Common Mistakes When Commissioning Website Design (and How to Avoid Them)

A good website design is essential, especially in a dynamic, competitive, and visually appealing market like Miami and South Florida. Having a digital presence is no longer an option for businesses; it’s a necessity.

However, many entrepreneurs and business owners make significant mistakes when commissioning website design for their brands or companies.

I’ve seen it time and again in businesses in South Florida and surrounding areas: sites that don’t work, that don’t sell, that don’t reflect the essence of the business, or that end up being an expense rather than an investment.

This text is addressed to you, the director, manager, or business owner who needs to design your website and isn’t sure where to start. Therefore, today I want to share with you the most common mistakes I’ve observed when developing websites, as well as real solutions to avoid them and ensure your website becomes a useful, visible, and profitable tool for your business.

1. Lack of clarity about website desin objectives

A website without defined objectives is like a store without an address. Do you want to sell? Attract clients? Showcase your portfolio? Provide information? Every design and content decision must serve a specific purpose.

Without that focus, the page ends up generic, confusing, and ineffective.

2. Falling in love with the design alone (and forgetting the user)

Of course, we all want a visually appealing website design, but if that aesthetic hinders navigation, loading speed, or the user experience on mobile devices, you’re not gaining anything. Remember: a page that looks good but doesn’t convert is useless.

The ideal is to find the balance between aesthetics, functionality, and ease of use.

3. Ignoring search engine optimization (SEO)

This is one of the most serious mistakes. Many business owners believe that having a website is enough. But if it’s not optimized for Google, their website simply doesn’t exist. Furthermore, in many cases, the content doesn’t exist, or the client delivers unstructured texts, without keyword research, or worse, copied directly from the competition.

This not only affects your ranking, but can also have legal consequences.

Content must be original, strategically thought out, and structured using typographic hierarchy: H1 headings, H2 subheadings, well-organized paragraphs, and text enriched with keywords and synonyms.

In other words, if you want to be found, you need an SEO-oriented content strategy from the start. You can read more about this topic here.

4. Lack of original images or photos

Nowadays, when artificial intelligence and stock image databases are ubiquitous, seeing real photos of a business generates immediate trust. It’s important to show authentic images of your team, your products, your physical space, etc.

While sometimes it’s valid to supplement with stock image databases, my recommendation is:

• Prioritize real photos of yourself.
• If you use stock images, make sure they are high-quality, realistic photos.
• Avoid AI-generated images as much as possible, as they may seem unbelievable or very artificial.

5. Lack of knowledge of the most appropriate technology for the business

Not all platforms are suitable for everyone. Many clients choose tools like Shopify simply because they’ve seen them or were recommended to them, because, in theory, it’s a do-it-yourself solution, without knowing if they fit their business model.

For example, if you already have a registered business, your payment processor, a shipping service contract (UPS, USPS), and your inventory and products… then you don’t need Shopify, which is designed for models like dropshipping and charges additional fees for each transaction and shipment, and where growing your site can represent a high cost.

In these cases, WordPress with WooCommerce is more website design flexible, affordable, scalable, and easy to maintain. It also allows you to provide access to different members of your team with different roles: administrator, content editor, store manager, SEO specialist… all without relying exclusively on a programmer. This option is valid if you’re going to have an online store or a site that simply promotes your services. Another very common mistake is confusing a CRM (Customer Relationship Manager) with a website design platform, which is incorrect. Although they can design landing pages, they are not the right platform for designing a scalable website over time. However, it is important to verify that your CRM can be integrated into a new website. If you want to learn more about CRM, click here.

In addition, you also need to evaluate the best hosting or server option for your business. Your website will be hosted there, and the space, services, and costs may vary depending on the company you choose.

6. Ignoring Maintenance and Updates

Another common mistake is thinking that a website is something you launch and forget about, and failing to anticipate who will perform maintenance. Managers are often focused on finishing a web project and delivering it as quickly as possible, ignoring the fact that after the project is delivered, every website requires maintenance, content updates, product renewal, security reviews, promotion uploads, SEO optimization, among other things.

