In today's digital age, a website is essential for individuals and businesses. A website allows you to establish an online presence, build credibility, increase visibility, provide information, and connect with customers. With the rise of e-commerce and online marketing, having a website is no longer an option but a crucial component of any successful online strategy. Whether you're a small business owner, freelancer, or aspiring blogger, having a website can help you achieve your online goals and reach a wider audience.
Fortunately, creating a website has never been easier, thanks to website builders like Strikingly. With the help of website templates and user-friendly interfaces, you can make your own website quickly and easily using a free website builder. However, while creating a website may seem straightforward, many common mistakes can be made along the way. In this article, we'll preview the 10 most common mistakes to avoid when you make your own website. With these tips, you can create a website that looks great, functions smoothly, and helps you achieve your online goals.
#1 Mistake - Skipping The Planning Stage
One of the most common mistakes people make when creating their website is skipping the planning stage. Planning is critical in creating a successful website because it helps you define your goals, target audience, and overall strategy. With a clear plan, your website may be more focused and effective.
Creating A Website Outline
To avoid this mistake, create an outline for your website. This outline should include the pages you want, the content for each page, and any specific features you want to incorporate. It will help you get a clear picture of what your website will look like and ensure it is organized and easy to navigate.
Defining Website Goals
In addition to creating an outline, defining your website goals is essential. What do you want your website to achieve? Do you want to generate leads, sell products, or provide information? Defining your goals will help you create a website tailored to your needs and objectives.
By taking the time to plan your website, you can avoid many of the common mistakes people make when creating their websites. With a clear plan and defined goals, you can create a website that is effective, engaging and designed to meet your specific needs.
Image taken from Strikingly
#2 Mistake- Choosing The Wrong Platform
Choosing the right platform for your website is crucial for its success. With so many website builders and platforms available, selecting the right one for your needs can be overwhelming. A poor choice can lead to a lack of flexibility, poor design, or limited functionality, ultimately impacting your ability to achieve your online goals.
Here are some examples of different website builders and platforms:
- WordPress. WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) that powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. It offers a high degree of flexibility and customization options, allowing users to create various websites, from blogs to e-commerce stores. WordPress has a vast ecosystem of plugins and themes that can be used to extend the functionality and design of a website.
- Squarespace. Squarespace is a website builder that is popular among creative professionals. It offers a range of stylish and modern templates that can be customized using a drag-and-drop interface. Squarespace also has built-in e-commerce functionality, making it a popular choice for small businesses.
- Wix. Wix is a cloud-based website builder known for its user-friendly interface and drag-and-drop functionality. It offers a range of customizable templates, design elements, and built-in e-commerce functionality. Wix also has a powerful SEO tool that can help improve your website's search engine rankings.
- Strikingly. Strikingly is a free website builder that offers a range of customizable website templates and an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. It is optimized for mobile devices and offers built-in e-commerce functionality. Strikingly also has a range of features that make it easy to create a professional-looking website quickly and easily without technical skills.
These are just a few examples of today's website builders and platforms. Each has its strengths and weaknesses, so choosing the one that best fits your needs and goals is essential.
Image taken from Strikingly
Why Choose Strikingly To Make Your Own Website?
For several reasons, Strikingly is a good choice among other website builders and platforms.
- It offers a free website builder that is user-friendly and easy to use. It makes it accessible to people who may not have the technical skills or experience required to build a website from scratch.
- Strikingly provides a wide range of customizable website templates, making it easy to create a professional-looking website quickly and easily. The templates are also optimized for mobile devices, which is increasingly essential in today's world, where more and more people access websites on their phones.
- Strikingly offers a range of features and functionality, including built-in e-commerce tools and a blog feature, making it suitable for many website types, from small business websites to personal blogs.
- Also, Strikingly has a strong reputation for customer support, with a responsive support team available to help users with any questions or issues.
Strikingly's user-friendly interface, customizable website templates, built-in functionality, and strong customer support make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to create a professional-looking website quickly and easily.
#3 Mistake- Ignoring Mobile Responsiveness
A website not optimized for mobile devices can be a major turn-off for visitors. In today's world, where more people access the internet on their phones than on their computers, mobile responsiveness is more critical than ever. Here are some reasons why:
- Improved user experience. A mobile-responsive website ensures that the content is optimized for smaller screens, making it easier for users to navigate and read.
- Better search engine rankings. Google and other search engines prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their search results, so having a mobile-responsive website can help improve your search engine rankings.
- Increased engagement. Visitors are more likely to stay on a website optimized for their devices, which can increase engagement and reduce bounce rates.
