6 Web Design Mistakes That Are Costing You Clients and Revenue

Your website might look good, but your business can still lose customers over it. 

Most of the time it’s not because your services aren’t good, but because the website makes people work hard to understand what your business is about, why they should trust and choose you, and where to go next. People don’t wait around, especially online, where every new piece of information is just a click away. If the answer isn’t obvious, they will go to another source of information and action. 

In this article, we’ll break down the most common web design mistakes that are costing you money, and show you practical ways to fix them.

Is Your Website Helping or Hurting You?

When people come to us for website redesign work, a common issue we see is pretty websites that don’t actually tell the story of a brand. The homepage uses broad, generic messaging, the layout doesn’t guide visitors, and the call to action is either unclear or buried beneath 10 scrolls. The result is predictable: visitors arrive, but enquiries don’t.

Before you go into fonts, layouts and colors, it would be better to do a quick check test. 

From what we’ve seen of the field, most website design problems aren’t design problems, but clarity problems. If a visitor can’t understand what you do, trust you, and take action quickly, the website isn’t doing a good job.

The Three-Minutes Website Test

Here’s a simple self-test you can do in under three minutes. Ideally, open your website on mobile while doing this, because that’s how a large portion of your visitors will see it.

Ask yourself:

1. Can your visitors understand what you do within 5 seconds?
2. Is your main CTA (Call-To-Action) visible without scrolling (in the hero section)?
3. Does your website work smoothly on mobile?
4. How straightforward is it to contact you?
5. Does the website feel trustworthy after 5 seconds?

If you answered no to two or more of these questions, your website probably has a design issue worth fixing, and it’s likely affecting your sales more than you realise.

Mistake #1: Your Website Doesn’t Communicate What You Do Fast Enough

To understand web design mistakes and how to fix them, we first need to watch and analyze human behaviour. This is something our UI and UX design team does intuitively and deliberately, especially when starting a new web design process. 

One of the most common reasons a website looks professional, but still doesn’t generate enquiries is clarity. When someone lands on your homepage for the first time, they should understand what you do almost instantly. If they have to scroll, dig through blocks and pages, or decode indistinct language, you’re asking for too much effort that probably won’t pay off for the visitor. Instead, they’ll leave your website and try another company whose website communicates more clearly and effectively.

The problem is usually the messaging and not the design itself. Many businesses lead with headlines that sound smooth and catchy but don’t actually say anything. Things like “innovative solutions” or “helping businesses grow” could apply to almost any industry out there. They don’t tell visitors what you offer, who it’s for, or why they should choose you.

How To Fix Vague Communication On Your Website

The fix is often simple and does the job. To improve this, you don’t need a total website redesign. 

Start by rewriting your homepage headline to clearly state what you do and who you help. Then add a supporting line that explains the outcome people can expect. Finally, make your call to action (CTA) obvious and specific. “Book a call” or “Request a quote” works far better than vague buttons like “Learn more.” 

If you’re not sure whether your messaging is helping or hurting your business, this is exactly the kind of issue a proper website audit can catch before you lose customers.

Mistake #2: Your Web Design Structure Doesn’t Guide Visitors Towards an Action

Your messaging is clear, but your website still struggles to convert. This is because the design doesn’t guide people through the website and naturally towards an action.

Think of the homepage of your website like a conversation with a visitor and potential customer. If the structure is messy or the important parts are buried, people won’t naturally move from interest to trust to action. They will scroll, feel unsure, and leave your page if they don’t get the answers they’re looking for. All that because you didn’t make the next step obvious.

The homepage should feel like one story and not a collection of unrelated sections. You might have services, blog posts, an ‘About Us’ section, random banners, multiple buttons, and different messages all competing for visitor’s attention. Individually, these pieces aren’t wrong, but together they create unnecessary noise.

How To Fix Page Structure

Fixing this problem also doesn’t require a full website redesign. Most of the time, you just need a stronger page flow.

The top of the site should capture attention with a clear message and one strong action. Next, visitors should see what you offer, followed by proof of credibility, such as testimonials, reviews, and client logos, and then an intuitive path to contact information.

If your current design feels too scattered and crowded, it may be worth looking at a more conversion-focused redesign approach.

Mistake #3: Your CTA Are Weak, Confusing, or Easy To Miss

Business owners won’t guess this at first, but confusing, hidden or too many CTAs (Call-To-Actions) are a major reason why websites get visitors, but still don’t get enquiries. A person might like what they see, feel interested, and even trust the brand, but if it’s not obvious what to do next, they’ll move on. 

A weak call to action often shows up as vague buttons like Learn more or Read more everywhere on the site. These buttons aren’t wrong, and they have a place, the issue is that they don’t match what people actually came for. Most visitors aren’t looking to read more – they’re looking to solve a problem, and that’s how you should approach CTA buttons. They want to ask, request a quote, book a call, or speak with someone. If your CTA doesn’t reflect that intent, you’re adding friction that probably won’t end up in sales or conversions.

How To Fix This With One Clear CTA

The fix is quite straightforward: choose one primary action for each key page and make it easy to spot. For most business sites, something direct like Book a Call or Request a Quote works best.

Keep it consistent across the site with the same wording and button style, place it near the top of the page, and repeat it naturally after you’ve shown key trust points like services, testimonials, or results.

