7 Common Website Mistakes I See When I Perform A Brand Audit

Ever feel like your website isn't quite hitting the mark, but you can't put your finger on why? Since launching our new Brand Audit service last year and performing audits for businesses across various industries, I've noticed something interesting...

They are all making similar mistakes.

From business to business, industry to industry, the list of suggestions and improvements that comes out of each audit seems to be nearly identical.

But here's the good news: if everyone's making the same mistakes, that means there's a clear path to standing out. So, I decided to collect the seven most common website mistakes I see time and time again and put them into this handy blog post for you. By the end of this post, you'll be armed with the know-how to give your website a glow-up that puts it ahead of the rest.

Mistake 1: Too much centered text

By far, the most common mistake I see on DIY websites is the overuse of center aligned text. I understand why it's so common—it seems like an easy typesetting solution for most layouts. But the problem is that too many lines of center aligned text is incredibly straining on the eye to read which means most people will skip over it altogether.

Most languages read from left to right, which means our eye is expecting the next line of text to begin in the same place the previous line started. The trouble with center aligned text is that, depending on the length of the line, it can start anywhere!

Here's an example:

When you read this first sentence your eye is predicting where the next line of text will start. With left aligned text your eye's prediction is correct and you can keep reading smoothly.

However, when you try to read center aligned text, your eye can't predict where the next line of text will begin. This puts a strain, not only on your eye, but on your mind to comprehend what you're reading as well.

Eventually you'll get tired and quit reading.

Don't get me wrong, I use center aligned text in my website designs all the time. There's certainly a time and a place for it. However the key comes in being aware of how long the piece of copy is and striking a visual balance.

For short pieces of copy, center aligned may be just fine. However for most chunks of copy, left aligned copy will be your friend.

Mistake 2: Unbalanced design

While we're talking about visual balance, that brings me to the next mistake I often see: incorrect visual contrast when it comes to size and and balance.

There are some rules in art and design when it comes to balance. For example, The Golden Ratio or The Rule of Thirds. But most of the time, when it comes to design, finding the right visual balance of scale and proportion comes from an experienced eye.

It just feels right.

That's a tricky thing to teach in a generalized blog post such as this, because it often depends on the brand. Balance takes into account the fonts and their sizes, the images used, and the overall personality vibe the brand has (to name a few). And when a website is lacking proper visual balance it can feel chaotic, messy, and low quality.

Because each brand is unique, my best suggestion for trying to eyeball your balance is to get lots of outside opinions from people around you. Ask you friends, family, and maybe a few trusted customers, "Hey, does this look right?" They'll let you know.

Mistake 3: Weak or non-existent call to action

A lot of business owners struggle with feeling too "salesy," and while it seems obvious that a person would come to a website to shop, they need to be told.

The best conversion rates are going to come from offering up a direct call to action (CTA), and offering it up often.

• Shop Now
• Add to Cart
• Shop Collection
• Sign Up

These CTAs communicate clearly what you want the customer to do.

• View New Arrivals
• Browse The Collection
• Learn More

These examples don't inspire the customer to take action. It's like telling your customer "You can come look around if you want, but it's totally ok if you don't want to buy anything." (And, of course, it is ok if they don't buy anything but we want to invite them to make a purchase.)

Mistake 4: Bland branding (blanding?)

The worst thing your brand can do is have a forgettable first impression. Design trends have adopted a "minimal" and "neutral" aesthetic over the last few years or so, and while some brands do it well and with intention, for most it just comes across as unfinished.

In 2002, the American Psychological Association published a study that found people seemed to better recall images that were presented in color over those presented in black and white. Color gives our brains more information to grab hold of and stick in our memory. We connect better with color.

But, for arguments sake, let's say your brand palette really needs to be black and white. There are other ways to convey personality. Your brand personality can be expressed by how you use black and white together, the fonts you select, the type of imagery you use, and your copywriting.

Personality is essential to making a connection with your customers. People connect with stories and characters. Don't be afraid to let your brand personality shine through.

Mistake 5: Tired Copy

It doesn't matter which way you slice it—people don't like to read on the internet. More often than not, people will skim your website, allowing their eye to grab only the headlines or only a few keywords. Rarely does anyone read every word on your website.

But rather than saying, "Oh, I guess my copy isn't important then," I would argue it's more important. You have fewer opportunities to get your message across and few chances to make a connection.

Rather than using headlines on your website that aren't much more than uninspired labels, write copy that piques the customer's interest, engages their senses, and lures them toward your call to action.

Mistake 6: Tedious Copy

In the same vein of making sure your copy isn't tired, you need to also make sure it's not tedious. Like I mentioned before, people skim websites which means your copy needs to be formatted in a way that makes that easy for them.

Big blocks of copy or long paragraphs are going to wear your reader out. They will see that giant wall of words and think, "UGH. That's too hard!" and skip right over it.

Instead, break your copy into short, choppy chunks and utilize font styles like bold or italic to help give even more emphasis.

Mistake 7: Unorganized navigation

Recently my grocery store renovated the entire store. When construction was finally over, they had moved everything around and nothing was in the same place that it was before the renovation. As a customer, it's was really frustrating trying to adjust to a new layout and even a year later I'm still not sure where everything is.

Have you ever had that happen? You go to a store to find something specific only to get overwhelmed by the layout, unable to find what you're looking for until you just give up and decide to find it somewhere else instead?

That's what what trying to navigate a poorly organized website is like. Your customers want to are on your site for a reason but they get too frustrated by not being able to quickly and easily find what they're looking for so they give up.

Unlike a brick and mortar store where you can find an employee to ask for help, customers have to find what they're looking for on your website all by themselves. Clean organization and keeping your navigation clear and uncluttered with superfluous links is actually a form of customer service and can result in better conversion rates and a higher return customer rate.

Remember, your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your brand. It's like the trust-building digital equivalent of a firm handshake and a winning smile. So why settle for a limp fish and spinach in your teeth?

And if you're wondering, "Ok, what if I still need help after I make these fixes?" That's where Happyland Creative® can help. We're like your personal brand fairy godmother, ready to wave our magic wand/apple mouse and transform your website from meh to marvelous. Get our professional input and expert eye on your brand so you can get answers to your unique problems by booking a brand audit of your very own.

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