[26-Feb-2026 00:31:13 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [26-Feb-2026 00:31:13 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [26-Feb-2026 00:31:13 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 07:45:51 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 07:45:51 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 07:45:51 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 18:48:26 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 18:48:26 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [01-Mar-2026 18:48:26 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [06-Mar-2026 13:14:53 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [06-Mar-2026 13:14:53 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [06-Mar-2026 13:14:53 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [08-Mar-2026 11:47:41 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [08-Mar-2026 11:47:41 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [08-Mar-2026 11:47:41 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:48 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:48 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:48 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:53 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:53 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [20-Mar-2026 17:37:53 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [27-Mar-2026 14:07:52 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [27-Mar-2026 14:07:52 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [27-Mar-2026 14:07:52 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [29-Mar-2026 10:21:48 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [29-Mar-2026 10:21:48 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [29-Mar-2026 10:21:48 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [09-May-2026 07:46:18 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - 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assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [13-May-2026 08:27:20 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [13-May-2026 08:27:20 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [18-May-2026 15:05:17 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [18-May-2026 15:05:17 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [18-May-2026 15:05:17 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [22-May-2026 13:37:13 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: Use of undefined constant ABSPATH - assumed 'ABSPATH' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [22-May-2026 13:37:13 America/Chicago] PHP Warning: require_once(ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 [22-May-2026 13:37:13 America/Chicago] PHP Fatal error: require_once(): Failed opening required 'ABSPATHwp-admin/includes/upgrade.php' (include_path='.:/opt/cpanel/ea-php74/root/usr/share/pear') in /home/touchmob/crazyleafdesign.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/thrive-visual-editor/thrive-dashboard/inc/app-notification/classes/DbMigration.php on line 2 {"id":17367,"date":"2014-11-04T22:56:40","date_gmt":"2014-11-04T14:56:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crazyleafdesign.com\/blog\/?p=17367"},"modified":"2019-03-12T04:32:06","modified_gmt":"2019-03-11T20:32:06","slug":"15-characteristics-bad-website-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crazyleafdesign.com\/blog\/15-characteristics-bad-website-design\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Characteristics of Bad Website Design"},"content":{"rendered":"
These days, you can\u2019t have a business and not be present on the web anymore. Gone are the days when all you did was list your business in the Yellow Pages, and wait for customers to walk in.<\/p>\n
A website has evolved into an important tool for many businesses. From selling online, to spreading information, to performing various marketing efforts.<\/p>\n
Web designers know that good web design<\/a> is possibly the most important aspect of web creation. It can make, or break a company\u2019s success.<\/p>\n But what is good design?<\/em><\/p>\n That may be a little subjective to describe, but what we do know is what bad web design is<\/strong>. So here are 15 characteristics:<\/p>\n At times, web designers and business owners get too fixated on a visually attractive design, that they forget to implement core elements<\/a> to help fulfill the company\u2019s business objectives. They get wrapped up in flashy design that leaves out usability standards and what the user needs.<\/p>\n Think about your users first, then work that into your web design accordingly.<\/p>\n There is absolutely no doubt that a successful website should be visually appealing, but it\u2019s not On the other hand, a site with slabs of text will not achieve its intended purpose either. Strike the right balance of design and content.<\/p>\n Offering too many features or stuffing the design with various design elements will overwhelm site visitors; this makes it difficult for them to find what they are looking for. Keeping the site simple yet attractive will more likely generate a positive impression on visitors, thus encouraging them to stay on longer.<\/p>\n Sites that integrate poor plugins and use old school design can hurt a business in terms of functionality and brand image. Keep up with design trends that work well with the latest cutting-edge technology to strengthen image and impress your visitors.<\/p>\n Here on CLD, we always talk about why good typography is important. The wrong typographic choice will deliver the wrong message to visitors. With web safe fonts increasing everyday, it should not be hard to pick one that fits a business\u2019 brand image.