From novice to pro, there are some web design traps that can snatch up anyone. Still, knowledge is power, so get to know some of the biggest pitfalls in web design so you can avoid these common mistakes.

1. Navigation – Navigation is one of the trickiest parts of good web design. This is probably true because web designers are so familiar with the website they are creating, they forget that everyone else won’t know exactly where to look if they want to get to a certain page. Remedy: Use easy-to-recognize navigation buttons to help web visitors know exactly where to look to find answers to their questions.
2. Flash – Flash was cool, but not for long. Not just dignified and pretentious web surfers disapprove of flash, a lot of people do. Excessive use of Flash is a turn off, and makes a website look like it is trying too hard. Remedy: Easy, just limit use of Flash.
3. Pop-up Windows – When a person clicks on a link to visit your website, they don’t want to be ushered into a whole new window. Another tab may be acceptable in certain situations, but in general, links should connect to a website which opens inside their current window. Remedy: Some designers want to use pop-up windows so that their design is opened in window that is the perfect size. Instead, center your design in the middle of the page, so no matter the size of the window a person is using, the design will look A-Okay.
4. Forget the Search – No matter how awesome your navigation is, you must have a search function so people can hunt for something within your website. Remedy: Add search.
5. Dead Link – Nothing is more frustrating than when a person surfing the web comes across a link they just know will connect them to the answer they have been searching for – and then it leads them nowhere. Remedy: Make a plan to check all links regularly and only link to pages which aren’t likely to disappear.
6. Music –It’s just bad decorum to play music on a person’s browser without asking. Remedy: No background music, ever.
7. Spelling and Grammar Errors – Not everyone is a stickler on this, and you personally may think that perfect spelling and grammar are for spelling bee champs, but it is probably a pet peeve of many people in your target audience, and it looks unprofessional. Remedy: Have MULTIPLE people review and edit your web copy. Spell check and grammar check in your word processor is not sufficient.