Updated February 28, 2025
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Last time we discussed a common DIY website design mistake: poor user experience. We get that DIY may seem to be the only wallet-friendly option for your business at the moment. Before embarking on this journey, beware of these last three pitfalls.
Missing Meta Data
To appreciate this DIY website design mistake, you need to understand the anatomy of a Search Engine Results Page (SERP). This Google Guide breaks down each element and where the meta data shows up.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Have you ever scanned a SERP and noticed a business link with the following information displayed below it:
Jooma! – the dynamic portal engine and content management system.
This is a sad example of missing or default meta data, specifically a meta description. Most visitors will skip past and continue to scan the page for a better match to their search. By having missing data, your business is missing a prime opportunity (read: monumental waste of time and money) to entice a visitor. Not sure what to put into your meta data? Then check out our SEO template for the basics.
Analytics Set Up Incorrectly
We wish we had a nickel for every website design we’ve seen where the business owner thought they had Web Analytics set up correctly. While they may have the code on the site, the back-end wasn’t set up properly and important usage data is missing.
Another favorite is the robots.txt code. During the website design process, developers will include this code to keep pages from getting indexed prematurely. Yet, many developers forget to remove it during a website launch. This code is anti-SEO friendly, keeping search engine bots away.
Mobile Unfriendly Website Design
If you’re using WordPress for a DIY website design project, chances are pretty good that your template is mobile adaptive or friendly. But not all themes are created equal to being smartphone or tablet friendly. According to reports the smartphone market hit 490+ million worldwide, so chances are pretty high that your site will be viewed from a mobile device. Make sure your DIY website design doesn’t leave this hot market out in the cold.
We think we’ve touched on the main DIY mistakes. Know of another?
DIY Website Design Disasters, Mistakes to Avoid