10 Website UX Design Mistakes You Need To Fix Now
10 UX Design Mistakes You Might Be Making on Your Website
Stepping into a store that’s hard to navigate? You’d probably walk right out. Websites are no different. If your target audience can’t find the information they’re looking for, they’ll leave—and that’s a missed opportunity for your business. Nine times out of ten, it comes down to poor user experience (UX).
Poor UX can leave your visitors frustrated or confused, causing them to bounce from your site and possibly never return, ultimately hurting your conversions. That’s why you need a good UX design strategy to ensure your users can easily navigate your website without hitting any roadblocks. When users can find what they need and enjoy their time on your site, they’re more likely to stay longer, interact more, and complete intended actions.
The better the experience, the better your results, whether that’s higher engagement, longer session times, or more conversions. If you’re serious about improving your website’s performance and building a great user experience, avoiding the common UX design mistakes below is crucial. Don’t worry, we’ll also show you how to fix these UX faux pas.
UX mistake #1: No visual hierarchy
When a customer visits your site, they’re not going to read every word from top to bottom. Instead, they’re likely to skim content, and that’s where a strong visual hierarchy comes into play. Visual hierarchy is how you organize and prioritize the different elements on your page, ensuring that users can easily find what they’re looking for, and fast. A great UX design has a solid visual hierarchy. It creates a clear path for visitors’ eyes to follow, helping them quickly absorb key pieces of information without feeling overwhelmed. If there’s no visual distinction between elements, users won’t know where to focus their attention.
Solution: Organize and beautify
Organize text and visual elements based on familiar reading patterns, like the F and Z patterns, to match the way people naturally read. This helps them process the content efficiently and stay engaged with your site longer, improving your site’s overall user experience. Aside from that, contrast is a powerful tool when it comes to building a strong visual hierarchy in any product design. By varying text, colors, and even multimedia elements, you create a natural visual hierarchy that directs their eyes to the most important parts of your webpage. For example, the first thing you want them to notice should be the largest or most striking element on the page. This will help users quickly spot key information, making the overall user experience smoother and more intuitive.
UX mistake #2: Ignoring white space
Another common UX design mistake is overlooking white space. White space isn’t just an extra part of your web design; it’s a critical tool to make your website user-friendly. It keeps your website design from feeling cramped and prevents users from getting overwhelmed. By adding white space between components, you create a smoother, more digestible user experience. As a key part of visual hierarchy, it also defines relationships between elements. When things are placed closer together, they feel more related, while more white space around them makes it clear they’re not directly connected.
Solution: Less can be more
White space doesn’t have to be white—it can be any color, pattern, or texture that separates elements, highlights them, or makes them pop. Keep your web design minimal and not too crowded, giving users a more relaxed browsing experience. Make it easy for their eyes to move through your web design, and this includes looking at your text spacing. Aim for a line spacing of 130–150% of your font size for easy readability.
UX mistake #3: Crammed navigation
Imagine trying to navigate with a broken compass—that’s how users feel when your navigation menu is overcrowded. If your menu has too many options and vague labels, users won’t know where to click next, and this is a common UX mistake you don't want to make.
Solution: Try journey mapping
Less is more when it comes to navigation. Simplify top-level menus and dropdowns, grouping and organizing options in ways that make sense to your users. Journey mapping is a great tool here—it helps you understand the steps users take so you can optimize their paths. Choose clear labels such as object-based (e.g., Programs, Services, Products), action-based (e.g., Apply, Donate, Shop), or audience-based (e.g., Expert Help, Student Access, Advertise With Us) to help users find what they need faster.
UX mistake #4: Skipping breadcrumbs
Disregarding the importance of breadcrumbs is also one of the most common UX design mistakes. This may seem like small potatoes, but breadcrumbs are a big help in navigation. Breadcrumbs let users retrace their steps and easily find their way back to where they started. This is especially important for websites with deep content layers. Breadcrumbs show the path from the homepage to the current page, organized by location, attribution, or history.
Solution: Create consistent breadcrumb navigation
When using breadcrumbs, make sure to include every step in the path. That way, they can easily navigate back to the start. Also, keep the breadcrumb labels consistent with the page. In addition, having a clear picture of your audience’s needs and user behavior will help you create an intuitive navigation path that meets user needs.
