The Biggest Mistakes Designers Make on Their Own Websites (And How to Fix Them)

Yes, even designers need guidance when it comes to their own websites! Just because you can design doesn’t mean you’re automatically nailing the strategy behind your own site. And let’s be honest—sometimes we’re too close to our own work to see where we’re going wrong.

If you’re struggling to convert visitors into clients, you might be making one (or all) of these common mistakes. Let’s break them down and, more importantly, talk about how to fix them.

Mistake #1: Trying to Serve Everyone and Their Brother

This is the biggest mistake designers make—thinking they need to offer everything to everyone. The logic seems sound: more services = more potential clients, right? Wrong.

When you try to appeal to everyone, you actually end up appealing to no one. Clients don’t want a jack-of-all-trades; they want a specialist who understands their specific industry and needs.

Here’s an example:

Sally is looking for a website designer for her beauty business. She lands on your site, but all she sees is a general list of services—branding, web design, SEO, social media, e-commerce, logo design, copywriting… the list goes on. Sally has no clue if you’re the right designer for her because your website is too broad.

Then, Sally finds another designer whose website says:

“Helping beauty professionals build stunning, high-converting websites.”

Boom. That’s exactly what Sally was looking for. Who do you think she’s going to hire? (Spoiler: It’s not you.)

But what if you don’t want to niche down to just one industry? That’s okay! You can still serve multiple industries while showcasing your expertise in a specific way. Instead of saying you do “all the things,” position yourself as:

• A Shop Expert helping businesses launch high-performing e-commerce sites
• A Luxury Branding Specialist for high-end service providers
• A Template Customization Pro for entrepreneurs using Showit

The key is to clearly define what you do best so potential clients can immediately recognize that you’re the right fit.

Mistake #2: Not Listing Packages & Pricing

If your website doesn’t include clear service packages and pricing, you’re making things way harder than they need to be—for both you and your potential clients.

I learned this the hard way. When I first started offering Showit Template Customizations, I was constantly answering emails like:
❌ “What’s included in your services?”
❌ “How much does this cost?”
❌ “What’s the process like?”

Then, I made a change. I created a detailed services page with:
✅ Three clear package options
✅ Pricing for each package
✅ Exactly what was (and wasn’t) included
✅ A step-by-step breakdown of the process

What happened? I started booking 3 to 10 clients every single month—without the endless back-and-forth emails. Clients landed on my site, saw what they needed, and were ready to book.

Still worried about listing your prices? Here’s the truth: if someone can’t afford you, hiding your rates isn’t going to magically change that. But if they can afford you, having transparent pricing builds trust and makes them more likely to book.

Mistake #3: Slow Response Times to Inquiries

This one’s simple but so important: If you wait too long to respond to a potential client inquiry, you’re probably losing them to another designer.

Let’s be real—when someone fills out your contact form, they’re likely reaching out to multiple designers at the same time. If you don’t reply within a reasonable time frame, they’re moving on.

Ideally, aim to respond within one hour. If that’s not realistic, at least reply within 12 hours—not days later. A quick response signals professionalism and gives you a higher chance of securing the client before they go elsewhere.

The Bottom Line

If your website isn’t bringing in the clients you want, take a step back and ask yourself:

1. Am I trying to serve everyone instead of showcasing my expertise?
2. Do I have clear packages and pricing that make it easy for clients to say yes?
3. Am I responding to inquiries fast enough to keep potential clients engaged?

Fix these three things, and watch how quickly your website starts working for you instead of against you.