Non-Responsive Vs. Responsive Designs
Non-responsive website design:
- Text is small and difficult to read on mobile devices
- Images are not optimized for different screen sizes
- Menus are challenging to navigate on smaller screens
- The website layout looks unprofessional and cluttered on mobile devices
Responsive website design:
- Text is more prominent and easier to read on mobile devices
- Images are resized and optimized for different screen sizes
- Menus are reorganized for easy navigation on smaller screens
- The website layout looks professional and clean on all devices, regardless of screen size
A responsive website design ensures that the website is optimized for mobile devices, providing a seamless user experience for visitors. In contrast, a non-responsive design can make it difficult for visitors to navigate the website and read its content on smaller screens.
How To Create A Mobile Responsive Website
Strikingly offers a range of customizable website templates optimized for mobile devices. It means that your website will automatically adjust to fit the screen size of the device being used, ensuring a seamless user experience for your visitors. Additionally, Strikingly provides a mobile editor that allows you to preview and adjust the mobile version of your website, ensuring that it looks and functions exactly as you want it to. Using Strikingly, you can ensure your website is mobile-responsive and provides a great user experience across all devices.
Image taken from Strikingly
#4 Mistake- Poor Navigation
A website with poor navigation can frustrate visitors and cause them to leave without exploring further. Navigation is one of the most important aspects of website design, as it allows visitors to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily. Here's why good navigation is so important:
- User experience - Good navigation ensures visitors can find what they are looking for quickly and easily, improving the overall user experience.
- Engagement - Visitors are likelier to stay on a website with good navigation, which can increase engagement and reduce bounce rates.
- Conversion - Easy navigation can help visitors find the information they need to purchase, leading to higher conversion rates.
Poor navigation can include confusing menus, unclear labels, broken links, and too many options. In contrast, good navigation is intuitive, organized, and easy to use. Examples of good navigation include
- Clear and concise labels.
- A logical hierarchy of pages.
- A search function that allows visitors to find specific information.
How To Create A Website With Good Navigation?
Strikingly offers a range of customizable website templates designed with good navigation in mind. The templates provide the following:
- Clear and concise labels.
- A logical hierarchy of pages.
- A user-friendly menu structure.
Additionally, Strikingly's templates provide a search function allowing visitors to find the information they need quickly. By using Strikingly, you can ensure that your website has good navigation, which can improve the user experience, increase engagement, and boost conversion rates.
Image taken from Strikingly
#5 Mistake- Overcrowding Your Homepage
Your website's homepage is the first impression visitors will have of your website, and it's essential to make a good one. However, overcrowding your homepage with too much information can be overwhelming and confusing. Here's why an overcrowded homepage is terrible:
- User experience. Visitors may need help navigating an overcrowded homepage, leading to a poor user experience.
- Slow loading times. An overcrowded homepage can slow down loading times, which can frustrate visitors and cause them to leave.
- Poor aesthetics. An overcrowded homepage can be visually unappealing and detract from the overall aesthetic of your website.
An overcrowded homepage may include too much text, too many images, and excessive links or buttons. In contrast, a clean homepage has a clear focus and minimal distractions. Examples of clean homepages include those with a simple layout, minimal text, and high-quality images.
How Do Strikingly's Website Templates Help With Homepage Design When You Make Your Own Website?
Strikingly's website templates are designed with clean, minimalistic homepage designs in mind. The templates feature a clear focus, with a simple layout and minimal distractions, which can improve the user experience and reduce loading times. Strikingly's templates allow for customization, so you can choose the proper layout and design elements to suit your brand and message. Using Strikingly, you can ensure your website's homepage is clean, attractive, and practical.
#6 Mistake- Using Poor-Quality Images
Images are essential to any website, as it can communicate a message, evoke emotion, and enhance the overall design. However, poor-quality photos can detract from your website's visual appeal and message. Here's why image quality is essential:
- Professionalism- High-quality photos can make your own website appear more professional and trustworthy.
- Engagement- High-quality images can engage visitors and encourage them to stay on your website longer.
- Branding- High-quality images can help establish your brand identity and message.
Low-quality images may be blurry, pixelated, or distorted, and they can detract from the overall aesthetic of your website. In contrast, high-quality photos are clear, sharp, and visually appealing. High-quality images can also be customized to fit your website's design and message.
How Can Strikingly's Image Library Help With Image Selection When You Make Your Own Website?
Strikingly's website builder includes a library of high-quality images that you can use on your website. The image library features a range of categories, including business, technology, nature, and more, making it easy to find images that fit your website's theme and message. Additionally, Strikingly's website templates are designed to showcase high-quality images, so you can be sure your website's images will look great. Using Strikingly, you can ensure that your website's images are professional, engaging, and aligned with your brand identity.
