Four Common (and Preventable) UX Fails to Watch Out For
You’ve launched your ad campaign. The strategy is set, the landing page is live, and everything looks ready to convert. But then, your bounce rate spikes.
High bounce rates are common in online advertising, but sometimes campaigns don’t fail because users leave… they fail because users never arrive properly in the first place.
That’s where good UX design (user experience) makes all the difference. UX doesn’t start on your landing page, it begins the moment a potential customer sees your ad and clicks through.
Let’s explore four common UX mistakes that can derail your campaigns, and how to avoid them.
1. “We Don’t Trust You.” Broken Links & Poor Hosting
The Problem
Imagine spending your marketing budget driving clicks… only for customers to land on a 404 error page.
It happens more often than you’d think. Some agencies cut corners with hosting, using free-tier DDoS protection servers instead of reliable cloud-based hosting. The result? Broken pages, downtime, and wasted ad spend.
Why It Happens
When staging servers are hosted cheaply or not properly configured, they can fail under real-world traffic loads. This leaves users with broken experiences and brands with shattered credibility.
Why It Matters
Users decide within seconds whether to stay or leave. A broken page tells them everything they need to know, and they’ll never come back.
The Solution
A strong technical foundation is part of great UX. Marketers don’t need to be developers, but understanding basic hosting choices can prevent expensive mistakes.
How Think Does It
At Think, we host all websites on cloud-based servers using two separate environments:
- Staging – for design, navigation, testing, and security validation.
- Production – the live environment for end users.
We use a CI/CD pipeline (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery) to ensure every code update is tested, secured, and delivered to the right environment — guaranteeing uptime, speed, and stability.
2. “You Can’t Trust Us.” — No SSL or Secure Connection
The Problem
Nothing scares users away faster than a “Your connection is not private” warning.
If your site doesn’t have an SSL certificate, browsers flag it as unsafe — signalling that personal data may be at risk.
Why It Happens
An SSL certificate is easy and inexpensive to set up, yet some businesses still skip it. The result? Lost trust, reduced conversions, and lower SEO rankings.
Why It Matters
Modern regulations like GDPR require encryption for any transaction or personal data transfer. In short — no SSL, no credibility.
The Solution
Always ensure your website and landing pages use HTTPS instead of HTTP. It’s a simple fix that builds instant trust.
How Think Does It
Every website we build comes with a secure SSL certificate by default, protecting data, users, and your brand reputation.
3. “Loading…” Slow Websites & Plugin Overload
The Problem
Your website takes forever to load. The culprit? Too many plugins and tracking tags.
Each plugin adds more external requests, slowing down your page. Platforms like WordPress can become bloated with unnecessary add-ons, directly impacting speed and performance.
Why It Matters
- Google actively downgrades slow websites in search results.
- Users expect pages to load in under 3 seconds. Anything longer causes them to leave.
The Solution
Be strategic about the tools you use. Limit plugins to essential functions, test their impact on performance, and ensure your server software is always updated.
From a UX perspective, simplicity wins. Focus on what benefits the user — not just your analytics dashboard.
How Think Does It
We build websites using custom plugins tailored to each client’s needs.
This ensures:
- Faster load times
- Fewer vulnerabilities
- A smoother, safer user experience
No unnecessary add-ons — just efficient, high-performing code.
4. Stop Using ReCaptcha
The Problem
ReCaptcha might protect your website from spam, but it also frustrates real users.
Those “click all the traffic lights” moments? They’re conversion killers.
The Solution
Replace ReCaptcha with human-friendly spam prevention tools that don’t interrupt the customer journey. Modern security solutions can distinguish bots from real users without friction.
At Think, we always prioritise security without sacrificing UX.
In Conclusion: UX Starts Before the Click
Good user experience doesn’t begin on your landing page, it starts the moment someone interacts with your brand.
And remember: you might not notice these UX issues yourself because your browser caches your site. Always test your landing pages across different browsers and devices to ensure consistency.
Want to Improve Your UX?
If you suspect your business might be suffering from these common UX pitfalls, we can help.
Let’s review your website, identify friction points, and optimise your customer journey from click to conversion.
👉 Get in touch with Think and discover how our UX design and development process ensures a seamless experience for your users, every time.
