Five Common Mistakes Many Web Designers Make and Simple Ways to Avoid Them

Five Common Mistakes Many Web Designers Make and Simple Ways to Avoid Them

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  1. Mistakes in Web design are fairly common amongst not only amateur designers, but experienced professionals as well. And while many offenses may not be very common, there are a variety of mistakes that are made across the board. After reading this article you’ll be privy to those mistakes and more likely to pay close enough attention to avoid them.

    1.  Default Font Size

    Failing to account for the visitors who need to adjust the default font size in one way or another is probably the most common mistake that both amateur and seasoned Web designers alike tend to make.

    Not all visitors are able to read smaller text, or they prefer to adjust it in some way or another, and when a Web designer fails to accommodate them in this way, it leaves the page broken and unreadable.

    Setting the font size in percentages rather than pixels will fix this problem, and even account for those browsing with Internet Explorer as well. Further, a Web designer should ensure that the page layout will not be compromised when a visitor adjusts the default font size. To do this, simply view the Website in your browser, and adjust the font size both larger and smaller, to ensure the layout remains intact.

    2.  Screen Resolution

    Web designers often make the mistake of designing a Website for browsers using a screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher, failing to consider that while it is becoming less and less common, many Internet browsers still use a smaller screen resolution of 800 x 600.

    If a site is designed for a higher screen resolution, visitors browsing with an 800 x 600 screen resolution will see anything from a page too large to view without scrolling, to a page with a broken layout and out of place elements.

    A good Web designer takes this into consideration, and accounts for this fact in the Website’s design so that it adjusts seamlessly in any resolution to provide a pleasant browsing experience for everyone.  

    Fortunately, this mistake can be easily avoided by simply checking a Website in multiple browsers before publishing it to the Web. Alternatively, you can use http://www.screen-resolution.com/ to check a Website in all screen resolutions quickly and easily.

    3.  Default Background Color

    Setting the default background color for a Website may not seem like a very big deal, but on the occasion that a visitor has set his or her default background color to anything other than white, it can have a horrid affect on the appearance of the site.

    Many Web designers make the mistake of assuming that the majority of Website visitors will have their default color set to white. Unfortunately, on the off chance that say, 15% of those visitors actually had a default setting of their favorite color, the Website would appear whatever color those visitors had set as their default color.

    The good news is that this is easily avoided by simply setting a default background color for your Website. This will ensure that no matter what the visitor’s default settings are, the site will appear exactly as you intended it to.

    4.  Un-organized or Confusing Navigation

    No matter the Website type, navigation is always important. Un-organized and barely visible navigation options only prove to confuse and frustrate visitors. Visitors like things easy. The easier it is for them to find what they are looking for, the longer they will stay and browse the site.

    It has a direct affect on the number of pages a visitor views on a particular Website, as well as their overall browsing experience, so poor site navigation can reflect badly upon a Website’s overall performance.

    Using headings and sub-headings to break apart the navigation bar is a great way to help keep it organized. Selecting an easy to read font type, size and color makes the buttons and links easy to read. And making the navigation options available throughout the site provides easy access to your entire site without additional work on the part of your visitors.

    5.  Spelling and Grammar Mistakes

    This is something that is very easily avoided, but very commonly ignored, unfortunately. Spelling and grammar mistakes leave a poor impression on Website visitors.  A random mistake or two can be overlooked, but excessive mistakes are viewed as unprofessional, which directly affects the reputation of both the Website and the Website owner.

    It isn’t hard to avoid this. Simply use the spell checker, proofread and edit all content before publishing it to the Website. While this may seem mundane and unnecessary to some, it can have a significant affect on the success and reputation of a Website.

    It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional Web designer or a complete beginner, everyone makes mistakes every now and again. But if you keep these common mistakes and simple, quick fixes front and center in your mind, you can easily avoid the most common mistakes that fellow designers have made before you.

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