What are Common Website Builder Mistakes to Avoid?

3 min to read

Some of the most common mistakes made when using website builders include:

• Overlooking Mobile-Friendliness: More people browse the web on their smartphones than computers, and your site design should reflect this trend. Optimize your content for small screens by giving preference to templates that change based on screen sizes. Also, study ways to use the spacing on your page more efficiently.

• Neglecting Navigation: It’s essential to streamline your content in a way your visitors find what they need intuitively; if they don’t, they are less likely to complete desired actions (buying products, for example). Make menus comprehensible, place them in noticeable positions, and focus on the core elements.

• Overstuffing Pages: Focus on the simple aspects for your visitors and think about how content fits on your page. Make sure you shift essential content to the top of your page and use a mixture of text and visuals.

• Ignoring SEO: Make sure that your site is visible to your audience in Google by using your website builder’s SEO features. Use relevant keywords in your content; Google Trends and Ahrefs’ free keyword tool are two starting points. Besides optimizing content, you should ensure that your titles and descriptions are SEO-friendly.

Key Takeaways:
  • Understand where to focus
  • Implementing SEO, focusing on mobile design, and user experience are fundamental.
  • Design matters for credibility
  • Use high-resolution and (preferably) original images. Pick 1-2 fonts at most, and think about how you'll use whitespace.
  • Comprehend your website's potential
  • Understand your website builder's features before designing your site, and experiment with your results. Plan in advance and think about how you'll customize templates.
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How can I make my website builder site look professional?

You can make your website builder-designed site look professional by adhering to each of the following principles:

  • Consistent branding: Use 2-3 complementing colors; if you don’t know where to start, Adobe Color is a free color theory tool. Your fonts and logos should match your brand’s values and industry, and users should know what you stand for within a few seconds. 

  • Visuals matter: Avoid using generic stock photos if you don’t want users to forget you; invest in original photography that tells a unique story. If you can’t afford a photographer yet, you should at the very least use high-resolution, royalty-free images. Start with Unsplash and similar sites. 

  • Clean typography: Besides picking readable fonts, you must pick headings, main bodies of text, and subheadings where they’re required. 

  • Strategic whitespace: Empty spaces give your pages room to breathe, and you should implement them throughout your site. Include white spaces on the sides of your pages and between your text.

Tips for getting the most out of your website builder

Avoid mistakes and unlock your website builder’s potential by following the steps listed below:

  • Plan in advance: Identify your site’s goals and target audience. You should then think about the content you want to include, such as eCommerce pages, blogs, about pages, and testimonials. 

  • Use templates as a guideline: Rather than using templates as the be-all-and-end-all, you should use them as a foundation for your website. Customize their colors, fonts, content, etc.

  • Take advantage of tutorials: Use website builders’ tutorials to learn the basics of site design. You can normally consume videos, text, and (sometimes) audio. If your site builder has certification, complete these as well. 

  • Test rigorously: Test your site across mobile and desktop, and experiment in different browsers (e.g. Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge). It’s important to test a few times before you achieve the desired results. 

  • Stay updated: Subscribe to your site builder’s newsletter for information about new features. Keep your plugins updated, too. 

Who is going to update the website, and how often?

It’s good for websites to have up-to-date text, images, etc., there’s no single rule about how often you should update everything. Monitor your site performance regularly and make adjustments when needed.

Your content manager or copywriter can adjust the text on your site, but you may want to hire someone to deal specifically with your website as a whole. 

Options: You can hire a full-time employee to oversee your site, along with freelance webmasters for specific projects. 

Tip:
Make a website maintenance schedule. Every 3-6 months is a starting point; during your audits, look at content and overall performance.

Conclusion

Use a website builder to design your website and understand where it fits into your ecosystem. You need to use the SEO tools available, and focusing on site design is also essential. Use website builders to maximize white space where needed, and perform regular audits to optimize site performance further.

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Important Consideration: The information provided by our expert team is designed to give you a general understanding of the website creation process and the features available to you. It's important to note that this information is not a substitute for professional advice tailored to your specific needs and goals.
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