#7 Mistake- Neglecting SEO
One common mistake website owners make is neglecting search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). Good SEO practices can improve the visibility of your website, attract more traffic, and increase your chances of generating leads or sales.
Good vs. Bad SEO Practices
Good SEO practices include:
- Using relevant keywords in your content.
- Creating high-quality backlinks to your site.
- Optimizing your meta tags.
- Creating engaging content that keeps visitors on your site longer.
Bad SEO practices, on the other hand, include keyword stuffing, using hidden text, and using irrelevant or low-quality backlinks.
How Can Strikingly Help With SEO When You Make Your Own Website?
Strikingly provides various tools and features to help website owners improve their SEO. For example, the platform automatically generates meta tags for each page, making optimizing your site for search engines easy. Strikingly also offers built-in analytics and site optimization tools to help you monitor your site's performance and make data-driven decisions. Additionally, Strikingly's templates are designed with SEO in mind, making creating a well-optimized site from the start easy.
Image taken from Strikingly
#8 Mistake- Ignoring Analytics
There needs to be more than just creating a website to attract visitors; it is equally important to know how they interact with your site. It is where analytics comes in. Analytics is a powerful tool that can help you understand your audience's behavior and preferences, allowing you to make informed decisions to optimize your website.
Types Of Analytics
There are several types of analytics, such as website traffic, user engagement, and conversion rate. Website traffic analytics show the number of visitors to your website, while user engagement analytics measure how long visitors stay on your site and what pages they view. Conversion rate analytics show how many visitors take the desired action, such as purchasing or signing up for a newsletter.
How Strikingly's Analytics Tool Can Help When You Make Your Own Website?
Strikingly offers a user-friendly analytics tool that can help you track important metrics like page views, unique visitors, and referral sources. You can use this information to determine which pages are most popular and which need improvement. Additionally, Strikingly provides insights into how your website performs on search engines and social media platforms. With these insights, you can make data-driven decisions to optimize your website and increase conversions.
#9 Mistake- Lack Of Consistency
A website that needs more consistency can make navigating and understanding the content more accessible for visitors. Consistencies in design, typography, color scheme, and layout can lead to a more transparent user experience. It can cause visitors to leave the website without taking action or, even worse, go to a competitor's site.
On the other hand, a consistent design creates a sense of professionalism, reliability, and trustworthiness. Visitors will have a positive experience and be more likely to engage with the website and take action.
How Strikingly's Templates Can Help With Consistency When You Make Your Own Website?
Strikingly's templates help with consistency by providing a uniform look and feel across all website pages. Their templates come with pre-set color schemes, typography, and layouts that maintain consistency throughout the site. It makes it easy to create a professional-looking website that visitors will find easy to use and understand. Additionally, Strikingly's design editor allows for customization while maintaining consistency with the overall design.
#10 Mistake- Forgetting To Test
Testing is an essential part of website creation that should be noticed. It is crucial to ensure your website is functional and user-friendly before making it live. Neglecting to test your website can lead to a poor user experience, lost traffic, and lower search engine rankings.
When testing your website, there are several key areas to focus on.
- Firstly, mobile responsiveness is vital, as many users access websites on their mobile devices. You should test your website on various mobile devices and screen sizes to ensure it looks and functions correctly.
- Load time is another critical area to test. Slow loading times can significantly impact your user experience and search engine rankings. Use tools like Google's PageSpeed Insights to analyze your website's load time and identify areas for improvement.
- Lastly, testing your website's navigation is crucial to ensure that users can find what they need quickly and easily. Check that all links work correctly and that your website's structure is logical and easy to follow.
Strikingly offers built-in testing tools that allow you to preview your website across different devices, screen sizes, and browsers. You can also use the platform's analytics tools to track user behavior and identify areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Creating a website takes work. However, by avoiding these ten common mistakes, you can ensure that your website will be effective and engaging for your audience. Remember to focus on the user experience, mobile responsiveness, navigation, and design. Also, you must refrain from negotiating with high-quality images, SEO implementation, and analytics practices. Furthermore, planning ahead of time is crucial to the success of your website.
An easy and affordable way to create your own website is Strikingly. While there are other website builders, Strikingly ensures that you don't make these common mistakes when you make your own website. And since you can now create a stunning free website in no time and for free, there's no reason to hold you back from having your own digital identity. Keep these mistakes from achieving your website goals. Start building your website with Strikingly today, and avoid these common mistakes!
