7 Poorly Designed Websites in Singapore (Updated 2021)

(Updated in November 2021)

Compared to the past where web design was not as prominent, the majority of websites have transitioned to having a decent web design today.

However, there still exists certain websites in Singapore cyberspace which have not been able to keep up with the change. This is not just a pain point for users but a grave mistake any web owner can make.

It is vital to know that a few bad components of web design is sufficient to affect user behaviour and lower conversion rates.

Let’s take a look at some examples of poorly designed websites below.

8 Examples of Badly Designed Websites & How We Will Fix It

1. iPlan Pte Ltd – Unreadable Website with Poor Aesthetics

At first glance, this web design throws viewers off the page.

Similar to a newspaper article layout, there is a lot of text and information in the page that makes it look noisy and the user would not know where to focus their attention on.  

Such a bad corporate website which is unreadable immediately stops users from further navigating through the site. Without being able to interpret the messaging well, there is little to no chance for conversion. 

2.  Stevenlim.net – Poor Landing page with Excessive Clutter

This website has been noted for a poor landing page with excessive clutter.

Having too many information on a single page results in “endless scrolling”. When users have no options to navigate, it is highly unlikely that they will stay and scroll through an entire page.

This in turn also affects the loading speed of the site which could display poorly when accessed via a mobile browser.

It is important to keep in mind that various users access a website at various internet speeds. Hence, if the loading time takes longer than usual, they will most likely leave the site.

Furthermore, flashy fonts and bright text highlights have been used in this website. This can cause eye sore and discomfort when reading a text. Cramming a website with redundant details should be avoided as well.

3. Huashin Trading (S) Pte Ltd – Unoriginal Website Layout

It is easy to make use of stock templates and images to fill a site. However, it does not bring freshness nor make it any more distinctive from other sites.

The presence of stock images and old-fashioned menu bullets makes this entire site unoriginal. There is plenty of unused space which could have been better utilised to include information such as promotions or client testimonials.

The only good part of this site is that there are not as many flashy tones and colours used as the other sites. Given that differentiation is a core component to any business, it is necessary to portray that with original content always.

It is not wrong to use templates, however, it does affect user behaviour on their perception of the business. It is also not surprising to find a dozen other websites that looks similar.

Therefore, a simple change that can be made is to replace all generic images to personal images, so as to create a first good impression. 

5. Multi-Stream – Unresponsive Website Composition with Poor Layout

As seen in the image, the entire website seems to be scrunched to the left.

This instantly becomes unappealing to the eye as the text is heavily reduced. It is also a waste to leave the right side of the page empty. There is also only one small CTA button to showcase their solution.

Needless to say, given that unresponsive web design is one of the main factors for a higher bounce rate, this website is definitely one of the worst that has highly likely faced conversion losses.

6. Memories Souvenirs Pte Ltd – Confusing Navigation

This website is an example of unclear categorisation or navigation. It has been designed without any specific path of direction, which causes confusion when browsing through the site.

All their products have been listed twice, as you can see the second half of the page. Their products are listed vertically. This took up half of the webpage and has to be scrolled down when they should remove the listings below.

This is an example of an e-commerce website design that seems to be short of such prominent CTA buttons. Even though there are clickable navigations to access their different products and services, CTA buttons could help direct their users better to their desired information.

For a user who has to scroll repeatedly for every link clicked, it is confusing. There is clearly no justice done to the e-commerce web design. 

7. Craigslist – Poor Usability and Navigation

When a website is prominently used, it is necessary to check on its’ usability and navigation. Craigslist has been around for decades and yet their website remains the same since 1995. Their website does not have a clear navigation, where all their content is dumped on their landing page.

Users have to click on individual links to and sift through pages and links to find what they actually need on the site. The navigation is so poor that users need to go back and forth from the landing page and the links. There is also no pictures, logos or banners within the website.

Instead of containing too many options on a single page, it is better to have a more stringent direction of path for users.

This will ensure that users are led to their desired information without any hassle and minimal effort.

8. Khemcos – Short of Prominent CTA Buttons and Lack of Navigation

Having prominent Call-To-Action (“CTA”) buttons is crucial as it determines certain decisions that users make when browsing a site.

CTA buttons helps web owners focus their users’ attention on specific areas, which increases the chances of them acting to the intended purpose.

However, for this website, there is no CTA buttons or navigations. There is a distinct lack of information for user to understand their business or products.

The Elements of Web Design that Builds Conversions

While there are numerous design factors that contribute to building conversions, focusing on a few major ones will help achieve a closer to target outcome.

Let’s take a look at some of the main elements of web design that builds conversions without killing it. 

1. Readability 

Searching or reading information on a website should be eye-friendly without causing strains. Fonts that are tough to read should be avoided regardless of the design.

Line spacing should be consistent and the design should be easy to scan through text. This is such that if users are not able to easily scan through a site, it is highly likely they will leave the site.

2. Responsiveness & Mobile-Centric Design

There has been increasing views of websites on other devices apart from desktops. A good web design should ideally respond well to the user’s behaviour and environment based on screen size, platform and orientation.

With more websites accessed through mobile browsers and tablets today, there is potential conversion loss at the moment it lacks responsiveness.

There are however many great tools to test responsive web designs such as “Responsinator” and “Screenfly”.

3. Aesthetics 

The entire presentation of a website can change the way users feel about a web owner. Apart from the right choice of font styles, colour schemes and use of space, it is also important to choose high quality personal images.

Generic pictures i.e. stock photography and templates should be avoided as much as possible. This is because it is easy to pick out the difference when the images used do not resonate to the messaging. It will cause disruptions in conversion.

Cluttering of text and images should also be reduced, directing attention to only at places where necessary. 

Conclusion

Normally, websites that are messy or ugly can give a bad impression. However, it is found that some of these are acceptable to specific target audiences.

An example of the above would apply to e-commerce sites such as Qoo10.com. Even with plenty of images and text, they are able to obtain attention and traffic.

Moreover, some websites that have poor user interface or navigation are also proved to convert better. This is such that they force their users to behave in a way that benefits the bottom dollar.

Hence, it is essential to consider from different perspectives as well during web design. A thorough research about the target audience, and their current engagement in the marketplace should be analysed accordingly.

On the whole, when our conversion rate falls below expectations, there are chances that we have erred in our web design. Hence, we should always evaluate and test the different elements on our page and fix them accordingly.

As our website is our sales tool, we will be a step closer to drawing more users when we stay clear of our mistakes. A pleasing web design will always be a magnet to attract potential leads and steer them towards conversion. 

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