Building a new website takes a lot of time and resources. If you are putting together a new site, it’s important to do it right the first time. You don’t want to rush through your current build, only to have the new website confuse buyers. The wrong design can cause more problems than it solves.
Here are seven common mistakes companies make when building a new site.
The first steps in building your 
new website should include establishing your brand voice, buyer personas and website goals. If you jump into your project without a clear vision, you are bound to struggle with consistent messaging and imagery. Plus, a lack of strategy makes it impossible to direct the buyer’s journey in a consistent way.
You might be itching to jump in and just get your site underway. However, starting at the very beginning with strategy planning can help you avoid extra steps down the road. Ask your team questions like:
Have you ever visited a site and had trouble finding what you were looking for? Most people won’t put time into navigating a confusing site. Difficult navigation may occur for many reasons:
These are examples of navigation issues that can deter visitors. There are many ways a site can create a poor user experience, hurting your business and site ranking.
If you have a clear purpose, then your site should offer clear CTAs and navigation. However, many companies get caught up in trying to push multiple ideas at the same time. When there are a lot of elements fighting for attention on the same page, the end result is just a loud mess that shows little authority or control.
You can establish landing pages to handle the various conversion points, offerings or angles you want to cover. However, your main pages should be clear and concise. Avoid long text blocks, breaking information up with headers and visuals. Choose a limited number of CTAs to push on each page.
Along with vague messaging, leading with company-centric language can create a poor buyer experience. If your site talks about who you are and what you do, then it may become overly focused on your company’s goals instead of your buyer’s goals.
While you need to be clear about who you are and what you do, you should always lead with the benefit for the buyer. Getting this right typically means walking a fine line. Keep asking, “Why does the buyer care?” And then, don’t waste the buyer’s time with anything that isn’t centered around helping them understand the offering or promising them value.
Thinking about the buyer can also help with search engine optimization (SEO) since your language will be more likely to fit their search terms.
Some companies are using 
stock images and working with different contractors to get illustrations or graphics to go with their content. While visual images are extremely important for communicating quickly and breaking up the text, they also play a part in setting the tone. If your use of color and style isn’t consistent, then your brand aesthetic will look messy.
Part of your strategy planning should include a focus on your brand voice and style. You need to decide what kind of energy you are trying to convey. Are you youthful? Reliable? Innovative? Agile? No-nonsense?
Selecting your top brand characteristics helps you identify the kind of aesthetic you want. Then, be picky and stick with a look that helps you define your brand and communicate those key characteristics to your buyers.
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