12 Website Design Mistakes That Might Be Hurting Your Business (and How to Fix Them)
Your website is more than just a thing—it’s the living, breathing space where your audience decides if they want to trust you, buy from you, or click “back” and find someone else. So, if your design isn’t user-friendly, trust-inspiring or inviting, you could be driving people away without realizing it.
As a web designer who specializes in working with tiny businesses, I see a lot of “first draft” websites that people built themselves. Which means I get an up-close and personal look at the most common mistakes that people who aren’t web designers make super often.
The good news? Most website design mistakes are easy to spot and fix when you know what to look for! Let’s break down the most common pitfalls I see in people’s DIY websites, how to avoid them, and some easy ways to make your website shine!
1. Forgetting About Your Mobile Users
Why It Matters
Globally, 58% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site doesn’t look good or work smoothly on a phone, you’re likely alienating a huge portion of your audience.
Think about when you’re visiting a website and you have to squint at tiny text, struggle to click buttons, or deal with a layout or form that just won’t cooperate. Frustrating, right?
Now - and, be honest- is that how people feel when they visit your website? Or, maybe you’re not even sure what your site looks like from a phone!
In the last 30 days, 43% of my website’s users were accessing my site from their phone - to be honest, that’s way higher than I was expecting when I was first building my website.
And, if you’ve worked with me or even scheduled an Intro Chat with me before, you know that a question that I always ask in my get-to-know-you form is simply “Do you have a computer?”
The number of users you have on desktop versus mobile can vary based on who your clients are and what you do, but it’s important to make the assumption that a significant percentage of people will be looking at your site on their phone, and do your best to reach them, too!
The Fix
Remember that your mobile site will look different than your desktop site! A mobile design is NOT the same as a regular website, just shrunk way down.
Use a responsive web design framework that makes it easy to perfect your site for different screen sizes (just one of the many reasons I love building websites on Squarespace!)
Test your site on multiple devices—smartphones, tablets, desktops. Don’t just rely on simulators; real devices reveal real problems!
Focus on “thumb-friendly” design. Buttons and links should be easy to tap without accidentally clicking the wrong thing.
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2. Overloading Pages with Info
Why It Matters
We’ve all visited pages that feel like information dumps. But word vomit is NOT an effective form of communication.
And when you’re DIYing your own website, it’s tempting to put *everything* on your website. In fact, the very first thing that I help my website clients with is narrowing down what’s actually important to have on their website! It’s something almost every entrepreneur struggles with.
When you’re running or starting a businesses, you’re tracking all the details in your head. But you are not your audience. And your customers don’t need or want your entire life story, your return policies, and the nitty gritty of your business operating agreement on one page.
When you put too much on your website, you run the risk of your perfect clients missing the things that are most important for them to see! They need clarity, structure, and a path to follow.
The Fix
Use visual hierarchy to highlight the most important content. Think bold headings, clean bullet points, and a few well-placed images.
Stick to one main idea per page. If you’re tempted to cram everything into one place, break it into subpages or a blog series.
Ask yourself: “What’s the ONE thing I want visitors to do or learn here?” Then, design around that.
Get information-heavy sections off of your website’s main pages. If you want to give your customers a deep-dive into something, post it as a blog! Or, it can sometimes even work in your favor to keep detailed information in a pdf or presentation that you can email out, and invite customers to contact you. This can open the door to a conversation, while keeping your website clear & inviting!
3. Clunky Navigation
Why It Matters
If visitors can’t find what they need in a few seconds, they’re out. Clunky navigation leads to confusion, frustration, and high bounce rates.
The Fix
Stick to clear, concise labels for menu items that match what you tend to see on other websites.
Avoid clever wording that makes people guess where they’re clicking.
NO CLOWN CAR MENUS - keep it simple! No one wants to deal with a dropdown that just keeps going… and going… and going…
4. Questionable Color Combos
Why It Matters
Color impacts everything from mood to readability. Poor contrast or jarring palettes make your site feel amateur and difficult to navigate.
Plus, 12% of internet users over 40 have a moderate to severe visual impairment which affects their ability to read and access visual content online. Legally, you are required to ensure that your website meets accessibility standards.
And beyond that, if you were trying to use a website that was barely visible to you (or not at all)… how long would you keep trying? I could give you the stats on that, but it’s pretty obvious that if you were struggling to use a website, you’d probably just leave and find another one that’s easier to navigate.
The Fix
Ask yourself: “how do I want my website users to feel?” and go from there
For example, I want my users (that’s you!) to feel like web design can be fun. I want LarkAboutDesign.com to feel like a welcoming and creative space where people are allowed to be themselves. I went with a bold main color that you don’t see very often in the traditionally ‘professional’ spaces: purple. Gold and green round out the color palette and bring in a whimsical feeling to it all.
