Web design can feel overwhelming, especially when every decision you make affects how users experience your site. The good news is that great web design isn’t about following complicated rules. It’s about understanding what helps people browse comfortably, find what they need quickly, and trust your brand.
This guide from MediaPlus Digital breaks down the essential dos and don’ts of web design, backed by UX best practices and real user behavior insights.
The Dos of Web Design
1. Ensure a Consistent Experience Across All Devices
People access websites from everywhere now: smartphones, tablets, laptops and even smartwatches. No matter how they arrive, the experience should feel seamless. A user on mobile should get the same clarity, features and ease of use as someone browsing on a large desktop screen.
To achieve this, focus on:
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Responsive layouts that adapt naturally to different screen sizes
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Consistent navigation so users do not have to relearn how the site works
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Readable content without zooming, pinching or horizontal scrolling
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Touch friendly elements for mobile users
A consistent experience builds trust. When your website behaves predictably on every device, users feel more confident interacting with it.
2. Create Clear and Simple Navigation
Navigation is the backbone of user experience. If visitors cannot figure out where to go, they leave. Good navigation removes friction and helps users complete tasks faster.
Keep these principles in mind:
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Straightforward menus that avoid unnecessary layers
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Familiar labels such as Home, About, Services, Contact
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Clear hierarchy so users know what is primary and what is secondary
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Identical navigation across all pages to avoid confusion
Your goal is simple: guide users to their destination with as few clicks and decisions as possible.
3. Show Which Links Have Been Visited
This small usability detail makes a big difference. When visited links change color or style, users immediately understand where they’ve been and what paths are still unexplored.
Benefits include:
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Reduced redundancy
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Faster navigation
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Less frustration
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Increased clarity when scanning long pages
It’s one of the simplest ways to improve the browsing experience, yet it’s commonly overlooked.
4. Design for Quick Scanning
Most users do not read every sentence on a webpage. They scan for structure, keywords and visual cues that lead them to the information they want. A design that supports scanning feels easier and more intuitive.
Effective techniques include:
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Clear headings and subheadings
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Short, digestible paragraphs
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Strong visual hierarchy that shows what matters most
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Spacing that prevents the layout from feeling crowded
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Strategic use of bold text, icons or color accents
When users can scan your page effortlessly, they find what they need faster, stay longer and convert more often.
5. Double Check All Links
Few things break trust faster than a button or link that goes nowhere. Clicks must lead exactly where users expect, especially on product pages, forms and key conversion steps.
Always test:
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Internal links
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External links
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Menus and dropdown interactions
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Download buttons
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Forms and submission actions
A single broken link at the wrong moment can interrupt the buying process and leave a poor impression of your brand.
6. Make Clickable Elements Obvious
Users should instantly understand what can be clicked or tapped. If something looks like a button but doesn’t work, confusion sets in. If something is clickable but looks like plain text, people miss it entirely.
Make interactive elements clear by using:
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Strong contrast to separate buttons from background
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Familiar button shapes
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Hover or active states that show interaction
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Underlined links where appropriate
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Consistent styling across all pages
When users never have to guess what is clickable, your site feels more intuitive and easier to navigate.
The Don’ts of Web Design
1. Don’t Make Visitors Wait
A slow website is one of the biggest reasons users abandon a page. Modern audiences expect instant access, and even small delays can break their patience. Multiple studies show how heavily load speed impacts behaviour:
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Most users begin to lose focus after about 10 seconds.
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A delay of just one second can reduce conversions by as much as 7 percent.
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Around 53 percent of mobile users leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load.
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Google has confirmed that loading speed is a ranking factor, which means slow pages hurt both user experience and SEO.
Speed isn’t just a performance metric. It directly impacts revenue, user trust and search visibility.
To avoid this, focus on practical optimisation:
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Compress and resize images properly
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Reduce unnecessary scripts and plugins
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Use caching and a content delivery network
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Choose reliable, high performance hosting
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Minify CSS and JavaScript
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Lazy load non essential elements
Every millisecond counts when it comes to keeping visitors engaged.
2. Don’t Open Internal Links in New Tabs
When internal links open in new tabs, users lose their natural browsing flow. The Back button is one of the most commonly used navigation tools, and forcing content into a new tab breaks this expected behaviour.
Internal pages should open in the same tab so users can explore your site comfortably and return to previous pages without confusion.
The only time a new tab makes sense is for external websites, where users might want to return to your site easily after visiting another platform.
3. Don’t Let Ads or Promotions Take Over
Promotions, banners and popups can be helpful when used sparingly. But when they dominate the layout or interrupt the reading experience, they create frustration instead of engagement.
Problems that often occur:
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Users find it harder to locate actual content
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Ads shift the layout, causing accidental clicks
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Distracting visual noise increases bounce rates
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The site appears less trustworthy and less professional
Most people ignore ad-like elements altogether due to banner blindness, a well-documented UX behaviour where anything resembling an advertisement is subconsciously skipped. This means aggressive promotions don’t just annoy users, they also become ineffective.
4. Don’t Hijack Scrolling
Scroll hijacking modifies the default scrolling behaviour. It might scroll too fast, too slow or jump between predefined points, often paired with heavy animations. While it may look impressive during a presentation, it usually feels frustrating in real world usage.
Issues include:
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Users lose control over their own navigation
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Pages feel slow, even when they aren’t
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Accessibility becomes more difficult
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Mobile users struggle with precision
People expect scrolling to behave in a familiar, predictable way. Changing that breaks the sense of comfort and increases abandonment.
5. Don’t Auto-Play Videos With Sound
Auto-playing videos with sound is one of the most universally disliked web behaviours. When users land on a page, they’re often in a public space, working, or browsing quietly. Unexpected audio instantly disrupts their environment.
This leads to:
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Immediate tab closure
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Loss of trust in the website
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Higher bounce rates
If autoplay is essential, keep the sound muted by default and allow users to opt in with a clear play button.
6. Don’t Sacrifice Usability for Beauty
Aesthetic design should never come at the expense of readability or usability. A site can look stunning, but if users can’t interact with it comfortably, the design fails.
Common mistakes include:
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Low contrast text that’s hard to read
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Busy backgrounds behind important content
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Tiny fonts that strain the eyes
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Artistic layouts that make navigation confusing
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Hidden menus that slow down browsing
At its core, design exists to serve the user. Always ensure visual creativity supports usability instead of competing with it.
7. Don’t Use Blinking or Flashing Elements
Blinking content, flashing banners or rapidly animated elements distract users and create visual fatigue. They also pose serious health risks for people who are sensitive to flashing lights and may trigger seizures.
Beyond safety concerns, these elements:
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Look outdated
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Disrupt the user’s reading flow
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Make your site feel less credible
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Reduce trust, especially for professional brands
Modern users expect clean, calm and intentional design. Anything that flashes aggressively is better left out
Final Thoughts
Great web design is about balance. Clear navigation, fast load times and intuitive design help users get what they need. Avoid clutter, distractions and confusing interactions that break trust or disrupt browsing.
Whether you’re creating a new website or improving an existing one, these simple dos and don’ts will help you build a cleaner, more effective and user-friendly experience.
