12 ways bad web design can hurt your online business

[...]whether you hire a professional web designer or plan to design your site yourself, if you want your online presence to look professional - and keep potential customers from bouncing - avoid these web design no-nos. Having an inconsistent style “If your site has a dissonant color palette, does not follow typographical best practices ([regarding] kerning, leading, tracking, etc.) or uses inconsistent typography [multiple fonts and font sizes], it will not project professionalism to your audience,” and it will likely turn off prospective customers, says Pamela Webber, CMO, 99designs. Not making your logo clickable/go to the home page “According to KoMarketing, 36 percent of visitors will click the company logo to reach the home page,” says Laura Casanova, creative director, ONTRAPORT. Using obviously fake or stock images “While the use of stock photography may enhance elements of your website’s design, using these photos to represent your people [or products can come across as cheesy or inauthentic],” says Russell Frazier, digital marketing specialist, Visigility. Legal disclaimers will still be allowed, of course, but [sites] trying to get your email address before allowing you to read a blog post [or whatever content you were searching for] may start to [see a] drop...