Avoid 10 website design mistakes to instantly improve user experience

Your website is the digital face of your business, and the design of your website plays a crucial role in converting visitors into customers. 94% of the time, users form their opinion about a website based on its design, while 38% of the website visitors leave if they find the website design poor. Whether you are building a new website for your business or you are giving your current website a facelift, avoiding common website design or UX issues can help you stand out as a trustworthy brand in your industry, while increasing the conversion rate. 

Top 10 website designing mistakes to avoid in 2025-

Mistake #1: Missing visual hierarchy 

A typical website visitor reads only 28% of the written content of a website. When a visitor lands on your website, it is very unlikely that they will read every word from top to bottom. Website visitors skim the content, and that is why a visual hierarchy is crucial. A proper visual hierarchy ensures all the elements of your website are organised so the users can easily find what they are looking for. A great UX design helps the user absorb key pieces of information without feeling overwhelmed. 

Guide to fix the issue: 

    • Organise texts and visual elements based on a familiar reading pattern, such as F and Z patterns, to match the way people naturally read. 

    • Use a variety of colours and multimedia elements to create a visual hierarchy that directs the user to the most important parts of your webpage. 

Mistake #2: Ignoring white space 

Overlooking white space on your website is another design mistake. White space is not just an extra part of your website design; it helps in improving the user-friendliness of the website. When you keep ample white space between components, your users will not be overwhelmed, and you will be able to deliver a smoother user experience. 

Guide to fix the issue: 

• White space can be of any colour, pattern or texture that separates the elements while highlighting them. 

• Keep the website design minimal and not cluttered to provide users with a relaxed browsing experience. 
• Aim for a line spacing of 130% to 150% of your font size to increase the readability of your website content. 

Mistake #3: Non-responsive website design 

A non-responsive website does not adapt to different devices and screen sizes. Users tend to leave websites when it does not fit the screen of the device they are using, increasing the bounce rate. For example, mobile traffic accounts for more than 50% of all website visitors. If your website is not responsive, you are missing out on a huge audience. 

Guide to fix the issue: 

    • Use responsive design frameworks like WordPress themes or platforms like Webflow or Squarespace. 

    • Test your website on different devices like mobiles and tablets to ensure everything fits and functions properly. 

    • Prioritise elements that are touch friendly-such as bigger buttons, simple forms and easy scrolling. 

Mistake #4:  Slow loading speed 

Slow loading speed leads to a poor user experience that increases the bounce rate as users are more likely to leave the site before it is fully loaded. Outdated codes, plugins and large size of files contribute to this issue. Moreover, website loading time is a confirmed factor in Google's algorithm. Hence, a slow website not only harms user engagement, but it also affects your search visibility on Google. 

Guide to fix the issue: 

• Compress all large media files and use image formats like WebP to reduce file sizes without compromising on quality. 

• Minimise HTTP requests by limiting the number of scripts, stylesheets and third-party plugins. 

• Enable browser caching so that returning website visitors can load your site faster by storing the resources locally. 

Mistake #5: Skipping breadcrumbs 

Breadcrumbs on a website allow website visitors to retrace their steps so that they can easily find their way back to where they started. This is very important for websites with multiple content layers. Disregarding the importance of breadcrumbs is one of the common website design mistakes as it can show the path from the homepage to the current page; all organised by location, history or attribution. 

Guide to fix the issue:

• Create a consistent breadcrumb navigation to include every step in the path. 

• Keep the breadcrumb labels consistent with the pages. 

 • Consider what your target audience looks for and their user behaviour to create an intuitive navigation path to meet their requirements.  

Mistake #6: Missing recirculation options

Having prominent recirculation options helps in building user engagement. When your website does not have a continuous recirculation scheme, your users will be trapped on one single page. Redirecting them to the other parts of your website increases website activity and improves user engagement. 

Guide to fix the issue: 

• Use blog posts as an opportunity to guide readers to related articles or services that they might be interested in. 

• Maintain the flow of the content to avoid any dead ends on your website. 

• Use strong CTA at the bottom of each web page to redirect website visitors to the contact form or service details. 

Mistake #7: Putting a generic CTA 

Putting a generic CTA is another common mistake, as it leaves people confused about the next step. CTAs should be clear and straightforward. Whether you want them to schedule a service or download a manual, you need to ask very clearly. If your website visitors do not feel confident, they might just back away instead of taking the action. 

Guide to fix the issue: 

    • Place multiple CTA buttons, not just one, at the bottom. 

    • Use action words like "Book your free consult", "Get started now", or "Call us now". 

    • Make sure the CTA button stands out visually. 

Mistake #8: Lack of trust and credibility 

This is one of the biggest mistakes that many businesses overlook. Failing to establish a relationship of trust or credibility with the target audience can lead to increased bounce rate and reduced conversion. If your website is missing an SSL certificate, testimonials, privacy policy, proof of social presence or up-to-date information, your audience might not trust your website. 

Guide to fix the issue: 

    • Secure your website with HTTPS to prevent browser security warnings. 

    • Display verified customer testimonials or Google reviews to build credibility 

    • Add current contact information such as email addresses, phone number and physical address where people can reach you. 

Mistake #9: Ignoring SEO best practices 

Many businesses neglect the need for search engine optimisation (SEO) during the development phase. A website that looks great but fails to rank on search engine result pages cannot increase conversion rate or build user engagement. It is important that your website ranks on SERP, so that your potential customers can find you while browsing. 

Guide to fix the issue:

 • Structure the URLs of your web pages correctly.  

• Use the latest SEO practices and proper headings so that people can find you and understand what your website is about. 

 • Regularly check for broken links and submit sitemap and robot files to search engines for increasing crawlability. 

Mistake #10: Media in auto-play 

Many brands opt for media auto-play on their website and believe that this is a great way to engage users. However, quite the opposite happens in reality. This is one of the most common website designing mistakes because it startles and annoys the website visitors, disrupting the experience and potentially driving them away. 

Guide to fix the issue:

    • You need to give the website visitors more control over their experience. 

    • Instead of forcing an auto-play, give them options to opt in. 

    • If you decide to integrate auto-play media, make sure your website visitors have the option to control the sound and exit the media if they want. 

Final Thoughts 

Your website should not just look good, but it must perform well, drive traffic and convert visitors into customers. Avoiding common website development mistakes, weak CTAs, lack of credibility, and inconsistent flow of content can make a huge difference in how website visitors interact with your website. Start by evaluating your website, spot the issues and then solve one by one. By putting consistent effort, you can turn your website into a high-performing asset that supports the goals of your business.