<\/p>\n Yes, mobile is here to stay. And more people are using their phones to access the web. It is crucial for web designers to design with the responsive layout in mind in order to fill this growing trend.<\/p>\n \u2018Sharing is caring\u2019. We live in a global community, and businesses should take advantage of this share-centric phenomenon. A website that does not incorporate social media loses the golden opportunity of engaging customers and attracting new prospects.<\/p>\n This may seem redundant, but I occasionally still find websites that bury its contact information deep within its pages. This is a sure fire way to detract any contact with its visitors. Place the contact info \u2018above the fold\u2019 of the site, and make it super simple for anyone to contact the business.<\/p>\n People today are always on the move and most will use their mobile phone as GPS. Not having a map on your site will guarantee losing a customer\u2019s good will. Embed Google Maps to help your customers get directions, which will also help your business rank well in the Google+ Local business listings.<\/p>\n Visitors will abandon a site that is difficult to navigate even if it is visually appealing and contains highly relevant content. Studies show that poor navigation<\/a> is one of the primary reasons why a website loses its customers. Poor navigation also makes it difficult for search engines to crawl a site thereby impacting its rankings. Properly organized intuitive navigation is essential for site visitors and search engines.<\/p>\n One of the most common web design mistakes is the lack of clear calls to action. An effective web design incorporates clear CTAs that create urgency and are strategically placed on the web page.<\/p>\n People are savvier these days and are less likely to respond to marketing jargon. Design your website by incorporating trust building elements such as testimonials, feedback, referrals, or client logos to build credibility with your visitor.<\/p>\n Design with heavy images, flash based graphics, and animations will take a long time to load. This may result in a poor user experience thereby increasing a site\u2019s bounce rate that will affect search rankings<\/a>. Optimize images, fonts and incorporate the latest web technology to make sure your site loads quickly.<\/p>\n Quality content plays an important role in the success of a website. But the way the content A cardinal sin of web design is creating a site that cannot be easily indexed by search engines.\u00a0 According to Titanium Marketing<\/a>, generate more leads or traffic by aligning your design with an SEO strategy to ensure the site looks good for your visitors and Google or other search engines.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The above mentioned web design characteristics are stumbling blocks of an otherwise effective website. By not falling into any of the above design traps, you will be able to create a site that will boost your site traffic and increase conversions. Try working with a reputable web design agency<\/a> to build a professional and functional website.<\/p>\n This post is a contribution by:<\/strong><\/p>\n Michael Georgiou is a dynamic business professional and entrepreneurial guru associated with Imaginovation<\/a> – proven his success in creative strategy, online branding, project management, and communication projects in both the public and private sectors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" These days, you can\u2019t have a business and not be present on the web anymore. Gone are the days when all you did was list your business in the Yellow Pages, and wait for customers to walk in. A website has evolved into an important tool for many businesses. From selling online, to spreading information, […] More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17373,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1053],"tags":[1138,1137,1054,1136],"adace-sponsor":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-17367","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-articles","8":"tag-design-elements","9":"tag-good-design","10":"tag-typography-2","11":"tag-web-design-2"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n1.It doesn\u2019t fit with business objectives and overlooks the target market<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n2. Lack of balance between design and content<\/h4>\n
\nthe be all and end all of website design. A website may be aesthetically sound, but if it is not offering the information target users are looking for, it will not work.<\/p>\n3. Offering a wide range of unnecessary features<\/h4>\n
4. Lack up-to-date technology<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n5. Typography that does not match brand personality<\/h4>\n
6. Design that does not cater to the mobile audience<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n7. Lack any social integration<\/h4>\n
8. Hard to find contact information<\/h4>\n
9. Not incorporating Google Maps<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n10. Unfriendly and non-intuitive site navigation<\/h4>\n
11. No clear Calls-to-Action (CTA)<\/h4>\n
12. None or minimal elements that build trust with visitors<\/h4>\n
<\/p>\n13. Stuffing that increases a site\u2019s load time<\/h4>\n
14. Lacks structure or Information Architecture (IA)<\/h4>\n
\nis structured has an equally important role to ensure visitors are staying on site. Structure your content with relevant headings, sub-headings, line breaks, and font management including size and type.<\/p>\n15. Not optimized for Google or search engines<\/h4>\n
Conclusion<\/h4>\n