat heading tags as purely visual elements, using them to create large or bold text rather than to structure content. This occurs because the visual result seems similar, but the technical impact is vastly different. Heading tags serve as signposts for both users and search engines to understand content organization and importance. 

How to fix heading structure mistakes: 

Review your current heading usage and look for inconsistencies or misuse of tags for styling purposes. Then implement a logical heading structure throughout your site. 

Follow these guidelines to create proper heading hierarchies: 

• Use one H1 per page: Include a single H1 tag that clearly describes your page content and contains your primary keyword. This heading acts as the main title for the entire page. 
• Structure content with H2 tags: Divide your content into major sections using H2 headings. Each H2 should cover a distinct topic related to your main subject and include relevant keywords. 
• Add H3 tags for subsections: Further subdivide complex sections with H3 tags that expand on specific aspects of the parent H2 topic. Continue with H4-H6 for deeper hierarchies as needed. 
• Maintain proper nesting: Don’t skip heading levels (like jumping from H2 to H4). Each level should represent a subsection of the level above it to create a logical content structure. 

11. Is your site vulnerable due to outdated plugins or themes? 

Neglecting updates is a dangerous design mistake that compromises security. This error creates vulnerabilities that hackers actively exploit, potentially resulting in data breaches or site takeovers. Running outdated themes, plugins or core software puts your site at unnecessary risk. 

Many site owners adopt a “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” mentality regarding updates. This happens because updates sometimes cause compatibility issues or visual changes, making owners hesitant to apply them. However, most security breaches happen on sites running outdated software with known vulnerabilities that updates would have fixed. 

How to manage updates effectively: 

Implement a systematic approach to software updates that balances security with site stability. Regular maintenance is essential for preventing security breaches. 

Follow these strategies to keep your site secure: 

• Create an update schedule: Set aside time weekly or biweekly to check for and apply updates to your WordPress core, themes and plugins. Schedule this maintenance during low-traffic periods to minimize impact on visitors. 
• Back up before updating: Always create a complete backup before applying any updates. This precaution allows you to restore functionality if an update causes compatibility issues with your site. 
• Use a staging environment: For business-critical websites, test updates on a staging copy of your site before applying them to your live site. This approach prevents unexpected downtime and allows you to identify potential problems. 
• Audit plugin usage: Regularly review your plugins and remove any that you no longer use. Each plugin adds potential security vulnerabilities, so only keep those that provide essential functionality. 

12. Do you regularly backup your website? 

Failing to implement a backup strategy is a design mistake with potentially catastrophic consequences. This error leaves your site vulnerable to complete data loss from technical issues, hacking attempts or human error. Assuming disasters won’t happen or that hosting providers automatically handle all backups has led to countless businesses losing their online presence entirely. 

Many website owners mistakenly believe their hosting provider automatically creates comprehensive backups of their site. This assumption stems from misconceptions about hosting services that may not be accurate. Even when hosts do provide backups, they may be infrequent, difficult to access or not cover all necessary components of your site. 

How to implement an effective backup strategy:

Create a multi-layered backup approach that ensures you can quickly recover your site regardless of the type of problem encountered. Regular backups should become part of your routine site maintenance. 

Follow these backup best practices: 

• Automate the process: Select a reliable backup solution that can run automatically. Many hosting providers offer built-in backup services, or you can use plugins like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy for WordPress sites. 
• Store backups in multiple locations: Never rely on a single backup location. Use cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox or Amazon S3 alongside local copies to ensure redundancy. 
• Create complete backups: Ensure your backup system captures both files and databases. Your website consists of these two components, and both are necessary for a successful restoration. 
• Test your restoration process: Regularly verify that your backups actually work by performing test restorations. A backup is only valuable if you can successfully restore it when needed. 

13. Are you ignoring SSL certificates? 

Operating without SSL protection is a design mistake that damages both security and your site’s credibility. This error leaves connections between your website and visitors unencrypted and vulnerable. Ignoring SSL certificates exposes user data to potential interception and triggers browser warning messages that drive visitors away. 

As browsers increasingly emphasize security, this mistake has become more visible to users. Chrome, Firefox and other major browsers now display prominent “Not Secure” warnings on sites without SSL, creating immediate distrust. This visual cue causes many potential customers to leave before engaging with your content or making purchases. 

How to implement SSL protection: 

Adding SSL protection to your website has become both easier and more affordable in recent years. Many hosting providers now include free SSL certificates with their plans. 

Follow these steps to secure your website with SSL: 

• Choose the right certificate type: Most websites can use standard SSL certificates, while eCommerce sites might benefit from extended validation (EV) certificates that display additional trust signals in some browsers. 
• Install your SSL certificate: Many hosting providers now offer free SSL certificates through Let’s Encrypt that install automatically. All Bluehost hosting plans include free SSL certificates, making it simple to secure your site without additional cost. 
• Configure proper redirects: Set up 301 redirects from HTTP to HTTPS versions of your pages. This ensures visitors always access the secure version of your site, even when following old links. 
• Fix mixed content issues: After installing SSL, check for mixed content warnings caused by resources loading over insecure connections. Tools like Why No Padlock can help identify these problems. 

How can Bluehost help you avoid these website design mistakes? 

Bluehost offers custom website creation from WordPress experts through our Pro Website Design services. Our team helps you avoid common web design mistakes by creating a unique, effective website based on your specifications. We address the root causes of design errors before they impact your visitors. 

When you choose Bluehost Web Design Services, our team will meet with you to collect files and ideas before researching keywords and designing your site. After your custom site is live, our team will go over it with you and you’ll get two weeks to request unlimited changes. 

How Bluehost Web Design Services prevent common mistakes: 

• Custom responsive design: Our web designers create mobile-friendly websites that look great and function perfectly on all screen sizes, preventing the costly mistake of non-responsive design. 
• Performance optimization: We build sites with speed in mind, optimizing images, implementing proper caching and structuring code efficiently to prevent slow loading times. 
• Keyword-rich content: Our SEO specialists and copywriters work together to create content that helps search engines discover and rank your website effectively. 
• Security integration: SSL certification and secure coding practices are built into our design process, protecting your site from common vulnerabilities and enhancing your website’s credibility. 
• User-focused navigation: We create intuitive navigation structures based on user personas and best practices. This approach prevents the confusion and high bounce rates caused by poor menu design. 

For those needing ongoing support, we also offer Pro Design Live services that provide expert WordPress guidance for your website long after launch. 

Final thoughts 

Website design mistakes significantly impact your online success, yet they present opportunities for improvement. By addressing these design errors, you can create a well-designed website that converts visitors into customers. 

Treat website optimization as an ongoing process. Start with fixing critical design mistakes like slow loading speeds and mobile compatibility issues. Then address other design errors methodically. 

Bluehost Web Design Services can help you eliminate these web design mistakes with professional solutions tailored to your business needs. Our WordPress experts create websites that are visually appealing, functional and free from common design mistakes to avoid hurting your online performance. 

Request a consultation today at 866-757-1828 or contact us online to learn how we can transform your online presence.

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