When it comes to building a website, it’s easy to get caught up in the fun parts like choosing the colours, picking fonts, and imagining how amazing it will look. Without a solid plan, your website could end up confusing visitors, missing key features, or failing to attract the right clients. Here are 5 common website planning mistakes that could cost you clients.

To make sure you set yourself up for success, grab my free Website Planner to help you map out every detail before you dive into the design!

1. Skipping Strategy & Jumping Straight to Design

One of the biggest website planning mistakes business owners make is diving into the design phase without a clear strategy. Your website isn’t just about looking pretty, it needs to work for your business.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Defining your website’s primary goal (e.g., booking calls, selling products, growing your email list).
• Identifying your ideal audience and how your website will serve them.
• Planning out key pages and the messaging for each one.

2. Not Mapping Out the User Journey

If visitors land on your site and don’t know what to do next, they’ll leave. A confusing or poorly structured website can cost you potential clients.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Creating a clear, logical flow from one page to the next.
• Having a strong call to action (CTA) on every page.
• Making it easy for visitors to find the most important information.

3. Overloading with Features (or Having Too Few!)

Some business owners get carried away with all the bells and whistles; fancy animations, pop-ups, and too many pages. Others go the opposite route and create a bare-bones site that lacks crucial information and feels bland, even unprofessional.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Prioritising the features and content that actually enhance the user experience.
• Keeping your site streamlined but informative.
• Ensuring every element serves a purpose.

4. Ignoring SEO & Mobile-Friendliness

Your website needs to be easily discoverable on search engines and work seamlessly on all devices. If your site isn’t optimised for SEO or mobile, you could be losing traffic and potential clients. Read The Ultimate Guide to SEO over on the Yoast Blog, one of my favourite SEO plugins for WordPress.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Using keywords naturally throughout your content.
• Optimising images and page speed.
• Ensuring your site is responsive and mobile-friendly.

5. Forgetting About Future Growth

Your business will evolve, and your website should be able to grow with it. If you don’t plan for future changes, you may find yourself needing a complete overhaul sooner than expected.

Avoid this mistake by:

• Choosing a flexible platform that allows for updates and expansion.
• Thinking ahead about features you might need as your business grows.
• Keeping your design simple and scalable.

Avoid These Website Planning Mistakes – Plan Your Website the Right Way

Avoiding these mistakes will save you time, money, and frustration—and set your website up for success from the start. To make the planning process even easier, I’ve created a free Website Planner that walks you through each step.

Grab your free Website Planner here and start building a website that attracts, engages, and converts the right clients!

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