UX mistake #5: No recirculation option
A poor user experience doesn't have a continuous recirculation scheme. Many brands unintentionally trap users on a single page, missing the opportunity to recirculate them throughout the website. Redirecting them to other parts of your site can increase website activity and improve user engagement.
Solution: Keep the content coming
Dead ends are easily avoided with a well-placed CTA at the end of each page. For instance, after an About Us section, you can lead visitors to Meet the Team or Success Stories. Blogs are perfect for redirecting to related posts and guiding users to relevant blog posts or content. This gives you more opportunities to convince your visitors to take action on your site.
UX mistake #6: Complicated checkout
A clunky checkout process is a UI/UX design mistake that can seriously cost you. Users often leave their carts behind because of a frustrating, complicated checkout process. When a checkout flow involves too many steps or users are asked to provide too much information, it can overwhelm them. Some websites make this issue worse by requiring users to create an account before completing their purchase, which is a barrier some shoppers won’t cross. Without breadcrumbs or other indicators, it can be difficult for would-be customers to know where they are in the checkout process.
Solution: Think fast and frictionless
Simplifying the checkout process is one of the most effective ways to reduce abandonment and meet user expectations. Only ask for the critical information needed to complete the order—everything else can be optional or saved for later. Autofill may be helpful here–it speeds things up by pre-populating details that users have already entered previously. Enabling guest checkout is another way to remove barriers for customers who may not want to create an account yet. Lastly, to reduce user frustration, make sure there are quick and easy ways for returning customers to log in.
UX mistake #7: Media in auto-play
Many brands think that auto-play videos or audio are a surefire way to engage users and make their websites feel interactive. This is one of the most common UI/UX design mistakes because, in reality, it often has the opposite effect. Instead of captivating visitors, it can startle or annoy them, disrupting the experience and potentially driving them away.
Solution: Give users more control over their experience
What users really appreciate is a sense of control when they’re browsing a website. Instead of forcing auto-play, give them the option to opt in. This way, they can engage with the content when they’re ready, making for a smoother and more enjoyable experience. A seamless, stress-free journey is always better than one where they feel bombarded by media they didn’t ask for. If you decide to have elements on autoplay, make sure users have to enable the sound themselves.
UX mistake #8: Nonspecific callouts
CTAs should be clear and straightforward—but when they’re too vague or generic, they can backfire. Users want to feel confident about what will happen once they click a link or button. If they’re unsure, they might just back away instead of taking action. Good UX design has distinct or specific callouts.
Solution: Balance clarity with creativity
To keep things clear and inviting, it's a smart design decision to make your CTAs as descriptive as possible. Rather than using something vague like "Click here," try something more specific, like "Start your free trial" or "Download our menu." This gives users a clear idea of what to expect, which helps reduce any unnecessary confusion. Plus, being descriptive can help your SEO, making your content more discoverable to search engines and users alike.
UX mistake #9: Misplaced error alerts
Placing error alerts at the top, especially without clear context, is a common UX/UI design mistake. It’s important to explain what went wrong and, just as importantly, how to fix it in a way that's intuitive for users.
Solution: Help users help themselves
Instead of leaving users in the dark, guide them toward resolving the error. Provide specific details about what caused the issue and offer clear instructions for fixing it. Avoid using negative language or implying that the user is at fault. A great way to further improve this UI/UX design is by using inline validation, where the error message appears right next to the field where the issue is occuring.
UX mistake #10: Overlooking microcopy
The final UX design mistake we want to highlight is the poor use of microcopy. The little things really do matter when it comes to UI/UX design, and that includes error messages, CTAs, and especially the microcopy from search bars to form placeholders. These tiny details might seem insignificant, but they actually have a huge impact on how users feel about navigating your site.
Solution: Drill down on the details
To improve your UX/UI design, use microcopy to guide users through their journey, making it easy for them to understand how certain elements work. Clarity is crucial here. While creativity is fine, it shouldn’t get in the way of your users’ needs. Always opt for clear and straightforward language. The tone should also feel consistent with your brand’s overall voice to keep things cohesive and credible. When users see this consistency, they’re more likely to feel comfortable and confident navigating your site.
Wondering if your website is guilty of any of these UX design mistakes? Use this list to find out. If you’re looking to boost activity and make your site more effective, Rhythm Agency is here to help. We specialize in building and refreshing websites that deliver on your KPIs.