Mistake #4: Your Website Is Optimized For Mobile, But It’s Annoying To Use

Many businesses approach website development with the knowledge and idea that yes, the website should be optimized for mobile. But what business owners don’t always realise is that mobile visitors aren’t a small group anymore, but they account for more than half of all website visitors who land on your website. So if your website is even slightly confusing on mobile, you’re losing enquiries without even realising it.

This mistake usually isn’t obvious when you’re reviewing your own website, especially on a large screen. But on a phone device, what looks like a small problem becomes an obstacle fast. 

Text feels tiny, paragraphs look like walls of text, buttons are difficult to tap, menus are too big or too small, and pop-ups block half the viewport. Even when the content is good, people leave if using the site on mobile feels like too much effort, because effort is exactly what users try to avoid online.

The easiest way to spot this issue is to open your homepage on your phone and try to complete a basic task like finding your services or sending a message. If anything feels slightly irritating, chances are your visitors feel it too.

How To Fix Mobile Usability Issues

A practical fix is to simplify the mobile experience on purpose. Make text larger, shorten sections, break long paragraphs into smaller ones, and keep key buttons visible and spaced out.

Contact forms should also be minimal, because it feels like filling out a job application, you’re losing potential clients right at the finish line. The experience on mobile isn’t just a user preference, it affects conversion, trust, and even SEO rankings.

Mistake #5: Your Website Has Too Many Pages and It’s Confusing Visitors

You may think otherwise, but more pages doesn’t mean a better website. In fact, one of the most common web design mistakes we see out there is websites that have so many pages and items that visitors feel overwhelmed and confused. Your website should guide visitors towards a decision or action, not make them figure it out.

This is often the case when a website grows over time, but not much effort is put into structuring and filtering the new content. A business might add a new service, then another one, then a new blog category, then three more, and before you know it, the navigation becomes a long list and users have to guess where to click for answers they are looking for.

Visitors are looking for quick confirmation that you can, in fact, solve their problem, and if they can’t find the information easily, they’ll just leave and try someone else.

It’s a matter of trust as well. When people land on a site with endless pages and unclear structure, it can feel messy or outdated, even if the business is excellent at what they do. The experience becomes overwhelming, and the visitor stops feeling sure they’re heading the right way.

How To Fix Overcomplicated Navigation

The resolution to this design problem isn’t to delete everything and start fresh. The fix includes organising your content so the site feels easier to use.

Start by simplifying your top navigation to only the pages people actually need, such as core services, about, and contact page. Group related services under one section instead of giving each one a top-level menu slot. You can still keep detailed pages, but they should be reachable through internal links, not forced into the main menu. Visitors should never feel like they have to search your website to understand you.

Mistake #6: Your Website Has No Trace Of Human Elements

This one is subtle, but it matters a lot: if your website doesn’t show any real human presence, people will not trust it as much. Even if your company is legitimate and your work is excellent, a website that feels faceless can create hesitation with potential customers. Visitors may not find it suspicious, but they’ll feel uncertain, which is enough to stop them from contacting you.

This usually happens when a site relies heavily on stock imagery, generic icons, and abstract visuals but never shows the actual people behind the business. No team photos, no real office shots, no behind-the-scenes details. It’s all polished, but it doesn’t feel personal. Most clients aren’t just buying a service; they’re choosing a company they feel comfortable doing business with.

How To Make Your Website Feel More Human

The fix can be surprisingly simple. Add a genuine team section to your homepage, include real client stories in your testimonials section, show photos from real projects, and use language that sounds like a real business talking to a real person seeking a solution. Small additions can help your website shift from feeling just designed to credible and approachable, which will attract visitors and future clients.

The Next Step

If, while reading this, you spotted a few mistakes on your website, don’t enter panic mode just yet. Most websites don’t need a full website redesign to start performing better. As a matter of fact, the improvements that get the most results are usually the simplest, such as clearer messaging, fewer visual (and content) distractions, and a more intuitive path to action. 

We would suggest starting with what affects conversion the most. Look at your homepage headline and opening section and ask yourself whether visitors can understand what you do quickly. 

Then review your navigation and page structure, especially on mobile. Make sure visitors can easily find your key services and contact options without having to think. 

After that, focus on trust and credibility. Add human elements, testimonials, real photos, and clear company details that reduce doubt.

Finally, check that your call to action is obvious and consistent across pages. When your site makes everything effortless, visitors are far more likely to enquire.

If you’d rather not guess, this is where a professional website audit service makes sense. A structured review can show what’s holding your site back, what matters most, and what to change first without wasting time on cosmetic tweaks.

How Ginger IT Can Help You Fix These Web Design Mistakes

Most website design mistakes are quietly making you lose money and leads. They show up as small moments of confusion, hesitation, or friction that cause visitors to leave before they reach out.

The strongest websites are the ones that make everything simple: understand the offer, trust the business, and take the next step. This is exactly where a professional web design agency makes a difference. If you’re investing in growth this year, your website should be doing more than just looking good.

If you knew that a few focused improvements could turn your website from a digital brochure into a consistent source of qualified leads, would you still wait? That’s where thoughtful strategy and experienced execution make all the difference.