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Building a website yourself can be challenging, especially for beginners.
There are many things to consider, from web design and layout, down to the content and navigation. If you’re not careful, it’s easy to make mistakes that can impact your website’s success and ultimately the ability to monetize and grow traffic successfully.
You don’t want to rush through the process and make mistakes that could cost you later. If you’re planning to build a website for yourself or your business, it’s best to be aware of some of the most common mistakes when building a website to help you avoid making them yourself in the future. And if you’ve already committed them, let this guide help you on how to fix them for the better.
1. Not Choosing A Good Web Hosting
The first and probably the most common mistake people make when building a website is not choosing a good web hosting that fits a certain website’s needs. Many people think that they can throw up a website on any old server, and it will work fine, but this isn’t always the case. This mistake usually happens when people are first starting, and they don’t know the signs of a good web host, which include:
- Uptime of 99.9% or higher
- 24/7 customer support
- Fast and reliable servers
The best way to fix this mistake is to research what makes a good web host and find one that fits your needs.
2. Not Creating A Sitemap
Another usual mistake when building a website is not creating a sitemap. A sitemap contains information about the pages, videos, files, and other content you put on your website and how they correlate with each other. It’s essential to have one if you want to help search engines crawl your site more efficiently. A sitemap helps your visitors navigate your website and helps search engines find your pages.
Not having a sitemap can hurt your website’s ranking in search engines, so it’s essential to create one as soon as you start building your website. If you’ve already made your site but don’t yet have a sitemap, it’s not too late to create one.
In general, a sitemap should include all of the pages on your website, as well as any other important information such as your contact information. Creating a sitemap is relatively simple, and there are plenty of resources online that can help you create one. You can create it by hand or use a sitemap generator tool.
3. Not Checking For Broken Links
You think it will cost you time, but not checking for broken links is one of the biggest mistakes you might be overlooking. This mistake can be more costly, as it can damage your website’s reputation, causing higher bounce rates because of visitors leaving your site.
This usually happens when a website is new and in its testing stage. You have to constantly check on links when you’ve made changes to your website and to see if there are broken links.
Of course, there’s a way to avoid this mistake without spending too much of your time. You can use a link checker to scan your website for broken links. You can find free link checkers online or use a paid service. These services work by checking your website for broken links and then providing you with a report of the results.
Once you have the results, you can fix the broken links by pointing them to the correct page or removing them from your website.
4. Not Optimizing Images
Images are important for web design. When building a website, optimizing your images is also crucial for your overall website performance. This means shrinking them down to the smallest size possible without compromising the quality of the picture. When your images are optimized, you see the following results:
- Faster loading times
- Reduced bandwidth usage
- Better search engine rankings
Not optimizing your images can cause your website to load slowly, and it can also use up more bandwidth than necessary. As we all know, slow-loading pages aren’t good for your website traffic. Use a photo editor to optimize your images before uploading them to your website to fix this. In addition, you can use a plugin or tool to automatically optimize your images as you upload them.
These are great because they help you optimize your photos without having to do it manually, saving you time and energy.
5. Not Using A Favicon
A favicon is a small image that appears next to your website’s name in a web browser’s tab. It’s a simple way to add branding to your website, and it’s also a great way to keep visitors aware that they are currently on your site without having to view all their tabs. Unfortunately, many new website builders forget to add a favicon because it’s not something most people think of.
Not adding a favicon to your website is like having a business without a logo – it just looks unfinished.
To add a favicon to your website, you can use a free online tool or create your own. If you create your own, make sure it’s a small image that’s easy to see and recognize. In addition, be sure that the file type is .ico to be accepted by web browsers. You’ll know your file works if you see the favicon next to your website’s name in the tab when you visit it.
6. Not Creating A Mobile-Friendly Version Of Your Website
With so many people using their phones to browse the web, creating a mobile version of your website is crucial. A mobile version of your website will look different on different devices, and it will be optimized for browsing on a phone or tablet.
According to Perficient.com, 68.1% of all website visits in 2020 came from mobile devices, increasing from 63.3% in 2019. That is a pretty significant increase in just one year, which shows how important it is to have a mobile version of your website.
If you don’t have a mobile version of your website, you’re missing out on many potential visitors.
To create a mobile version of your website, you can use various tools and services. There are also plenty of templates and themes available that will help you create a mobile version of your website quickly and easily. The easiest way to create a mobile version of your website is to use a responsive design template.
7. Not Testing Your Website on Different Browsers
When building a website, you need to test it on different browsers. Not all browsers are created equal, and your website may look different on each one. Some browsers you should test your site on include:
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
- Opera
Testing your website on different browsers is the only way to make sure it looks the right way on all of them. If you don’t test your website on other browsers, you could be losing traffic and sales.
The best way to fix this mistake is to use a browser compatibility testing tool. These tools will tell you which browsers your website is compatible with, and they’ll also give you instructions on how to fix any issues.
8. Not Using Google Analytics
If you’re not using Google Analytics, you’re making another big mistake for your website. Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to track your website’s traffic and see how people use your website. Google Analytics can provide you with some vital statistics, such as:
- How many people are visiting your website
- Where your visitors are coming from
- What pages do they see on your website
- How long they’re staying on your website
- What devices they’re using to visit your website
Google Analytics is a potent tool, and it’s one that every website builder should use. To set up Google Analytics, you need to create a Google account and add the tracking code to your website. It’s a quick and easy process, and it’s well worth the time. It is also free and can be used by anyone with a new website.
