Web Design Mistakes That Hurt Conversions
People tend to underestimate how much a bad website can negatively affect the way people perceive your business. Think about it — if you land on a website that is a disaster, does that make you feel confident in that business? Or does it make you think that that business is going to be a disaster in other areas too? Probably the latter.
But what actually makes a website a “disaster”? Well, quite a few things.
Web design mistakes that hurt conversions
We all want our website to impress our visitors. And 94% of that first impression comes down to design. If your website has any of these common mistakes, you’re likely losing leads without even realizing it.
Not optimizing for mobile
People are checking out your site from all kinds of devices — phones, tablets, laptops — and your website needs to look good and work on every single one. But let’s be honest, mobile is where a lot of businesses miss the mark. If your site looks messy, cuts off text, or makes people pinch and zoom just to read, they’re probably going to leave.
In fact, 57% of people say they wouldn’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site. And if they’re not recommending you? Yeah… they’re likely leaving too.
Choosing hard-to-read fonts
You want your brand to stand out — totally fair. But if your fonts are hard to read, visitors won’t stick around long enough to care. Tiny text, overly fancy fonts, or colors that blend into the background? That’s going to hurt your conversions.
Remember, it only takes 0.05 seconds for someone to form an opinion about your website. They’re not going to waste time trying to decode your headlines.
Choosing bad color combos
Your colors shouldn’t distract from your message and the wrong color combination can make your website look amateur or confusing.
So, if your colors clash or your text disappears into the background, you could be losing customers without even realizing it. Keep it clean, consistent, and easy to read. And always double-check for accessibility.
Not including enough call-to-actions
Your website should guide people, not leave them stuck wondering what to do next. If there aren’t enough call-to-action (CTA) buttons — like “Book a Call,” “Shop Now,” or “Get in Touch” — you’re making it harder than it needs to be.
You don’t have to shove CTAs in their face, but they should be easy to spot and show up more than once. Make taking action simple.
“Hiding” important pages
Your most important pages — like your services, about, or contact page — shouldn’t be hard to find. If they’re buried 5 pages deep into your website, people are going to get frustrated and leave.
The truth is, most visitors won’t spend time searching around. 61% say they’ll leave a site if they can’t quickly find what they’re looking for. That’s why your navigation needs to be clear, simple, and designed to help people get to the right information fast.
Including bad-quality images
Nothing drags down a website faster than blurry, stretched, or low-resolution images. You could have a gorgeous layout, but if your visuals look sloppy, people won’t take your brand seriously.
46.1% of people judge your site’s credibility based on visuals like images. So, invest in clean, high-quality photos — whether that’s professional shots or great stock images — that reflect your brand and actually look good.
Making your website cluttered
Too much going on? That’s a fast way to overwhelm your visitors. Cluttered designs with a million fonts, crowded layouts, or distracting animations confuse people, and when people are confused, they leave!
84.6% of web designers say clutter is the biggest mistake small businesses make. Clean, simple designs keep your site easy to navigate, help your content stand out, and make your business feel more professional. Don’t be afraid of white space because the right amount can help your message land.
Not optimizing your website’s speed
Looks aren’t everything, your website also needs to be fast. You could have the most beautiful website ever, but if it takes forever to load, no one’s sticking around to see it.
47% of people will leave if your site doesn’t load within two seconds. Speed matters for user experience, conversions, and even SEO. Compress your images and videos, and make sure your site runs smoothly on every device.
What Makes a Website Actually Work?
You know what hurts your website, but what helps? A website that converts usually comes down to three things:
It’s easy to explore
It feels credible and trustworthy
It guides your visitors to take action
Good design is part of it, but so is your content, your structure, and how clearly you explain what you do. A good website makes people feel confident working with you and keeps them around long enough to take that next step.
Want to learn more?
Hopefully, you now have a better idea of the common web design mistakes that quietly hurt conversions — and how small changes can make a big impact. If you want help creating a website that looks great, works on every device, and actually converts, explore our web design services, small business-friendly Squarespace templates, or check out more of our blog content for practical website tips.
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