With the software available, you’d be forgiven for thinking that building a website in 2023 is quite a standard affair. But in many ways, the process of building a website is harder now than it would have been ten years ago. Not least because visitors and potential customers are going to expect more.

In 2010, for instance, more investment into website building would have helped create a website that stood out from the crowd, with a professional template that was a level above competitors. However, the digital world is far more inherent to a successful business, making website design one of the first and most essential objectives for a company to get right.

It takes something extra, therefore, to stand up against competitors in 2023. And it’s not so easy to get right. To help you avoid the pitfalls, we’ve created a list of five to remain wary of, as well as a few details on the avenues that you should explore to find new ways to highlight your business:

Being Single-Minded

First off, you don’t want to be single-minded in your website approach. By this, we mean, don’t just take the route that other competitors are taking. Additionally, don’t try to get it done fast rather than get it done right. To give an example, you might be tempted to use Bluehost due to the fact that it has built over 2 million company websites. But you may not have taken into account the website you truly need. Is it image-heavy? Is it simple? Does it have powerful hosting? There are a number of Bluehost Alternatives that can be more of a fit for the website you are trying to create.

Style Over Accessibility

If you’re taking a look at competitor websites, the first thing that will strike you is the website design and the style of their chosen template. But remember, you are not seeing their website as a customer but as a rival. Customers will take far more into consideration, such as accessibility and usability. Make sure you are not prioritizing style over accessibility if you want to both draw in and keep a customer.

Unconvertable Features

You also need to remember that, in 2023, a large portion of your customers are going to be viewing your website on their phone rather than on a desktop. For this reason, you need to make sure that all of your features are convertible and work just as well on any device. Just think: at least 79% of smartphone users made mobile purchases in the last six months. In fact, over 41% of all eCommerce purchases were made on a smartphone in 2022. Make sure that you cater to this market and create a website for use by anyone at any time.

Forgetting About Engagement

As mentioned before, you are creating a website for your customers to engage with. That means creating content that entertains and educates people about your business. Remember that your website is essentially the online hub of your business. If it doesn’t engage a reader, then they’re not going to want to stay for very long. In the building of your website, make sure you have a good amount of content to draw a user in and engage them.

Quantity Over Quality

Lastly, one of the most common mistakes that people make is creating a website that has quantity over quality. In order for your website to be both accessible and engaging, you need to avoid having too much going on with a poorly configured navigation layout. This will just lead to confusion and a high bounce rate. And those are the key things that are essential to avoid!