Even if your website is already established, it’s still a good idea to connect it to a Google Analytics account.
9. Creating Pages Without Titles
We have different website preferences, but when building a website it’s crucial to not forget to put titles on your pages. This may not seem like a big deal, but it can hurt your website’s ranking in search engines. That’s because search engines use titles to help index websites, and if your website doesn’t have a title, it may not be indexed at all.
As a result, the search engines might not have enough information to know what your website is about, which could hurt your ranking.
To add a title to a page on your website, add a title to each website’s pages. The title should be relevant to the page’s content, and it should be keyword-rich. It should also include a number and a power word. With this information, your page’s title should look something like this: “The Best 10 Places to Buy Widgets Online.”
10. Not Using HTTPS
If you’re still not aware, not using HTTPS for your website is definitely a big mistake. HTTPS is a secure protocol protecting your website’s data from unauthorized access. HTTPS is the standard for online security, and if you’re not using it, you’re putting your website at risk. Not using HTTPS can leave your website vulnerable to attacks, and it can also damage your website’s reputation.
Many new website owners don’t use HTTPS because they’re not familiar with it, and it’s not something they see regularly. If you’re not sure how to set up HTTPS on your website, there are plenty of resources available that can help you. The best way to get started is to contact your web hosting provider and ask them to enable HTTPS on your website.
Usually, this entails purchasing an SSL certificate and installing it on your website. Some SSL certificates are free, but most of them will cost you a little bit of money. It’s worth the investment, though, because HTTPS can help keep your website safe and secure.
11. Creating Pages With Only Text
Another common mistake when building a website is eliminating imagery and creating pages with only text. Images keep your web design look better, and more pleasing to look at. Not incorporating images and photos in your design be a big turn-off for visitors, as much as it can hurt your ranking in search engines.
That’s because search engines prefer websites rich in multimedia since human visitors tend to choose them. It used to be that websites could get away with having only text, but that’s no longer the case. If you want to succeed, you need to include images, videos, and other multimedia elements.
When you’re creating pages, be sure to include various elements, such as images, videos, infographics, and charts. This will help keep your website’s visitors engaged, and it will also help your website rank higher on search engine results pages. That’s because with those elements, your visitors will spend more time on your website, and that’s what search engines want.
12. Not Using Social Media Buttons
If you’re not using social media buttons, you’re missing out on an excellent opportunity to promote your website. Social media buttons allow visitors to share your content with their friends and followers. New website builders might not think to use social media buttons, but they can be a great way to promote your website and its content.
Some of the social media buttons you might want to add include:
There are a variety of social media buttons available, and you can usually find them for free online. Once you have the social media buttons, you need to add them to your website. You can add them to the top of your website, the bottom, or in the sidebar. If you’re unsure where to put them, try a few different places and see what works best for you.
13. Not Optimizing Your Pages for Search Engines
When building a website, you need to optimize your page content for search engines. Not optimizing your pages can hurt your website’s ranking in search engines, and it can also reduce your website’s traffic. Optimizing your website for search engines means including keywords in your page’s title, description, and content. It also means using the correct formatting and structure.
If you’re not sure how to optimize your pages for search engines, there are plenty of resources available that can help you. You can find articles, tutorials, and even courses that can teach you to optimize your website for search engines.
It’s worth taking the time to learn how to do it properly because optimizing your pages can help your website rank higher in search engine results pages, and it can also help you get more traffic.
14. Not Updating Your Website Regularly
If you’re not updating your website regularly, you’re definitely making one of the biggest mistakes in building a website. Outdated content on your website can hurt your ranking in search engines, making your website look dated. An outdated website can turn off potential customers and clients, making you look unprofessional. Some features of obsolete websites include:
- Outdated information
- Broken links
- Old design
- Slow loading times
To regularly update your website, you need to add new content and features. If you’re adding new content, you should aim to add at least one new article per week. You can also add new images, videos, and infographics to keep your website looking fresh.
On the other hand, if you’re updating any outdated or irrelevant content, you should aim to do so with at least two pieces of content per week. That way, your website will be current and relevant, and it will also look well-maintained.
15. Not Planning Your Website’s Navigation
A big part of your web design should be planning how visitors can navigate through it. Ecommerce websites, real estate websites, and other high-traffic websites should have a clear UI/UX design plan. Not planning your website’s navigation can lead to confusion and frustration for your visitors.
That’s because if your website’s navigation is not designed properly, visitors will not be able to find the information they’re looking for easily. If there’s too much confusion for your visitors, they won’t stay on your website for long, and they’ll probably never come back. Search engines will then not rank your site very high.
To plan your website’s navigation, you need to create a sitemap and use it as a guide. The sitemap should include all of the pages on your website and their hierarchy.
However, if you’ve already started your website without thinking about your website navigation, don’t worry. It’s not too late to fix it. You can still create a sitemap and use it to guide you in redesigning your website’s navigation.
Why Start With A Good Web Hosting Provider?
Good web hosting is essential for any kind of website. It can help you make your website faster to attract visitors, be more secure for the long run, and make it easier to manage for you and your team.
In addition, good web hosting also helps improve overall site performance and gives you a boost to rank better in search engines. There are a lot of web hosting companies to choose from, and it can be tough to decide which one is right for you.
Take the time to do your research to find a web hosting company that meets your needs. While you’re at it, check out our full and honest reviews of the top web hosting providers in the market.
