Is your website failing to bring you expected results in terms of rankings? The website design could be responsible for such a scenario. In current times, a website is not only a mere online presence, but an essential marketing tool. Regardless of whether you are managing a small business or a large size establishment, you must have a well-designed, responsive, and user-friendly website that is optimized for search engines. You should know that a poor Website Design negatively affects ranking.
A poor quality website not only affects user experience but also negatively influences rankings. Here, in this post, we will have a detailed discussion on how a bad website can affect your rankings. Read on for further insights.
What Makes a Poor Website Design?
A poor website is not only about the aesthetics, it also includes the functionality, usability, and performance of the website. Here are some of the common elements that lead to a poor quality website.
● Lack of Mobile Friendliness
85% of internet users expect websites to operate smoothly on mobile phones, laptops, desktops, and tablets alike. Sticking to one device type is quite an outdated design approach.
● Inconsistent Branding or Design
The visual appearance of your website is the first thing your users notice, when they visit it. If the website lacks consistency or looks unprofessional, it makes the visitors question the website’s credibility.
● Cluttered Layout
A large number of visitors will leave your website, if it has a cluttered or unattractive layout. If the pages are overcrowded with excessive ads, too many links, and contain unnecessary elements creating clutter, you cannot expect users to stay on your site.
● Slow Loading Speed
Slow loading speed is one of the most obvious reasons that make your visitors leave your website. Waiting for a site to load for a longer time is extremely frustrating and more than 90% of users do not have the patience to wait.
● Broken Links
Broken links (404 errors) are another element that hampers the quality of a website. More than 70% of users will not return to your site if they encounter a 404 error while trying to visit your website.
4 Negative Effects of a Poor Quality Website Design on Rankings
Now as we have familiarized ourselves with the common characteristics of a poor quality website, let us now explore how these elements can affect your website’s search engine rankings.
Higher Bounce Rates
When users land on a slow, cluttered, or unresponsive website, they are likely to leave immediately. This high bounce rate indicates to search engines that your website is not being able to provide good user experience. This compels search engines to lower your rankings. Search engines, especially Google use bounce rates for determining the quality of a site. High bounce rates result in poor rankings.
Decrease in Crawlability
Search engines employ website crawlers to index your website’s content and determine its relevance for search queries. If your website has broken links, poor navigation, or other technical issues, search engines may find it difficult to crawl your website effectively. This implies fewer pages will be indexed, lowering your website’s chances of ranking.
Poor User Engagement
The time users spend on a website, visit pages per session, and interaction with content are vital user engagement metrics that play vital roles in SEO. A poorly designed website frustrates visitors and leads to poor user engagements. If your website lacks quality user engagement, search engines deem your website as irrelevant or low quality, resulting in poor rankings.
Decreased Conversion Rates
The design of a website directly impacts conversion rates. A website with a cluttered layout or confusing navigation makes it difficult for users to take any desired action on a website such as making a purchase, filling out a contact form, or signing up for a newsletter. If your website is not optimized to convert visitors into customers, it indicates low credibility and lowers organic search engine rankings.
Conclusion
To successfully operate in the present day digital business environment, it is essential for you to have a neat, organized, functional, and user-friendly website that ranks on the top of search engines. You can improve the ranking of your website by prioritizing vital factors such as mobile friendliness, fast loading time, easy navigation, and a clutter-free layout.
You can create a neat, responsive, and user-friendly website that ranks higher by partnering with a reputed website design company in Kolkata such as Originate Soft. We are a team of highly qualified and experienced website design and development professionals with in-depth knowledge of creating and managing websites that bring your desired business results. Connect with us today to discuss your website design needs.