The cost of a poorly designed website (like a leaky roof in your business)
If your website is poorly designed, it’s a bit like having a leaky roof in your shop.
You might not notice it at first. A drip here, a stain there. But quietly, day after day, it’s damaging stock, putting people off coming in, and costing you money.
The cost of a poorly designed website works the same way. It rarely explodes overnight – it simply leaks profit, trust, and opportunities every single day.
In this guide, we’ll break down:
- The hidden ways bad web design costs your business
- How to spot if your website is quietly leaking money
- What “good” looks like (without the jargon)
- Practical steps to fix it – and when it’s time to start again
1. What does a “poorly designed” website actually mean?
Let’s clear something up: poor design isn’t just about looking ugly.
You can have a site that looks modern and still be losing customers because:
- It’s confusing to use
- It doesn’t work properly on mobile
- It loads slowly
- It doesn’t clearly explain what you do
- It hides your contact or booking options
Think of your website like a high-street shop:
- Design is the shopfront and layout
- Content is your signage and sales pitch
- Functionality is the doors, tills, and fitting rooms
If any one of those is off, people walk past or walk out.
A poorly designed website is one that makes it harder – not easier – for visitors to become customers.
2. The five big costs of a poorly designed website
1. Lost enquiries and sales (the obvious one)
The most direct cost is simple: people don’t contact you or buy from you.
Common design issues that kill conversions:
- No clear call to action (e.g. “Call us today”, “Get a quote”)
- Contact details hidden in tiny footer text
- Enquiry forms that are too long or don’t work on mobile
- Confusing navigation so people can’t find what they need
If you get 500 visitors a month and even 2–3 extra enquiries would normally become customers, that’s potentially thousands in lost revenue every year – just because your website is hard work to use.
2. Damaged trust and brand perception
Your website is often the first impression someone gets of your business.
If it looks dated, broken or cluttered, people subconsciously think:
“If this is how they look online, what’s their actual service like?”
Red flags that hurt trust:
- Old copyright dates (2018 and counting…)
- Broken links or images
- Inconsistent colours and logos
- Spelling mistakes and messy text
- Stock photos that look obviously fake
It’s like walking into a restaurant with wobbly chairs, smudged menus and flickering lights. The food might be amazing – but you’re already half-way out the door.
3. Wasted marketing spend
If you’re paying for:
- Google Ads
- Facebook or Instagram ads
- Printed flyers with your website on
- SEO or social media marketing
…and sending people to a weak website, you’re paying to pour water into a leaky bucket.
You might think “our ads aren’t working”, when in reality:
- The ad is fine
- The audience is right
- But the landing page (your website) is confusing, slow, or untrustworthy
Even a small improvement in conversion rate (say from 1% to 3%) can triple the value of the marketing you’re already paying for – without increasing your ad budget.
4. Higher support and admin time
Poor design often means people:
- Can’t find basic information (prices, opening times, services)
- Don’t understand what’s included
- Aren’t sure how to book or buy
So what do they do?
They call. They email. They DM you.
Your team spends extra time answering the same questions instead of doing higher-value work.
A clear, well-structured website acts like a helpful receptionist – answering common questions before someone ever picks up the phone.
5. Missed opportunities to grow
A weak website doesn’t just hurt you today – it limits your options for tomorrow.
If your site is built on shaky foundations:
- It’s harder to add online booking or e-commerce later
- You can’t easily create landing pages for new campaigns
- Integrations with CRM, email marketing or payment systems become a headache
In other words, a poor website can quietly hold your business back from scaling.
3. How to tell if your website is costing you money
You don’t need to be technical. Use this simple “leaky website checklist”.
The 10-second test
Open your homepage and ask:
- Can a stranger tell what you do in 5–10 seconds?
- Is there one clear next step? (Call, get a quote, book, shop, etc.)
- Does it look good on your phone? (Not just your laptop)
If the answer to any of these is “not really”, you’re likely losing enquiries.
The user frustration test
Ask a friend or family member (who doesn’t know your site well) to:
- Find your phone number
- Make a booking or send an enquiry
- Find your prices or services
Watch over their shoulder (in person or on a screen share) and don’t help.
If they:
- Scroll up and down confused
- Click around randomly
- Say “I can’t find it”
…your design is making people work too hard.
The numbers test
If you have Google Analytics or similar, look at:
- Bounce rate – how many people leave after one page
- Time on site – are people actually reading?
- Conversion rate – how many visitors become leads or customers
You don’t need perfect numbers, but if lots of people are visiting and very few are contacting you, that’s your website waving a red flag.
