Nguyễn Chính Ngọc Liên
A website can introduce your brand, attract potential customers, and support sales. However, without a clear direction, businesses can make website design mistakes that make it difficult for visitors to find information, create a poor experience, and leave them unsure what to do next.
This article covers common errors, from setting goals to design, content, and ongoing operations. For each one, you’ll find practical ways to avoid it, helping you work more effectively with your in-house team or web design agency while focusing resources on what genuinely serves your customers.
1. Starting a website without defining its goals
A website built simply because competitors have one or because a business wants to “look more professional” often lacks clear direction. Without specific goals, decisions about site structure, content, features, and budget can easily be based on guesswork. The result may be an attractive website that does little to showcase services, collect inquiries, or generate sales.
Before designing the site, decide what it should primarily accomplish. A B2B company, for example, may need to showcase its capabilities and help prospective clients request a consultation. An online store may focus on product categories, product information, and the ordering process. Having one primary goal doesn’t mean the website can do only one thing; it helps you set priorities when choosing between features.
How to avoid it
- Write down a specific goal in one sentence, such as: “Help customers understand our services and request a consultation.”
- Identify your primary audience, their needs, and the action you want them to take.
- Choose a few relevant metrics to track, such as form submissions, calls generated by the website, or orders, and set up measurement before launch.
- Separate the features needed at launch from those that can be added later.
This step helps prevent adding features based on preference rather than actual needs.
2. Designing around internal preferences and ignoring user experience
“Attractive” is important, but website design is about more than choosing colors or effects. A common mistake is prioritizing the personal opinions of decision-makers instead of checking whether visitors can understand the content, find information, and use the site easily. A crowded menu, hard-to-read text, inconspicuous calls to action, or inconsistent layouts can all get in the way.
Imagine a customer visiting your services page for the first time. If they have to guess what solutions you offer, who they’re for, or how to get in touch, the website isn’t doing its job. Key information—such as service descriptions, benefits, workflow, and contact details—should be organized clearly, written in plain language, and easy to find.
How to avoid it
- Map out the site structure and user flows before developing detailed designs.
- Keep the menu easy to understand; group related content instead of creating too many items at the same level.
- Place key information and calls to action where visitors can easily spot them, without repeating them so often that the page feels cluttered.
- Ask someone who hasn’t been involved in the project to find specific information or complete a task, then note where they get confused.
This simple but useful test can reveal problems before the website is widely released.
3. Ignoring mobile optimization and page speed
Customers may visit your website on phones, tablets, or computers, using different screen sizes and connection speeds. If the site is checked only on a computer, text may be too small, buttons difficult to tap, content may overflow horizontally, or forms may be hard to complete on mobile devices. These issues can disrupt the experience even when the website contains all the necessary information.
Page speed is another factor that is often overlooked. Large image files, unnecessary effects, bloated code, or an unsuitable server configuration can slow down a page. Don’t assume that every speed issue has a single cause; check individual pages and device types to identify the bottleneck.
How to avoid it
- Test important pages on phones, tablets, and computers before sign-off.
- Make sure content adapts to different screen sizes, buttons are easy to use, and forms don’t require unnecessarily complicated input.
- Optimize images for their display size and consider whether every effect and page element is necessary.
- Use performance testing tools to identify issues, then address them based on their impact rather than making arbitrary changes.
For a website design project, agree on device and performance testing criteria from the outset instead of discovering gaps just before launch.
4. Thin content and a lack of SEO direction
Many businesses invest in the design but leave content until the last minute. The result is often generic descriptions, titles that don’t clearly communicate the service, inconsistent contact information, or images that don’t help readers understand the product. Customers may struggle to assess whether the offering is right for them, while search engines may have difficulty identifying what each page is about.
Another website design mistake is writing content just to repeat keywords. This makes the copy sound unnatural and fails to answer searchers’ questions. Effective SEO should start with understanding search intent, grouping content by topic, and providing clear, sufficient information. Secondary keywords and related entities can be included where relevant, such as service names, processes, intended users, or the problems customers need to solve.
How to avoid it
- List the pages you need, the purpose of each one, and what customers need to know before contacting you or making a purchase.
- Write titles and introductions that accurately describe each page, and break up articles with easy-to-scan headings.
- Check spelling, business details, service descriptions, and calls to action before publishing.
- Avoid copying content word for word from other websites or publishing articles just to increase the number of pages.
If several people contribute content, agree on service terminology, tone of voice, and an approval process to keep information consistent across pages.
5. Overlooking testing, security, and an operations plan
A website project doesn’t end when the design is complete. If links, forms, ordering features, confirmation emails, and layouts on different devices haven’t been tested, customers may be the ones to discover problems. Similarly, without a plan for backups, updates, and access management, a business can be left unprepared when something goes wrong or staff members change.
It’s also important to clarify who will update content, monitor issues, and maintain technical components after handover. Businesses can work with their implementation partner; what matters is agreeing on the scope of work, how requests will be handled, and what documentation will be provided. Don’t assume that all operational tasks are automatically included.
Pre-launch website checklist
- Check menus, links, click-to-call buttons, forms, and ordering or registration flows.
- Verify that contact details, policies, and content on key pages are accurate.
- Submit a test form to confirm that data is received and notifications reach the right person.
- Set up the necessary analytics tools, assign appropriate account permissions, and store access credentials securely.
- Decide on a backup and update plan, and designate a point of contact to handle website issues.
LilyTech can support businesses as they build and improve their websites, from clarifying goals and organizing content to implementing a suitable solution. When working with a partner, clearly agree on the scope, acceptance criteria, and operational responsibilities to reduce the risk of misunderstandings.
Conclusion: Avoid website design mistakes with a clear process
Avoiding website design mistakes doesn’t require starting with complex features. Define your goals and audience, design around real user experience, prepare useful content, test across devices, and plan for ongoing operations after launch. Following these steps in order makes it easier for a business to manage quality and prioritize investment.
If you’re preparing to redesign your website or want to review areas where your current site is underperforming, contact LilyTech for advice on an approach that fits your business goals and needs.
