Is Your Website Designer Actually Hurting Your Business Growth?

Look, we get it. Hiring a website designer seems like a good idea. They promise you a slick-looking site, tell you it’ll be “the best investment you’ll ever make,” and charge you a premium for the privilege. But here’s the hard truth: not all website designers are created equal, and some of them could actually be hurting your business growth. Yes, you read that right. Your so-called “expert” might be doing more harm than good.

Let’s break down the ways your website designer could be killing your growth—because if they’re doing any of these things, it’s time to reconsider your choice.

1. They're Prioritising Design Over Functionality

Flashy designs, animated backgrounds, fancy fonts—your designer is probably more concerned about impressing you with how "cool" the site looks than making sure it actually works for your business. Sure, your website might look like a piece of modern art, but if it’s confusing to navigate or takes forever to load, you’re going to lose customers.

Customers don’t care about your “innovative” design if they can’t figure out where to click, how to buy, or why your site is slower than dial-up internet. People want speed, clarity, and an easy way to get what they need. If your designer is obsessed with looks over function, your business growth is going to hit a wall.

2. Your Site Isn't SEO-Friendly

You know what's worse than an over-designed website? One that no one can find. If your designer isn't building your site with SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) in mind, good luck getting any organic traffic from Google. SEO isn’t some magical pixie dust you can sprinkle on later—it needs to be baked into the foundation of your site from the start.

A pretty site that ranks on page 17 of Google is about as useful as a parachute that opens after you’ve hit the ground. If your designer doesn’t understand SEO or thinks it’s not “their job,” you’re basically invisible to the people searching for your services.

3. Mobile? What Mobile?

If your website designer isn’t making your site mobile-friendly, you might as well be throwing customers out the window. Newsflash: Most people are browsing on their phones. If your site looks great on your 27-inch monitor but is a train wreck on a mobile screen, you’re in trouble.

A clunky, non-responsive mobile experience will turn people away faster than a 404 error page. Your customers are going to bounce right out of your site and land on your competitor’s, who actually took the time to make sure their site works on every device. If your designer doesn’t get this, they’re stuck in 2010, and that’s bad news for your business growth in 2024.

4. They Don’t Care About Load Times

Here’s a fact: website load times can make or break your business. If your site takes longer than three seconds to load, more than half of your visitors are already gone. People aren’t sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting for your beautiful graphics to load—they’ll leave before they even see it.

And when people leave quickly, Google notices, and it punishes you. That’s right, slow sites rank lower in search results. So if your designer is more interested in cramming the page with giant images and video backgrounds than making sure the site is fast, you’re not just losing customers—you’re losing SEO points too.

5. They're Trapping You With Custom Platforms

Some website designers love locking clients into custom platforms that no one else can manage. Maybe they’ve coded the site in some obscure way or use a system that’s completely unique to them, which sounds cool—until you want to change something.

Suddenly, you need to go back to them for every tiny tweak, every update, every little modification. You’re stuck, and they know it. This kind of dependency stifles your ability to be agile and make necessary updates to keep up with trends, user needs, or your evolving business.

If your designer has built a site that only they can maintain, you’re paying them for every minor change forever. That’s not just bad for your growth—that’s outright hostage-taking.

6. They Don’t Know Your Business

This one’s simple. If your website designer hasn’t taken the time to understand your business, your target audience, or your goals, what exactly are they building for you? Your website needs to be more than just pretty—it’s a tool to help you generate leads, drive sales, and grow your business.

A designer who doesn’t ask the right questions or understand your market can’t possibly build a site that converts. If your website isn’t solving your business problems or driving revenue, what’s the point?

7. They're Overcharging for a Subpar Product

Here’s the kicker: some designers will charge you through the nose for a site that isn’t even worth it. You’ll pay thousands for a site that’s slow, clunky, poorly optimised for search, and a pain to update. Meanwhile, you could’ve had a fully managed, high-performance site for a fraction of the cost.

Real example

I worked with a bloke a while back who was starting his own publishing business. I helped him kickstart his website and dealt with a lot of content updates, primarily around ensuring samples that he was sending out to organisations were always readily available. There's nothing worse than sending something to a client only for them to be met with a 404 not found error so managing these assets effectively in a way that was easily understood by him was critical.

Toward the end of my stint he got sent a quote to redo everything from the ground up. He asked for advice and from a glance and quick search of the company told him under no circumstances should you say yes to anything from this guy. It won't end well.

A couple months go by and I get another call. "Hey Josh, I need your help again buddy".

He jumped down the rabbit hole, probably after some phone calls being sold the world and was left with a rotten pile of shite that didn't do the one thing he needed which was to have files stored and sent easily. This functionality is one of the simplest things in the world to do, like a mechanic that can't change a tyre. Yet somehow this geezer swindled my boss out of a kidney, and the kicker? The site was reverted as it didn't achieve what my boss needed to so he didn't even have to deliver. My boss tried to reason with him that he'll pay $5k for effort (the entire package was worth fuck-all) but the agency owner threatened legal action unless his contract was paid out in full and he ended up $20k in the hole.

You don’t need a website that breaks the bank—you just need one that works. If your designer is offering you champagne prices for a cheap beer product, you’re being ripped off, plain and simple.

So, What Should You Look For?

Now that we’ve laid out all the ways your designer could be hurting your business growth, let’s talk about what you should be looking for in a web design partner:

• Function Over Flash: Your website needs to work, not just look good. Prioritise speed, ease of navigation, and clear calls to action.

• SEO Expertise: If they don’t know SEO, they don’t know websites. Your designer should have a clear strategy for getting you found online.

• Mobile First: Ensure your website is responsive and designed with mobile users in mind from the start.

• Transparency: Avoid designers who lock you into a system you can’t manage yourself. You should have the freedom to make changes without constantly paying for every tweak.

• Understanding Your Business: Your designer should take the time to understand your business, your audience, and your goals to create a site that drives growth.

• Fair Pricing: Don’t get sucked into overpaying for something that isn’t delivering results. A professional, fully managed website shouldn’t cost you a fortune, and it should include ongoing support.

• Character Above All: We believe one of the most important things to look for in a business partner is depth of character. Who a person is matters just as much as their price, knowledge, or expertise. Even if a designer is the smartest person in the room, if they’re unreasonable or willing to burn bridges over a minor misunderstanding, they’re not someone worth your time. Trust, respect, and integrity should be non-negotiable when choosing who to do business with.

Final Thoughts

Your website is your biggest marketing asset—it’s the first impression most people will have of your business. If your designer isn’t focused on performance, SEO, mobile-friendliness, or your business goals, they’re holding you back.

Don’t let a poorly built website stunt your growth. At Paragon Panda, we build blazing-fast, high-performance websites that are fully managed, so you don’t have to worry about speed, SEO, or user experience. We focus on function, scalability, and your business needs—without charging you an arm and a leg.

Ready to take your website—and your business—to the next level? Let’s chat.