Choosing a platform like WordPress, which is scalable and allows for delegating tasks, ensures that you won’t rely on a single programmer or designer to make changes.

Your internal team must have access and basic training to be able to make changes and updates. This is key to the sustainable digital growth of any business.

7. Lack of clear calls to action

A website design without calls to action is like a conversation that goes nowhere. Buttons like “Schedule your appointment,” “Request a quote,” “Buy now,” or “Write us on WhatsApp” should be visible and clear. The structure should guide the user to a decision without effort or confusion.

Each section should have a clear and persuasive call to action. Don’t assume the visitor will know what to do: guide them.

8. Choosing website design templates or themes with limited resources

This happens frequently with WordPress: a free template is chosen without sufficient design or integration resources. While it’s understandable to look for affordable options, free templates often limit your ability to customize, add features, or integrate marketing tools.

An initial investment in a good, professional template tailored to your needs and goals can save you a lot of headaches later.

9. Choosing the Least Suitable Designer for the Project

We’re used to thinking that graphic and web designers are multifunctional, but this is sometimes not the case. A website requires multidisciplinary knowledge, which often a single person doesn’t have. Consider everything mentioned above: UX/IX design, content writing, SEO, photography, and much more. Sometimes you can’t get all of this from a single person, but you can from a team.

In any case, conduct an interview with the professional you chose, ask the right questions, and analyze the answers, their portfolio, and their experience.

Also, if possible, assign someone from your company with sufficient knowledge to manage or oversee the project. My personal opinion is that it should be the marketing manager, but that depends on each business.

If you’re offered website designs using Canva, Wix, or Shopify, or a design based on a unique coding (Java, for example) that only they know how to master, I recommend moving on to the next one on your list.

Communication between you and your designer should be trustworthy, with precise instructions from you and transparent solutions from the designer.

🧩 How to avoid all these mistakes?

Based on my experience not only as a designer, but also as a Marketing Manager, Project Supervisor, and Consultant, I’ve put together a practical guide of tasks and recommendations to avoid these errors and achieve a functional, profitable website design that represents your business:

✅ Define your objectives from the beginning

Your website should have a mission: to sell, inform, position your brand, capture leads… Whatever it is, it has to be clear from the start.

✅ Design with your users in mind

Run tests, check how they navigate, ask yourself if everything is clear, and if they can act quickly. Aesthetics should serve usability.

✅ Create original and structured content for SEO

Write unique texts. Use relevant keywords. Organize with H1 and H2 headings, short paragraphs, and a visual hierarchy. Don’t copy content. SEO isn’t magic, it’s strategy.

✅ Use real images

Do photoshoots if necessary. Your team, your product, your space. That builds trust. Combine stock images if you need to, but be judicious.

✅ Evaluate the platform carefully.

Who will make the changes? How much does it cost to maintain? Is it scalable? Can your team use it? Is the hosting adequate? Can my CRM be integrated?

WordPress + WooCommerce is usually the best option if you already have a business infrastructure.

✅ Plan maintenance.

Define a responsible person or internal team that can update the website. Train them. Organize roles. A website without updates quickly becomes obsolete.

✅ Include calls to action in each section.

Get the visitor to take action: buy, write, call, schedule. Don’t take anything for granted. Design to convert.

Thoughtful conclusion.

A website isn’t just a business card. It’s the digital heart of your business. A tool to communicate, sell, position, and connect in an increasingly digital world where people often search for information with a click instead of calling you or driving to visit your store or business. Therefore, it must be built strategically, keeping the customer, search engines, growth, and the authenticity of your brand in mind.

I invite you to leave your opinion and questions in the comments below; I’ll be happy to answer them.

If you’re in Miami, South Florida, or anywhere else in the world and need a professional, optimized website tailored to your business, we can help. Contact me through CarlosApitz.com or our marketing agency, Link Team LLC. We have an experienced team ready to guide you through the entire process.