7 Complaints About Website Designs That Are Haunting Your Buisness

In today’s digital world, a website often makes the first impression for a brand or business. But while sleek visuals and creative layouts might impress at first glance, users care most about usability, clarity and functionality. That’s why complaints about website design are so common and so important to address. Let’s explore the most frequent issues people raise about websites and how to resolve them. 

1. Slow loading times

The complaint

“Why does this website take forever to load?” 

A sluggish website frustrates visitors and leads them to abandon the page before it even finishes rendering. Studies show that even a one-second delay can reduce conversions significantly. 

 

The causes

There are several reasons why this is happening, and the reasons include:

• Oversized images and videos
• Excessive scripts or plugins
• Poor hosting services

 

The fixes

There are a few things you can try to fix the issue of slow-loading websites, such as:

• Optimise images with compression tools
• Use a content delivery network (CDN)
• Minimise unnecessary code and scripts
• Invest in reliable hosting

 

2. Cluttered or confusing layouts

The complaint

“I don’t know where to look!”

Too many elements – pop-ups, banners, sidebars or flashy graphics – can overwhelm users. A cluttered layout makes it difficult for visitors to focus on what’s important.

 

The causes

There are several reasons why you could be dealing with cluttered or confusing layouts, including:

• Lack of hierarchy in design
• Overuse of ads or promotional banners
• Too many competing calls to action

 

The fixes

• Simplify the layout with clear sections
• Use white space strategically 
• Limit CTAs to one or two per page
• Follow a logical visual hierarchy 

 

3. Poor mobile experience

The complaint

“This website looks terrible on my phone.”

With mobile devices now accounting for over half of web traffic, an unresponsive or clunky mobile design is one of the biggest frustrations for users.

 

The causes

There are multiple causes for a website being poor on a mobile device, whether it be a phone, a tablet or another device. Those causes can include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Sites not built with responsive frameworks
• Text that doesn’t resize properly
• Buttons and menus are too small for tapping

 

The fixes

There are several ways to fix the issue of having a poor mobile experience, such as:

• Implement responsive web design
• Test layouts across different devices
• Ensure clickable elements have adequate spacing 
• Prioritise mobile-first design strategies

4. Hard-to-read text

The complaint

“The text is too small, faint or cluttered.”

Readability is often overlooked in favour of flashy design. But if users can’t read the content easily, they’ll leave quickly. 

 

The causes

There are multiple causes for your text being hard to read, such as:

• Low contrast between text and background
• Overly fancy fonts or tiny text sizes
• Long paragraphs without breaks

 

The fixes

There are several ways in which these problems can be fixed, including the following suggestions:

• Use clear, legible fonts
• Ensure strong colour contrast (scheck accessibility standards)
• Break up text with headings, lists and visuals
• Maintain at least 16px font size for body text

 

5. Difficult navigation

The complaint

“I can’t find what I’m looking for.”

Confusing menus of hidden navigation frustrated users who want quick answers. If visitors can’t find information within a few clicks, they’re likely to leave. 

 

The causes

Some of the causes of difficult navigation are as follows:

• Overly complex or deep navigation structures
• Inconsistent menu placement
• Lack of search function

 

The fixes

There are some simple ways of fixing the issue of difficult navigation when it comes to a complaint about website design, including:

• Keep menus simple and predictable
• Use clear labels for menu items
• Provide a visible search bar
• Test navigation flow with real users

 

6. Too many pop-ups or ads

The complaint

“This website keeps bombarding me with pop-ups!”

Aggressive advertising tactics – especially pop-ups, auto-play videos or full-page interstitials – annoy visitors and disrupt the experience.

 

The causes

There are several causes of the issue of too many pop-ups or adverts generally. Some potential causes can be:

• Over-prioritising ad revenue over user experience 
• Lack of restraint with promotional offers

 

The fixes

Never fear when it comes to pop-ups or annoying ads, because they’re easily fixable. You’ll be able to fix them easily by trying the following:

• Limit pop-ups to essential actions
• Delay pop-ups until users have engaged with the content
• Avoid auto-play media

 

7. Broken links or outdated content

The complaint 

“This page doesn’t work!”

Few things damage trust more than a 404 error or outdated information, so it’s important that they’re not an issue. 

 

The causes

There are several reasons as to why broken links and outdated content could come about, including the following:

• Neglected site maintenance
• Frequent changes without updates to internal links
• Old blog posts or resources left unchecked

 

The fixes

Don’t worry when it comes to having broken links or outdated content on your site, because it’s easily rectifiable. Here are a few easy fixes for the problem:

• Regularly audit the site for broken links
• Update outdated pages with fresh content
• Use redirects when moving or deleting pages

 

 

Kumo delivers customised digital marketing solutions to businesses across the UK. Operating from our Nottingham headquarters, our experienced team specialises in SEO, PPC, content marketing, web design and more. If you’re looking to expand your business, get in touch with our friendly experts – we’re dedicated to driving lasting and measurable growth for you.