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 Plannerto 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.
When it comes to running an online business, most entrepreneurs don’t think twice about signing up for the latest software, tools, or subscriptions. You might have multiple social media scheduling tools, a handful of email marketing platforms you’ve tested, and a collection of memberships you rarely use. But what about your website, the one digital asset that serves as the foundation of your brand?
Many business owners neglect website maintenance, yet it’s one of the most crucial investments you can make. While you might think of your website as something you “set and forget”, the reality is that regular website maintenance is key to keeping it running smoothly, secure, and optimised for growth.
Why Website Maintenance is an Investment, Not an Expense
Your website isn’t just an online business card, it’s your 24/7 storefront, your credibility builder, and often your first impression. If you’re not maintaining it properly, you are leaving money on the table and putting your brand at risk.
Here’s why ongoing website maintenance is essential:
1. Security & Protection
An outdated website is a prime target for hackers and cyber threats. Regular website maintenanceensures that security patches, software updates, and backups are in place to protect your site and your business.
2. SEO & Search Rankings
Google prioritises websites that are fast, well-maintained, and provide a great user experience. Broken links, slow loading speeds, and outdated content can harm your search rankings and make it harder for potential clients to find you.
3. User Experience & Performance
Have you ever visited a website that was slow, had missing images, or didn’t function properly on mobile? Chances are, you left within seconds. Your clients will do the same if your site isn’t well-maintained. A seamless user experience builds trust and keeps visitors engaged.
4. Brand Credibility & Professionalism
A neglected website can make your brand look outdated or untrustworthy. Regular updates, fresh content, and a well-functioning site show potential clients that you take your business seriously.
5. Avoiding Costly Fixes
Think of website maintenance like car maintenance, regular checkups prevent bigger, more expensive problems down the line. If you ignore small issues now, they can turn into major technical problems that cost you time, money, and lost business.
6. Keeping Up with Business Growth
As your business evolves, so should your website. Whether you’re launching new services, updating your brand messaging, or adding new features, maintaining your site ensures it continues to support your business goals.
The Cost of Neglecting Website Maintenance
While you might think skipping website maintenance saves money, it actually costs you in the long run. Here’s how:
Lost clients and revenue due to a poor user experience
Lower search rankings, making it harder for potential customers to find you
Security breaches that can damage your reputation and cost thousands to fix
Technical breakdowns that require expensive emergency repairs
Investing in Monthly Website Maintenance
Instead of waiting until something breaks, a monthly website maintenance plan ensures your site stays secure, optimised, and working for you 24/7. A proper website maintenance plan includes:
✔️ Software & security updates
✔️ Performance optimisation (speed, mobile responsiveness, etc.)
✔️ Regular backups
✔️ Content updates and SEO improvements
✔️ Fixing broken links and technical issues
✔️ Analytics monitoring to track site performance
Is Your Website Working for You or Against You?
If your website isn’t actively supporting your business, it’s time to change that. You wouldn’t ignore maintaining your physical workspace, why neglect your digital one?
👉 Ready to ensure your website is in top shape? Let’s talk about how a website maintenance plan can save you time, money, and stress. Book a call today to get started!
When I talk to coaches and business owners about their tech stack, I often find they’re subscribed to multiple tools – many doing the same job. They jump from platform to platform, convinced that the next tool will be the game-changer they need. But in reality, these extra subscriptions aren’t solving the real issue, they’re just draining your budget.
And yet, many of these same business owners aren’t investing in the ONE thing that actually matters: their website.
Maintaining your website and investing in a good website maintenance package should be a top priority, but it often falls by the waste side, forgotten and deemed unimportant and unnecessary.
Where Is Your Money Really Going?
Take a moment to list out every software tool, membership, and subscription you’re currently paying for. How many do you actually use every week? How many are gathering virtual dust while quietly charging your card every month?
Now, ask yourself: Are you neglecting your website, the foundation of your brand, while paying for things that don’t directly impact your success?
The Hidden Cost of Ignoring Your Website
Your website is your brand’s first impression. It’s where potential clients decide if they trust you enough to book a call, buy your offer, or join your list. If your website is outdated, slow, or full of broken links, you’re losing business without even realising it.
Yet, many business owners don’t invest in website maintenance because they think, “I’ll deal with it later.” But waiting until your site crashes, gets hacked, or stops converting leads is far more expensive than proactive upkeep.
Why Website Maintenance is a Smart Investment
A well-maintained website:
✔ Keeps your brand looking polished and professional ✔ Ensures fast load times and a smooth user experience ✔ Protects against security threats and costly downtime ✔ Helps with SEO rankings so new clients can actually find you ✔ Supports your business growth by staying up-to-date with your offers and content
If you’re willing to spend £50+ per month on software you barely use, why not invest in something that actually impacts your credibility and conversions? Your website should be working FOR you, not sit there neglected while you chase the next shiny tool.
It’s Time to Prioritise What Matters
Before you subscribe to another unnecessary tool, take a step back. Cut the tech clutter and redirect that budget into maintaining and optimising your website.
Need help making sure your site is working at its best? Let’s chat about a website maintenance plan that keeps your brand running smoothly and effortlessly attracts your dream clients!
When it comes to leveraging your time, automation is the sharpest tool in your CEO toolbox. While automation helps streamline your business, one of the most overlooked areas for conversion is your sales page. With a few simple tweaks, you can optimise your sales page to turn more visitors into paying clients.