Use a color palette builder. When I’m designing, I LOVE using the site Coolors to build a cohesive palette, and check that the palette has enough color contrast to be accessible in web & graphic design contexts.
(Disclosure: yep, that’s an affiliate link, because I love Coolors so much that I refer people to them all the time!!)Check for high enough contrast between text and background colors. Dark text on a light background (or vice versa) is easiest to read, and necessary to meet web accessibility standards. You can actually do that through Coolors quite easily (another reason I love it!) or put your color codes into a free checker like WebAIM.
Consider color psychology. Want to build trust? Blues are your friend. Want urgency? Add a splash of red—but don’t overdo it! Here’s a few more common associations:
Green - financial, money, calming, nature
Yellow - friendly. creative, young, bright
Orange - powerful, motivated, quirky
Black/White/Grey - minimalistic, modern
Truly the world’s coolest color palette generator!
5. Playing Font Roulette
Why It Matters
Fonts set the tone for your site, but using too many—or the wrong ones—can make your design look chaotic. And don’t get me started on fonts that are impossible to read.
The Fix
Stick to 1–2 complementary fonts. Pair a clean sans-serif for headings (like Montserrat) with an easy-to-read serif for body text (like Georgia). Have I mentioned that Squarespace’s built-in (and gorgeous!) font pairings are just another reason I love Squarespace for tiny businesses?
Always preview fonts on mobile devices. What looks great on desktop can feel cramped on a smaller screen. This goes especially for cursive!
Don’t be afraid to use an interesting font! If you have a brand that’s unique, like my clients Children First or The LaundroMutt do, using an interesting header font can be a great way to communicate to your audience that you do things a little differently!
6. Slow Load Times
Why It Matters
Users expect websites to load in under 3 seconds. Anything slower, and they’re gone. Slow sites hurt your bounce rate and your SEO rankings - that’s right -you’re less likely to appear in a google search if you have a slow website!
Having huge pages or photos, outdated web hosting, lots of complicated animations or videos can all be factors here.
The Fix
Compress large images before uploading them. Tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim can help.
Minimize heavy scripts. If your site runs a dozen plugins, see which ones you can combine or eliminate altogether.
Use tools like PageSpeed Insights to monitor performance and get tailored recommendations.
7. Bland or Missing CTAs
Why It Matters
Calls-to-action (CTAs) are your website’s way of saying, “Here’s what to do next!” Without them, visitors might leave without signing up, buying, or engaging. Just like I mentioned that, when designing, you should ask yourself “what do I want my audience to do on/from this page?”, it’s important to actually give them the clickable ability to do so!
The Fix
Make CTAs visually pop with bold colors and high contrast.
Use action-oriented language like “Get Started,” “Claim Your Free Trial,” or “Join the Fun!”
Place CTAs where users naturally pause, like at the end of a blog post or above the fold on a landing page.
Make it actionable! If your CTA is ‘Call Us Today!’ - make that number a hyperlink that allows people to just click the number to call!
8. Low-Quality Images, or Too Many Stock Photos
Why It Matters: Your visuals should enhance your site, not drag it down. Blurry or pixelated images scream “I’m brand new here!” They should also help tell your story.
Stock photos can feel generic, especially when they’re overused. At best, audiences crave authenticity, and too many stock images can make your site feel disconnected from your brand. At worst, overuse of stock photography will cause your potential customers to think your website is fake, spammy or nefarious.
The Fix:
Doesn’t this photo just look so… natural??
Use original photos wherever possible! Investing in intentional, high-quality visuals that reflect your brand is totally worth it! If a professional photographer isn’t in the budget, spend some time creating a Pinterest board of professional photos & poses that you like, invest a little time in DIY lighting and a thoughtful background, and ask a friend to help you take some updated photos!
Optimize images for the web by resizing them to the appropriate dimensions (anything more than 2000 pixels is going to be too big!) and compressing them for faster load times.
Sprinkle in original photos or graphics throughout your site that reflect your personality and business. If you’re a solopreneur, there should be pictures of you on more than just your About page!
Try to only use stock photos for background images. Stock photography can be a powerful when you use it to enhance the story your website is telling, instead of relying on it for everything. Choose images that are unique, interesting and feel aligned with your brand. Avoid using stock photos anywhere that it could be assumed the photo is of you, your clients, or your work.
Squarespace has a built-in stock photo tool where you can easily find & embed free or paid stock photos, just in case you needed to know another reason I love Squarespace for small businesses!