4. What good web design looks like for SMEs (without the jargon)
You don’t need a flashy, award-winning site.
You need a clear, fast, trustworthy one that makes it easy for people to say “yes”.
Here’s what that looks like in plain English.
Clear structure (like a tidy shop)
Your navigation should answer:
- What do you do? (Services / Products)
- Who are you? (About)
- How do I contact you? (Contact / Book)
- Can I trust you? (Reviews / Case studies)
If someone lands on any page, they should never feel lost.
Strong first impression (your shop window)
Above the fold (what you see before scrolling) should include:
- A simple headline: what you do and for whom
- A short line on why you’re different or better
- One clear button: call, enquire, book, or shop
Example for a plumbing business:
Reliable emergency plumbers in Leeds
24/7 call-out, no hidden fees, trusted by 500+ local homes.
[Call now] [Request a quote]
Simple. Clear. Action-focused.
Mobile-friendly as standard
Most SMEs now see 50–80% of traffic from mobiles.
Your website should:
- Be easy to read without pinching and zooming
- Have buttons big enough for thumbs
- Show your phone number as a tap-to-call link
If it’s a pain on your phone, people will leave – especially if they’re browsing on the go.
Fast loading (people won’t wait)
Attention spans online are short. If your site takes 5–7 seconds to load, many visitors will simply give up.
Common speed killers:
- Huge, unoptimised images
- Cluttered design with too many scripts
- Cheap, overcrowded hosting
A good web agency will compress images, tidy up code and host your site on decent servers so it loads quickly.
Trust signals everywhere
People want proof you’re the real deal. Add:
- Reviews and testimonials
- Before-and-after photos (for trades, beauty, etc.)
- Logos of accreditations or memberships
- Clear contact details and a real address
These don’t just look nice – they remove the little doubts that stop someone from getting in touch.
5. Fixing a leaky website: repair or replace?
Not every site needs a full rebuild. Sometimes you just need a targeted patch-up.
When you can “repair” your existing site
You might be able to improve what you’ve got if:
- The site is relatively modern (built in the last 3–4 years)
- It’s already on a decent platform like WordPress
- It mostly works well on mobile
Quick wins often include:
- Simplifying your navigation
- Rewriting your homepage to be clearer
- Making your calls to action stand out
- Adding trust signals (reviews, logos, case studies)
- Cleaning up messy layouts and spacing
These are the kind of changes that can lift conversions without starting from scratch.
When it’s time for a new website
It’s usually more cost-effective to rebuild if:
- The site isn’t mobile-friendly at all
- It’s built on an outdated or obscure system
- Making simple changes feels like wading through mud
- It looks and feels like it’s from another decade
Think of it like an old car:
If you’re constantly repairing bits and it still doesn’t feel safe or reliable, at some point it’s cheaper (and less stressful) to replace it.
A modern, well-built site should:
- Be easy to update without calling a developer for every tiny change
- Grow with your business (more pages, online booking, e-commerce)
- Be built with SEO and speed in mind from day one
6. How Los Webos helps plug the leaks
At Los Webos, we work with UK SMEs who are tired of websites that look okay but don’t actually perform.
Our approach is simple:
-
We start with your business goals
Not just “make it pretty”, but “get more bookings”, “increase enquiries”, or “sell more online”. -
We design for real people, not designers
Clear structure, easy navigation, and content that sounds human – not like a technical manual. -
We build for speed and growth
Fast-loading, mobile-first, SEO-friendly websites that can grow as your business does. -
We avoid the jargon
You’ll always know what we’re doing and why – no confusing tech-speak.
Whether you need a full redesign or just want an honest opinion on your current site, we can help you figure out where you’re leaking and what to fix first.
7. Next steps: find your leaks before they get worse
If your website hasn’t had a proper check-up in years, there’s a good chance it’s quietly costing you money.
Here’s what you can do today:
- Run the 10-second test on your homepage
- Check your site on your phone – would you enquire?
- Ask a friend to try to contact you via the site and watch where they struggle
If you’d like a professional pair of eyes, Los Webos offers no-nonsense website reviews for SMEs.
We’ll show you:
- Where your site is losing trust and enquiries
- Which fixes will make the biggest difference
- Whether you need repairs or a full redesign
No hard sell, no jargon – just clear, practical advice.
Want to stop your website leaking leads and sales?
Get in touch with Los Webos today and let’s turn your site into a 24/7 salesperson that actually pulls its weight.