There is no doubt that the website plays a key role in most modern small business strategies. Having a professional, intuitive design is crucial in conveying information about products and services that you may offer, or general information about your project with a call to action. A poorly designed website can have many ill effects, with the largest one being that your customers or readers will not find the site usable and will go elsewhere. The following five design mistakes are some of the worst errors that you can make in your web design, leading to utter failure for your content marketing strategy.

Lack of CTA

What is the purpose of your website? If it is to sell a product, then the existence of the website is to further drive home the need for its use. Likewise, if you are championing a cause, you will obviously be conveying a sense of urgency for your mission and attempt to channel the similar feelings of others into signing up for more information. Any call to action must be clear, simple and demonstrate value; otherwise, you’re just pinging noise into the wild blue yonder.

Too Much Flash

If your website screams too much style and not enough substance, users will leave. Unfortunately, an overly accentuated website will convey that very same message, whether or not it is true. This does not mean you cannot be creative, but you should limit your design elements to being functional over aesthetic. Most people who are coming to your website expect a decent design but more importantly, quick access to information. Do not overload their senses upon arrival.

Rushing the Job

While not having a website up and running is a constant loss of opportunity, you should not trade this scenario for one in which a website is hastily thrown together and published for the world to see – errors and all. Any website will need consistent tweaks and additions made to it over the course of its existence, but there is a certain level of stability that should be achieved prior to going live. People will often craft their first impression of your brand off of their first impression of your website.

Dated Content

If your website revolves around a constantly changing topic, product or service, then you absolutely have to keep up the content featured on your site up to date. If someone checks out your blog and sees that there has not been a new post in one month, then they will be far less likely to consider your site a valid contender. It also negatively impacts your broader SEO strategy, pinging noise to search engines rather than current, well-optimized content. Many may assume that your website has gone defunct if it is not properly maintained and given fresh content on a regular basis.

Making Broad Strokes

You likely have a market, a target audience, or a specific demographic you need to be reaching. When you try to appeal to a broad base of people, the meaning and effectiveness of your calls to action will lose value. Your design should convey to the reader just who the message is aimed at, with those to whom it applies being receptive of its intent. Painting a one-size-fits-all theme into your marketing approach is bound to end in countless “meh”’s.