9. Forgetting About White Space
Why It Matters
White space isn’t wasted space—it’s what gives your content room to breathe. Too little of it makes your site look cramped and chaotic.
The Fix
Use white space strategically around text, images, and buttons to guide the reader’s eye.
Resist the urge to fill every inch of the screen. Sometimes less really is more. (this goes for text AND backgrounds!)
10. Skipping SEO Basics
Why It Matters
A great-looking site doesn’t help if no one can find it. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is your ticket to visibility on search engines like Google and being seen by the people you want to be seen by!
The Fix
Use keywords naturally in your headings, meta descriptions, and content.
Only use ONE H1 per page, and align it with what you expect your users to be searching for on Google.
Make sure every page has a unique, descriptive title tag. Again, this should align well with real search terms your people may actually be searching for on Google!
Keep your site mobile-friendly—Google prioritizes mobile-first design in rankings.
Make sure you’ve taken the time to meet accessibility basics, which brings us to…
11. Skipping Accessibility Basics
Why It Matters
Accessibility isn’t optional—it’s essential. It’s also legally required. Yes - not taking the time to comply with web accessibility standards can actually open you up to legal consequences!
When you skip foundational practices like using correct header types or adding image alt-text, you create barriers for people with disabilities, especially those relying on screen readers.
The great news is that investing a little time in making your site more accessible will also help your SEO, improve every user’s experience, and ensure you’re compliant with web standards! Plus, I think it feels great to know that something as small as how my website is built is helping create a more fair & equitable world for everyone!
The Fix
Use Headers Properly: Stick to a clear hierarchy for your headings. Start with one <h1> per page for your main title, then work your way down in order: <h2> for sections, <h3> for subsections, and so on. Skipping levels (e.g., <h1> straight to <h4>) confuses assistive tech and makes your content harder to navigate.
Add Alt-Text to Images: Alt-text describes images for users who can’t see them. Keep descriptions short but meaningful. Example: Instead of “Picture of a dog,” try “Golden retriever puppy playing in a field.” If an image is purely decorative (like a graphic element used for visual emphasis), leave the alt-text blank to avoid unnecessary screen reader clutter.
Don’t Forget Contrast: Ensure text stands out against your background so everyone can read it comfortably. Tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker can help you nail this every time!
Don’t Put Text INSIDE Of Images. Text that was built into an image (such as in canva), is invisible to screen readers. Best practice is to use the image on the website, and then place the text over top of it in your website builder. As a bonus, this will make mobile resizing better, too!
Is everyone who wants to actually able to see (or read) your website content?
12. Ignoring User Feedback
Why It Matters
Your users are your absolute best resource for figuring out what’s working and what isn’t.
In the world of web design “people should be using the site this way” isn’t good enough. There’s only what people ARE doing, Ignoring their feedback, even if it’s subtle, is a huge missed opportunity to improve.
The Fix
Notice what questions you answer over and over. If people are repeatedly calling or emailing you to ask for information that you have on your website, or calling you to do things that they could have done themselves through the website. This is a big red flag that your site is not intuitive!
Ask people! Run surveys or polls to gather insights, or even ask people when you first meet them if they had any trouble on your site. If you’re just starting out, ask 3-5 friends to visit your website and give you their feedback on how easy or difficult it was to navigate your site.
Use data! Get familiar with Google Analytics, or the analytics built in to your web platform, to track how visitors interact with your site - see where they’re spending the most time, which buttons their clicking, and where they’re jumping ship…
Act on the feedback you receive! Even small tweaks based on user input can make a big difference.
Final Thoughts
Creating a website that’s functional and inviting isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Every tweak you make, every improvement you implement, brings you one step closer to a site that wows your audience and works harder for your business.
If you’re a small business owner DIYing your website, don’t feel like you have to tackle everything at once. Start small: pick one or two changes from this list and implement them page by page. Over time, you’ll transform your site into a user-friendly, trust-building powerhouse.
And if this all feels like too much…
You may want some expert help to make your site shine. Explore my Website Maintenance Plans to see how I can take the stress out of keeping your site in top shape! Let’s work together to fix the hiccups, optimize your design, and create a website you’re proud of.
Or, if you’re ready for a total redesign (no shame! Like I said, I see a lot of first draft websites!), I can help you launch your totally redesigned website up and running- fast! Just check out my Two Week Websites!
Website design is a journey—not a one-time task! Your website can (and should) evolve with your business. Take that first step today, and watch your site (and your business) thrive.
You’ve got this!
Love,
Lark
P.S. I’d be thrilled to chat with you about your website! Drop in for an Intro Chat sometime - I’m here to help, and I can’t wait to meet you!
