Don’t Let a Pretty Page Undermine a Powerful Message

We’ve all been there. You’re building your website and stumble across a font, a color palette, or a graphic element so beautiful it practically sings to you.

Maybe it reminds you of something personal. Maybe it’s just objectively gorgeous. Either way, you love it—and you want it front and center.

Here’s the hard truth: just because something is beautiful doesn’t mean it belongs on your website.

Pretty Doesn’t Always Equal Purposeful

Let’s get one thing clear: design is incredibly important. Good design builds trust, invites engagement, and reflects professionalism.

But when design starts to overpower clarity, or worse, confuses your visitor, it's doing more harm than good.

Take a permanent makeup site I came across recently. It was absolutely covered in bold, blush-toned roses on a black background. It was undeniably elegant. Romantic, even. But it didn’t say anything about what the business actually does. A visitor could scroll for ten seconds before realizing they weren’t on a florist’s page.

That’s the kind of disconnect that costs you trust—and ultimately, clients.

Why We Cling to Pretty Things

It’s human nature. We’re drawn to things that feel familiar, comforting, or aesthetically pleasing.

For a lot of people, their website is an extension of themselves, so of course, they want it to reflect their personal taste. That’s not a flaw. That’s authenticity. But when personal preference hijacks the customer experience, you start designing for yourself instead of your audience.

And when that happens, your website stops working as a tool to grow your business.

Let Function Lead Form

Here’s a simple but powerful mindset shift: Every design choice must serve your message.

Ask yourself:

• Does this image clarify or distract?

• Does this font enhance readability or hinder it?

• Does this layout make it easier for someone to understand what I do and why it matters?

If the answer is no, it doesn’t matter how much you love it. It needs to go.

This is where minimalism isn't just a trend—it's a discipline. Simplicity forces focus. In industries like law, real estate, therapy, or consulting, where trust is currency, clarity trumps clever every time.

The Danger of Mismatched Visual Cues

Think of your website like a storefront. If you walked past a bakery with high-end chandeliers, velvet curtains, and baroque gold signage, you might think you were entering a jewelry shop. And if you're craving bagels, you'd probably keep walking.

That’s what happens when visual design tells the wrong story.

One consultant I spoke with had a homepage full of tropical imagery—ocean waves, palm leaves, blue and green overlays. It was calming, sure. But she wasn’t running a wellness retreat. She offered high-level strategic business consulting. Her visuals needed to reflect precision, confidence, and expertise, not vacation vibes.

When Pretty Gets in the Way of Flow

There’s another layer to all this: even if the design is lovely and on-brand, it can still throw a wrench in the site’s flow.

Websites should gently guide visitors through a journey - from first impression to action. That means strategically placed headlines, buttons, visuals, and text blocks that move someone along without friction.

But when a decorative element steals attention or interrupts that path, your visitor stalls. Or worse, they bounce.

Picture this: a call-to-action button blends in because the background image is too busy. Or a carousel of photos hijacks the top half of the homepage, forcing visitors to wait for a message that should be immediate. These are common mistakes that stem from a focus on how a site looks over how it works.

If someone has to hunt for how to contact you, book a call, or understand what you do, your design is working against you.

Clarity = Confidence

A clear website says, "I know who I am, what I do, and who I serve."

It’s amazing how many leads convert simply because someone lands on a site and instantly feels understood. That doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from intentional design that supports a clear message.

Here’s what I encourage my clients to clarify before any design work starts:

• What problem are you solving?

• Who are you solving it for?

• What transformation do you deliver?

If your design doesn’t spotlight those answers, it’s not helping.

Design with Your Future Clients in Mind

I know the temptation to use design as a creative outlet. But unless web design is your zone of genius, that choice could be hurting your business more than helping it.

I once created a website for an upscale health store that had this gorgeous looping video of mountain landscapes (they were in the Pacific Northwest). It looked incredible. But it distracted from the hero headline and pushed the call-to-action below the fold. We replaced it with a clean still image of the product line and what they sold immediately became front and center.

Sometimes less truly is more.

Tips for Keeping Beauty and Clarity in Balance

• Use mood boards early. Before you design, clarify your brand personality and customer vibe.

• Lead with your core message. Nail your copy before you choose a font.

• Avoid over-designing. If you're layering textures, shadows, gradients, and animations, step back.

• Ask fresh eyes. Get feedback from someone who doesn’t know your business. What do they think you do?

• Remember mobile. What looks elegant on desktop might become a cluttered mess on a phone.

• Follow the flow. Make sure every element leads the visitor naturally to the next step, not away from it.

When to Bring in a Pro

If all of this feels overwhelming, that’s okay. You don’t have to be a design expert to have a website that works. But you do need one that reflects the clarity, credibility, and professionalism of your business.

This is exactly where a skilled designer can make the difference. I know how to turn a vague brand vision into a strategic website that connects with your audience, not just impresses them visually.

You can absolutely start on your own. But if you’re spinning your wheels, second-guessing your choices, or not seeing results, it might be time to collaborate with someone who can bring it all together.