What You Should and Shouldn’t Do When Building a Website
Building a website requires strategic planning and careful decision-making to ensure it is functional, engaging, and effective. Whether you’re creating a personal blog, an e-commerce site, or a corporate webpage, your website should provide value, be easy to navigate, and be optimized for performance. However, certain mistakes can lead to slow performance, poor user experience, and low visitor retention. Here’s a detailed guide on what you should and shouldn’t do when building a website.

What You Should Do

1. Focus on User Experience (UX)

User experience (UX) is one of the most critical factors when designing a website. Visitors should be able to navigate easily, find information quickly, and interact with your website smoothly. A cluttered or confusing layout can drive users away, reducing engagement and conversions.
To enhance UX, ensure your website has a clear and logical structure. Use well-organized menus, readable fonts, and visually appealing colors. Consider accessibility by using alt text for images, proper heading structures, and easy-to-read text sizes to make your website inclusive for all users. A positive user experience encourages visitors to stay longer and return in the future.

2. Optimize for Mobile Devices

With more than 60% of web traffic coming from mobile users, it is essential to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. If your site doesn’t function well on smartphones or tablets, you risk losing a significant portion of potential visitors.
To optimize for mobile, use responsive design techniques, ensuring your website adapts to different screen sizes automatically. Avoid tiny text, difficult-to-click buttons, and layouts that require excessive zooming or scrolling. Mobile optimization not only enhances user experience but also improves your website’s search engine ranking, as Google prioritizes mobile-friendly sites.

3. Prioritize Fast Loading Speed

A slow-loading website frustrates visitors and increases bounce rates—the percentage of users who leave after viewing only one page. Research shows that 40% of visitors abandon a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load.
To improve speed, compress images, use a reliable web hosting provider, enable browser caching, and minimize unnecessary scripts and plugins. You can also use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to distribute content efficiently across different locations, reducing loading times. Fast websites lead to better user engagement, higher search engine rankings, and increased conversions.

4. Use High-Quality Content

Content is the backbone of any website. Whether it’s text, images, or videos, your content should be valuable, relevant, and engaging. Quality content helps build trust with your audience and keeps them coming back.
Avoid generic or low-effort content that doesn’t provide value. Instead, write informative blog posts, detailed product descriptions, and compelling headlines. Use high-resolution images and professional graphics to enhance visual appeal. Updating content regularly also improves SEO rankings and ensures your site remains relevant.

5. Implement Strong Security Measures

Website security is essential to protect sensitive data and maintain trust. Cyber threats such as hacking, phishing, and malware attacks are common, so you must take preventive measures to safeguard your website.Start by installing an SSL certificate (HTTPS) to encrypt data and protect user privacy. Use strong passwords, two-factor authentication (2FA), and security plugins to enhance security. Regularly update software, plugins, and themes to fix vulnerabilities. A secure website ensures a safe browsing experience for users and protects your business reputation.

6. Optimize for SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

A website without SEO is like a shop hidden in an alley—people won’t find it unless they already know it exists. SEO helps your site rank higher on search engines, increasing visibility and organic traffic.
To optimize for SEO, use relevant keywords in your content, add meta descriptions, create SEO-friendly URLs, and use proper heading structures (H1, H2, H3). Implement internal and external links to boost credibility and search ranking. Having a well-optimized website ensures more people discover your content and engage with your brand.

7. Include a Clear Call to Action (CTA)

A website should guide visitors toward an action, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you. Without a clear Call to Action (CTA), users may leave without taking the next step.
Ensure your CTAs are visible, well-worded, and persuasive. Use action-oriented language like “Sign Up Now,” “Get Started,” or “Learn More” and place them strategically on key pages. A strong CTA increases engagement, conversions, and customer interaction.

8. Test Before Launching

Testing is crucial before making your website live. A poorly tested website may have broken links, slow pages, display issues, or functionality errors that frustrate users.
Before launching, test your website on multiple devices, browsers, and screen sizes. Check for loading speed, mobile responsiveness, usability, and broken links. Using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and BrowserStack can help ensure your website works perfectly for every visitor.

What You Shouldn’t Do

1. Avoid Cluttered and Complicated Design

A website with too many elements—like flashing text, multiple fonts, or excessive animations—can overwhelm users. Clutter makes navigation difficult and reduces readability.
Stick to a clean, professional, and visually balanced design. Use white space strategically to enhance readability and highlight key content. A simple, structured layout improves user experience and keeps visitors engaged.

2. Don’t Ignore Mobile Optimization

If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you will lose visitors. Many users browse on their phones, so failing to optimize for mobile results in a frustrating experience.
Always test your website on mobile devices. Use flexible grids, adaptive images, and responsive menus to ensure a seamless experience for all users.

3. Don’t Use Too Many Pop-Ups

Pop-ups can be effective for collecting emails or promoting offers, but overusing them can annoy visitors and drive them away.
Limit pop-ups to strategic moments, such as when a user has spent time on your page or is about to exit. Always include an easy-to-find close button to avoid frustration.

4. Avoid Slow Loading Speeds

A website that loads slowly discourages users and reduces search rankings. Avoid using heavy images, excessive plugins, or poorly coded themes that slow down performance.
Regularly test your website speed and make improvements to keep loading times under 3 seconds.

5. Don’t Ignore SEO

If you don’t optimize for SEO, your website won’t attract visitors. Ignoring proper keywords, meta tags, and headings can result in low search engine rankings.
Research SEO best practices and apply them to every page. The more optimized your site is, the higher it will rank on Google, Bing, and other search engines.

6. Don’t Use Weak Security Measures

Cyberattacks are a real threat to any website. Failing to secure your site puts your data and visitors at risk.
Use SSL, strong passwords, and security plugins to prevent hacking and protect sensitive information.

7. Don’t Forget About Analytics

Without tracking website performance, you won’t know what’s working and what needs improvement.
Set up Google Analytics to track visitor behavior, bounce rates, and conversions. Analyzing data helps improve website performance and engagement.