Are you looking for ways to improve your business website? Want to eliminate annoying website features that make visitors leave your site?

We share 8 common web design mistakes to avoid in this infographic.

Here’s a quick summary:

• Disabling zoom on mobile sites
• Autoplaying videos with sound
• Light grey text on white backgrounds
• Tiny text
• Presenting too many advertisements
• Drop down menus that aren’t touch-friendly
• Too many big images
• Missing the small details

Check out the infographic for more detail.

 

Your website is often the first impression potential customers will have of your business. But even the most visually stunning sites can fall short if they’re riddled with design mistakes.

From frustrating navigation to poor mobile usability, these issues can drive users away before they’ve had a chance to engage.

In this post, we’ll explore eight common web design pitfalls and how to avoid them—so you can build a site that works as good as it looks.

Disabling Zoom on Mobile

Mobile users often need to zoom in to read content, especially on smaller screens. Disabling this basic feature can make your site difficult to use and create a frustrating experience. It’s a small oversight with a big impact on accessibility. Ensuring your website is fully mobile-friendly should be a top priority.

• Allow pinch-to-zoom functionality on all mobile views by avoiding fixed viewport settings.
• Use responsive design to scale content automatically without compromising usability.
• Test your website on multiple devices to confirm text remains legible without zoom.
• Prioritise mobile accessibility for visually impaired users who rely on zooming.

Autoplaying Videos With Sound

Landing on a website and being greeted by unexpected sound can be off-putting. Users may be in a public space or simply not ready to engage with loud media. Autoplaying videos, especially with sound enabled, are more likely to drive visitors away than draw them in. A more user-friendly approach is to give people control over playback.

• Avoid setting videos to autoplay, especially with sound enabled.
• Use clear play buttons so users can choose when to watch and listen.
• Ensure videos are muted by default if autoplay is required for design purposes.
• Provide captions or transcripts for videos to enhance accessibility and usability.

Light Grey Text on White Backgrounds

A clean, minimalist design can look professional—but it shouldn’t come at the cost of readability. Light grey text on white backgrounds often causes unnecessary eye strain. The lack of contrast makes it hard for users to quickly scan or read your content. Design should support communication, not hinder it.

• Use darker text colours to provide adequate contrast on light backgrounds.
• Follow WCAG guidelines for minimum contrast ratios in text.
• Test your site in various lighting conditions to ensure readability holds up.
• Avoid using decorative fonts or ultra-light weights for body text.

Tiny Text

Even the most beautiful layout fails if users can’t read the content. Tiny text is a surprisingly common issue, especially on older or poorly optimised mobile sites. If users are squinting or zooming to read your site, they’re more likely to leave. Good typography should serve the content, not compete with it.

• Set a base font size of at least 16px for body text to ensure legibility.
• Use media queries to scale text appropriately across different screen sizes.
• Maintain adequate line height and spacing to support easy reading.
• Avoid cramming too much text into small areas—give it room to breathe.

Too Many Ads

Monetising your site through advertisements can work—but only when done thoughtfully. Overloading a page with banner ads, pop-ups, or auto-redirects creates a spammy feel. It distracts from your core message and damages trust with your audience. Users visit your site for content, not clutter.

• Limit the number of visible ads per page to keep content central.
• Avoid using intrusive formats like auto-playing pop-up ads.
• Separate ads clearly from editorial content to maintain credibility.
• Monitor site performance and bounce rates to ensure ads aren’t driving users away.

Drop-Down Menus That Aren’t Touch-Friendly

Menus that work fine with a mouse can be frustrating on touch devices. If your navigation relies on hover effects or tiny hit areas, it won’t perform well on phones or tablets. This creates a barrier between users and your content. Effective navigation should be easy to use, regardless of how it’s accessed.

• Ensure menu buttons are large enough to tap with a finger.
• Use click-to-expand functionality rather than hover-only interactions.
• Test menus on real mobile devices, not just emulators.
• Keep dropdowns simple and avoid multi-level navigation when possible.

Too Many Large Images

High-quality visuals can enhance your site—but when overused, they become a liability. Large, uncompressed images can dramatically slow page loading times. This not only affects user experience but also hurts your SEO performance. Smart image handling is essential for modern web design.

• Optimise images using modern formats like WebP for faster loading.
• Compress images without sacrificing visible quality.
• Use lazy loading to delay off-screen image downloads.
• Balance visuals with performance—don’t sacrifice speed for aesthetics.

Ignoring the Small Details

Tiny design elements might seem insignificant, but they shape the overall user experience. Misaligned content, inconsistent spacing, or broken links signal a lack of polish. These small errors erode trust and professionalism. Attention to detail separates average websites from excellent ones.

• Double-check spacing, alignment, and layout consistency on all pages.
• Regularly test forms, buttons, and links to ensure everything works.
• Use consistent font sizes, colours, and styles across the site.
• Conduct periodic UX audits to identify and fix overlooked issues.

Conclusion

Web design isn’t just about making a site look good—it’s about delivering a seamless, enjoyable experience for your visitors.

By avoiding these eight common mistakes, you’ll ensure your business site is accessible, engaging, and optimised for success. Remember, the best websites aren’t just beautiful—they’re built with the user in mind.