5 Website Design Mistakes That Kill Trust (And How to Fix Them With Real Examples)

Most websites don’t fail because of bad products—they fail because of bad design decisions.

In this teardown, I’ll show you 5 common website design mistakes that instantly kill trust, clarity, and user engagement. And I’ll show you how I fixed them using actual UX best practices—with full before-and-after visuals.

1. Cluttered Navigation That Overwhelms the User

Problem:

The original site used a two-row navigation bar—one for primary links and another for CTAs like “Where to Buy.” It bloats the layout and forces users to think too much before they even scroll.

Why It’s a Mistake:

🔹 Breaks visual hierarchy

🔹 Confuses the user’s eye

🔹 Wastes vertical space on desktop

Fix:

I collapsed the nav into a single streamlined row. Primary links stay accessible, while secondary CTAs are styled distinctly but don’t demand a whole row of their own.

Side-by-side comparison of two-row nav (before) vs single streamlined nav (after)

2. Low-Quality, Generic Imagery That Feels Stocky

Problem:

The homepage relied heavily on generic, stock lifestyle images that looked disconnected from the product. It screamed “template.”

Why It’s a Mistake:

🔹 Feels impersonal and inauthentic

🔹 Hurts brand credibility

🔹 Creates emotional disconnect

Fix:

I replaced the imagery with a warm, product-centric visual: a steaming teacup with heart-shaped steam. It feels intentional, on-brand, and instantly communicates warmth and care.

Side-by-side of generic stock photo vs branded product-centric hero image

3. Text Over Image = Instant Readability Fail

Problem:

Multiple blocks of text were placed directly over busy images—often with no background treatment or contrast management.

Why It’s a Mistake:

🔹 Creates readability issues

🔹 Violates accessibility best practices

🔹 Looks unpolished

Fix:

I applied proper contrast strategies—like darkening the image behind text or moving it outside the image block entirely.

Example of hard-to-read text over image (before) vs high-contrast or separated layout (after)

4. Baked-In Image Text That Breaks Accessibility

Problem:

Some of the most important headlines were baked into images instead of being actual HTML text. For example: “2 Cups to Goodness” is just part of a JPG.

Why It’s a Mistake:

🔹 Screen readers can’t read it

🔹 Google can’t index it

🔹 It won’t scale responsively

Fix:

I rebuilt all sections using live text layered over clean visuals, styled identically but now fully readable by both users and machines.

Image of baked-in text vs same layout rebuilt using HTML/CSS text

5. Inconsistent Spacing That Feels Chaotic

Problem:

There was no spatial system in place. Some elements were cramped, others floated awkwardly. It felt like a patchwork rather than a grid.

Why It’s a Mistake:

🔹 Breaks flow and scannability

🔹 Reduces perceived polish

🔹 Makes hierarchy unclear

Fix:

I introduced a tight, modular spacing system with consistent padding, margins, and content width. Every section now flows naturally.

Highlight spacing inconsistencies (before) vs aligned modular grid (after)

Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Copy Trends—Fix What’s Broken

The difference between a mediocre homepage and a high-performing one isn’t flashy animations or trendy design—it’s clarity, consistency, and intentionality.

This teardown shows how fixing just a handful of real-world UX mistakes—bad navigation, poor contrast, weak hierarchy—can totally transform user perception and trust.

No matter how big the brand, visual credibility is earned, not inherited. Users subconsciously judge whether a site feels trustworthy within the first few seconds—and that judgment is almost never about the logo or color palette. It’s about clarity. Is the layout clean? Is the spacing intentional? Is the imagery authentic? If any of those feel off, the whole experience collapses. That’s why seemingly small changes—like improving line height, tightening layout rhythm, or replacing stock photos—have outsized effects. They signal care, quality, and professionalism in a way users can’t always articulate but instantly feel.

🎁 Want the Full Figma File?

Every fix you saw above—spacing rules, contrast overlays, hierarchy systems—is fully documented in the Figma file.

🟦 Get access to the full redesign file on Patreon

Includes:

• All sticky notes and critiques
• Organized layers + frames
• Visual language decisions
• And every single improvement step