Your website isn’t just a digital storefront, it shouldn’t just sit there. It’s a powerful tool that can work for you 24/7 when used correctly. With the right approach, you can optimise your sales page to convert more visitors into leads and boost your conversions with more paying clients.
Here’s how to make it happen.
Use Your Blog to Build Your Mailing List
If you’ve been in business a while, you likely have opt-in forms on your website already. If not, I would encourage you to set this up. They are usually found in the sidebar or maybe the footer, and you might even have a pop-up to capture attention as visitors are about to leave.
But do you have a solid call to action at the end of your blog posts? When a new reader is finished consuming your posts, she’s primed to learn more. Give her the opportunity by offering an opt-in at the end of each post.
Even better, make it a logical next step by creating a related offer for each post. Called a content upgrade, these offers typically consist of a simple checklist or worksheet, and capture attention by providing even more information about a topic they’re already interested in.
Make Your Call to Action Impossible to Miss
Your sales page should guide visitors toward one clear action, whether that’s signing up for a freebie, booking a call, or making a purchase. But if your CTA is hidden, unclear, or competing with other distractions, you’re losing conversions.
Use contrasting colours for buttons so they stand out as your ideal customer scrolls your page.
Keep the text action-oriented (e.g., “Get Instant Access” or “Book Your Free Call” instead of “Submit”).
Repeat your CTA throughout the page NOT just at the bottom. People scroll at different paces, so give them multiple chances to take action.
Build Trust With Social Proof
A sales page without social proof is like an empty restaurant, people will hesitate to commit. Adding credibility through testimonials, case studies, or logos of clients you’ve worked with can significantly boost conversions.
Feature real testimonials with names and photos where possible.
Show before-and-after results if applicable.
Include trust signals like media features, certifications, or guarantees.
Keep Them Engaged with Internal Links
How often do you revisit old blog posts to connect them with newer content? This small but powerful SEO and engagement tactic keeps visitors on your site longer and provides them with more valuable information.
Not only is this strategy good for keeping visitors on your site, but Google approves as well. Posts that link to each other encourage search engine bots to crawl your site more thoroughly, and help boost the rankings of your most relevant posts.
Optimise your sales page further by including internal links that guide visitors toward your core offers. Directing traffic strategically ensures that readers move seamlessly from valuable content to conversion opportunities.
Optimise Your Download & Thank You Pages
Whether you’re giving away a free report or paid product, your download pages can do some heavy lifting for you by offering visitors a “what’s next” option. For free download pages, a related, low-cost product is best. It gives readers the chance to learn more about you with a small investment.For paid products, consider offering a complementary product instead. And if you’re using a double-opt-in mailing list, make use of that confirmation page, too! That’s the perfect place for a quick upsell or an invitation to join you in your Facebook group or follow you on Instagram.
Always Offer the Next Step
Every page on your website should have a purpose. When a visitor finishes reading a blog post or scrolling through your sales page, what happens next? If you’re not guiding them, they’re likely to leave without taking action.
A good rule of thumb: Every page should direct the visitor to the next logical step – whether that’s signing up, booking a call, or exploring another piece of content.
Need expert help optimising your sales page? Let’s chat and create a high-converting page that works for you!
As a web designer, essential website design tools are the foundation of every project. From creating beautiful designs to optimising performance and ensuring smooth workflows, each tool plays a critical role. Whether you’re a DIY website builder or looking for insight into how a professional streamlines the process, here’s a behind-the-scenes look at my go-to toolkit.
Website Design & Development Tools
WordPress
My go-to platform for building dynamic, scalable websites. It offers flexibility, a vast plugin ecosystem, and full control over design and functionality. It’s the only website platform out that I believe really grows with your business.
Themes & Page Builders
Divi by Elegant Themes – A powerful, all-in-one builder with drag-and-drop functionality.
Elementor – An intuitive, user-friendly builder that allows full customisation without coding.
Kadence WP– A lightweight, performance-focused theme that makes website handovers seamless for clients.
Graphic & Mockup Tools
Canva – Perfect for creating graphics, social media visuals, and mockups.
Figma – Used for high-fidelity wireframes and collaborative design work.
Automation & Productivity
Zapier – Connects apps and automates workflows, saving time on repetitive tasks.
Notion – My favourite and no. 1 go to to run my business and to collaborate with clients. I have dashboards and client portals for organising projects, tracking progress, and managing client work.
Asana – My previous go to for working with clients. A great project management and collaboration tool to keep communication all in one place.
Email & Marketing Tools
Kit (formerly Converkit)– My choice for email marketing automation and lead nurturing. Easy to use, can embed forms and landing page designs into the pages on your websites and their new Creator Network helps you to build and grow your community and connections as an entrepreneurs as well as your email list.
Colour & Typography Resources
Coolors – A great tool for generating colour palettes quickly.
Adobe Color – Allows you to upload an image and generate a colour scheme based on its tones.
Google Fonts & Creative Market – My go-to sources for typography. There are also many great places for free fonts across the web.
Why These Tools Matter
These tools form the backbone of my workflow, ensuring smooth website builds, efficient collaboration, and streamlined client handovers. Whether it’s crafting a seamless design, optimising performance, or automating repetitive tasks, each tool plays a key role in delivering high-quality results for my clients.
Are you building your website and feeling overwhelmed by the choices? Or do you need a professional to bring your vision to life? Let’s chat and see how we can make your website work for you!
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