User Experience 101: Five Mistakes to Avoid on your Website

Your website is often the first impression people have of your brand—so why risk turning visitors away with clunky navigation or frustrating design?

A smooth user experience (UX) isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the key to keeping people engaged, boosting conversions and even improving your search rankings.

At Palm, we know that a great website doesn’t just need to  look good—it  should be seamless and user-friendly to engage customers and drive results.

To help you stay ahead, we’re breaking down five common UX mistakes and how to fix them, so your visitors stay happy, engaged, and coming back for more. Let’s dive in!

With the majority of users now searching via mobile, your website must perform flawlessly across all devices. A non-responsive design frustrates users, leads to higher bounce rates, and can result in fewer conversions. Search engines also prioritise a mobile-first approach as it ensures a smooth and enjoyable browsing experience, no matter the screen size.

Animations can enhance a site’s visual appeal, but too much movement can overwhelm users, especially when the animations aren’t enhancing the experience.

Overusing animations and effects can also slow performance, a key ranking factor for search engines. The key is balance.

Every animation should have a purpose and contribute to a better user experience, rather than becoming a distraction. For example, using animation to highlight the steps in an online guide would be a good use of animation and would benefit the user experience.

Site speed is a core metric used by search engines when ranking performance as slow-loading websites often result in users leaving before they can even see your content.

Optimising page speed through efficient coding and image optimisation alongside the correct caching techniques can help improve retention rates and boost conversions. If your side is loading slowly, our team of digital experts can conduct a free health check to find out the causes and provide you with solutions to improve performance.

Designing based on guesswork rather than data can lead to a frustrating experience for visitors. When looking to add new pages or redesign your website you should focus on utilising user behaviour insights, heatmaps, and A/B testing provide valuable data that helps refine your site for better engagement and conversion rates.

Focusing on what your target audience engage the most with and how they view content is the best place to start when looking at where you can improve your website.

A truly effective website is inclusive. In 2023, the latest version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) were published, outlining nine key areas to focus on when ensuring a website is accessible.

To be compliant, you must make sure your website passes navigation, colour contrast and image requirements will ensure your site is easily accessible for all users and also protects you from any potential legal issues.

If you’d like to know how your website is performing for user experience, contact us for a free user experience review and discover how we can enhance your website’s performance and usability: web@palm-pr.com or 0207 871 6733

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