Did you know that 88% of users do not return to a website after a poor experience?1 According to the Baymard Institute, this is one of the key reasons why companies lose customers—often without even realising it. You too may be losing users every day due to UX mistakes… without being aware of it.
In this article, I will present the most common UX mistakes that can generate financial losses and explain why fixing them requires the support of a specialist.
Don’t waste my time—do not force customers to think
What is the most valuable thing in a person’s life? For some it may be family, for others—friends, health, or a good job. Yet none of these aspects of life can be truly enjoyed without sufficient time—a resource that cannot be bought or retrieved. A moment that has passed will never return, and the next one will be entirely different.
Although this may sound philosophical, it is of great importance—particularly today, when we are overwhelmed by an excess of information and constant rush. People value their time and want to use it wisely. This applies equally to online activities and digital products such as websites, platforms, and mobile applications.
Well-designed websites and applications allow users to interact with them easily, pleasantly, and quickly. Intuitive navigation and good UX design encourage users to make purchases and to use the services you offer in the digital space.
Common UX mistakes that may cost you a great deal
The purpose of good UX is to “satisfy” the user by providing the fastest and simplest possible path when interacting with your product. How can this be achieved? Above all, by avoiding the following common mistakes.
Complicated and unintuitive navigation
Research conducted by Microsoft Research proves that if a customer does not find a product or service within 10 seconds, they abandon further exploration of the site. 2
Users expect to find products quickly and efficiently. If these expectations are not met, they will most likely feel frustrated and leave the site. Websites and mobile applications with illogical or unpredictable navigation are especially problematic. When navigation is not intuitive, users lose valuable time searching—and usually abandon the process before they even begin.
You should therefore avoid:
- complicated menus,
- poorly labelled categories,
- lack of clear indication of the user’s location on the site,
- lack of an easy way to return to the previous page or to the homepage.
How to fix poor navigation?
Simplify the navigation structure using information architecture principles and established conventions—for example, by placing the company logo in the header and linking it to the homepage.
For more complex websites, usability testing can be key. Such tests show whether users understand the proposed solution and how quickly they are able to achieve a specific goal.
Lack of mobile optimisation
Data from the last quarter of 2024 shows that mobile devices (excluding tablets) accounted for 62.54% of global web traffic.3
Today, the mobile phone has largely replaced the computer, and most of us carry it with us at all times. This makes mobile optimisation absolutely critical. A poorly functioning mobile site will immediately deter customers, as they will struggle to use it effectively. Furthermore, if the mobile version is not responsive, the site will rank poorly in Google—the most widely used search engine.
What does poorly optimised mean in mobile sites?
The biggest problems with poorly optimised mobile sites include:
- poor readability due to very small text,
- buttons and clickable elements that are too small.
As a result, the user must rotate the phone or manually zoom in to read the content, which significantly complicates or even prevents them from accessing your product or service.
Key principles of a well-designed mobile site
The foundation of a modern mobile site is—above all—full responsiveness (RWD), which ensures automatic adaptation of layout and elements to the screen size and orientation. To achieve this, try taking these steps:
- use legible font sizes (14–16 px for main text and buttons),
- apply appropriately sized clickable areas (at least 40 × 40 px, as recommended by Google Material Design),
- ensure navigation is intuitive, (for example a clear “hamburger menu”),
- avoid horizontal scrolling or the need to rotate the phone.
Unclear and poorly placed calls to action
A call-to-action (CTA) button is one of the most strategic elements of any digital product. It leads the user to a key action, such as making a purchase. A well-designed CTA shortens the path to the goal and eliminates hesitation. A poorly designed CTA discourages users and sometimes even prevents conversion.
What does poorly designed CTA button look like?
A poorly designed CTA button:
- lacks contrast with the background and “disappears” within the layout,
- contains confusing or overly long text,
- is placed in a location where the user will not notice it in time.
Remember—users do not analyse websites like detectives. If they are forced to guess what will happen after clicking, they simply will not click.
What should well-designed CTA button look like?
According to provided data, a well-designed CTA button should:
- be clearly visible, preferably on the first screen,
- contain short, specific text such as “Buy now”, “Register”, “Download for free”,
- stand out from the rest of the page with strong contrast and a distinctive colour.
Slow page loading
This may result from unoptimised graphics, heavy code, or poor prioritisation of resources. Although this is a technical problem, it directly affects UX—impatient users simply leave in search of a faster site. The lack of information about the progress of loading may evoke anger, and—as the website appears outdated and unprofessional—the brand suffers.
How to fix it?
If a page requires more time to load, displaying a skeleton screen is preferable to showing a blank interface. A skeleton screen acts as a placeholder for the final layout, helping reduce the perception of waiting. It typically consists of muted, animated shapes that approximate the structure of text, images, and other key elements.
Another option is to use a loading indicator, such as dynamic progress bar or countdown, to communicate the loading process status. By keeping users informed of progress, you can reduce frustration, lower bounce rates, and improve brand perception.
Complicated and lengthy forms
Every additional form field increases the risk of abandonment. Research by Nielsen Norman Group shows that reducing a form by even one field can increase conversions by several percentage points—which may translate into thousands of pounds in revenue annually.
For example:
An online shop form has a conversion rate of 10%. After removing one question, the conversion rate increases to 11%. If 100,000 users start the form annually, that additional 1% means 1,000 more completions. If each completion is worth £4, that equals an additional £4,000 in annual revenue.
Improving UX on your own is a bad idea
Making changes without expertise is like shooting with your eyes closed—you may get lucky, but the odds are against you. What seems obvious may not be the real problem, and fixing the wrong element may even damage what was working well.
UX is more than just appearance. Tailored UX is built on analysis of user behaviour and testing with real users. Functional and aesthetic details make the difference—and without specialist knowledge, these details are often missed.
Your time is just as valuable as your customers’ time. Instead of experimenting for years, it is better to work with an expert who can design solutions that improve user satisfaction and deliver measurable financial results.
How to assess your digital products in terms of UX?
The most effective methods include:
- UX audit: analysing user behaviour and data from tools such as:
- Google Analytics 4: tracking interactions, conversions, and marketing effectiveness,
- Google PageSpeed or Lighthouse: measuring website performance,
- Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity: click maps and heatmaps for analysing user behaviour.
- User testing: understanding real needs and barriers.
- UX workshops: identifying problems, creating solutions, and aligning them with business goals.
Does your company need a UX expert?
Answer “YES” or “NO” to the following:
- Do users often abandon their shopping cart?
- Does your bounce rate exceed 50%?
- Does your website work slowly or less smoothly on mobile devices?
- Has it been a long time since your last UX test with real users?
If the answer is “YES” to even one of these, it is time to consult a specialist.
Summary
Well-designed UX is not a decorative detail but the foundation of a successful digital business. Avoiding common mistakes, testing solutions, and optimising user experiences translate directly into higher conversion, stronger customer loyalty, and measurable profits.
At Infinity Group, we know how to combine aesthetics with functionality to create digital products that truly work. If you would like to improve the UX of your website or application and increase user satisfaction, complete the form below and we will contact you to plan effective solutions for your business.
