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Question: What is the most common design mistake small businesses make?

  • Costco Alderwood

    Lynnwood, WA

  • Snohomish River

    Snohomish, WA

  • Kent Valley

    Kent, WA

  • Sunrise

    Puyallup, WA

  • Bellevue Square

    Bellevue, WA

  • Redmond Town Center

    Redmond, WA

  • Kerry Park

    Seattle, WA

  • Mount Rainier National Park

    Mount Rainier, WA

  • Meydenbauer Bay Park

    Bellevue, WA

  • Renton Southport

    Renton, WA

  • South Lake Union

    Seattle, WA

  • Mount Rainier National Park

    Mount Rainier, WA

  • Boeing Renton Factory

    Renton, WA

  • Lynnwood Convention Center

    Lynnwood, WA

  • Lynnwood Recreation Center

    Lynnwood, WA

  • Sunrise

    Puyallup, WA

  • Everett Waterfront

    Everett, WA

  • Edmonds Bowl

    Edmonds, WA

  • IKEA Renton

    Renton, WA

  • WA State Fair

    Puyallup, WA

  • Alderwood Mall

    Lynnwood, WA

  • Mill Creek Town Center

    Mill Creek, WA

  • Brooklyn Bros Pizza

    Mill Creek, WA

  • Weyerhauser Aquatic Center

    Federal Way, WA

  • Kirkland Homeport Marina

    Kirkland, WA

  • Train Track in Edmonds

    Edmonds, WA

  • Alderwood

    Lynnwood, WA

  • Pioneer Park

    Puyallup, WA

  • Bellevue Downtown Park

    Bellevue, WA

  • Sunrise Park

    South Hill, WA

  • Theatre District

    Tacoma, WA

  • Lighthouse Park

    Mukilteo, WA

  • Lumen Field

    Seattle, WA

  • Point Ruston

    Tacoma, WA

  • Lake Tapps

    Lake Tapps, WA

  • Green Lake

    Seattle, WA

  • Meydenbauer Bay Park

    Bellevue, WA

  • West Valley Highway

    Kent, WA

  • Mill Creek Town Center

    Mill Creek, WA

  • Downtown Everett

    Everett, WA

  • Lake Sammamish State Park

    Issaquah, WA

  • Ballard Locks

    Seattle, WA

  • MOHAI Seattle

    Seattle, WA

  • Everett Marina

    Everett, WA

  • Lincoln Park

    West Seattle, WA

  • Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park

    Renton, WA

Author: Jake Ni
|
Published: Apr 02, 2026
|
Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Answer:

The speaker does not reduce this to one single issue but instead describes it as a combination of common mistakes. The biggest one is not having strong call-to-actions. A website is not just supposed to sit there and look pretty. Its function is to help convert visitors into paying customers. If there are no clear actions such as “Call Now,” “Text Now,” “Contact Us,” or “Get a Quote,” the site is already missing one of its most important jobs.

The second major mistake is the misuse of colors. Businesses sometimes choose colors that do not fit their industry or brand identity. A law firm, for example, should not look overly casual or playful if it wants to be perceived as serious and trustworthy.

The third major mistake is choosing the wrong font. Typography has to match the business. Formal businesses need formal or clean font choices. A highly decorative or unserious font can immediately hurt credibility.

So the speaker’s broader point is that small business websites often make mistakes not just in one area, but across multiple brand and usability elements. Calls to action, colors, and fonts all need to support the same professional message.

Summary:

The answer identifies three especially common design mistakes on small business websites: missing call-to-action elements, poor color choices, and poor font choices. The speaker emphasizes that a website is a functional business tool, not just an aesthetic object, so failing to include action-oriented prompts is a major problem. He also explains that colors and typography send immediate signals about professionalism, industry fit, and brand tone. When those signals are wrong, the entire website can feel less trustworthy. The key message is that website design mistakes often happen in combination, and businesses need to think holistically about function, branding, and usability rather than evaluating each visual choice in isolation.

About the Author

Jake Ni

Account Executive at 1 Stop Link

Jake believes that small businesses are the backbone of America.

They deserve to benefit from the latest technology that fail to trickle down from "big tech".

With expert local knowledge and over 7 years of industry experience, he's ready to help you build a top tier web presence!

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