5 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Your First Website

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating Your First Website

When you start your first website, it feels exciting and scary at the same time. You picture this beautiful online space that will finally make your business feel real. But once you sit down to actually build it, doubts start creeping in: “Where do I begin? Am I doing this right? What if it looks bad?” Trust me, you’re not alone. I’ve been there. When I built my very first website, I spent hours moving things around, second-guessing every color and word, and wondering if anyone would even see it. Looking back now, I can clearly see the mistakes I made — and I know I’m not the only one. That’s why in this post, I want to share five common mistakes people make when creating their first website, mixed with bits of my own story. Hopefully, this will make your journey a little smoother.

❌ Mistake 1: Trying to Be Perfect From Day One

When I started, I thought my website had to be perfect before I could publish it. I’d sit for hours adjusting font sizes by a single pixel, changing button colors back and forth, rewriting the same sentence five times. Guess what? Nobody noticed. The truth is, your website will never be “finished.” It’s a living thing — you’ll keep improving it as you grow. If you wait for it to be flawless, you may never actually launch.

👉 What to do instead:

• Start with the basics: who you are, what you offer, and how people can reach you.

• Accept that your first version is just that — a first version.

• Remember: done is better than perfect.

When I finally pressed publish, even though I still thought my site wasn’t ready, it was one of the best feelings ever. And the funny thing? Visitors didn’t care about the tiny things I obsessed over. They just wanted clear information.

❌ Mistake 2: Overcomplicating the Design

I’ll admit it — my first website looked like a rainbow exploded on the screen. Too many fonts, too many colors, too many “cool” sections that didn’t really make sense. I was so focused on making it “pretty” that I forgot to make it usable. It’s such an easy trap. We think more elements = more professional. But in reality, simple always wins. A clean design not only looks better, but it also feels calmer for your visitors.

👉 What to do instead:

• Stick to a simple color palette (2–3 colors) and 1–2 fonts.

• Use plenty of white space — it helps everything breathe.

• Don’t add things just because they look trendy.

After simplifying my site, I noticed how much easier it was to read and navigate. And honestly? It looked ten times more professional.

❌ Mistake 3: Forgetting About Mobile

When I proudly opened my first website on my laptop, I thought it looked great. Then I checked it on my phone… and nearly cried. Text was too small, buttons overlapped, and it just looked messy. Most people browse from their phones now, so if your site doesn’t work on mobile, you’ll lose visitors fast. I learned that lesson the hard way.

👉 What to do instead:

• Always preview your site on both desktop and mobile.

• Make sure buttons are big enough to tap easily.

• Keep text short and easy to read on a small screen.

Once I fixed my mobile version, people actually stayed on my site instead of leaving after two seconds.

❌ Mistake 4: Not Thinking About Your Visitor

At first, my website was basically a love letter to myself. Long paragraphs about my story, my process, my passion… but very little about how I could actually help people. And honestly, I can’t blame visitors for leaving. They were looking for solutions, not my autobiography.

👉 What to do instead:

• Write like you’re talking directly to your ideal client.

• Focus on their problems and how you can help solve them.

• Make your next step clear: “Shop now,” “Book a call,” “Contact me.”

When I shifted my focus to the visitor — their needs, their questions, their goals — my site started to feel more welcoming. People want to feel seen and understood, not sold to.

❌ Mistake 5: Doing Everything From Scratch

This one still makes me smile. In the beginning, I tried to design every little thing myself. I thought if I used a template, it would be “cheating.” So I wasted days on layouts, trying to match fonts, resizing graphics… and in the end, it didn’t even look good. The truth? You don’t have to do everything alone. That’s exactly why templates exist.

👉 What to do instead:

• Start with a template that matches your vibe.

• Use it as a base, then customize with your own colors, fonts, and text.

• Save your energy for the content — the part that actually connects with your audience.

When I finally gave in and used templates (especially Canva ones), the process became so much easier. I could focus on what mattered — my message — instead of getting lost in design details.

Final Thoughts

Creating your first website isn’t about being perfect. It’s about starting. Yes, you’ll make mistakes. I made plenty. But each one taught me something that made my next version better.

If you take anything away from this, let it be this:

• Don’t wait for perfect. Launch and improve as you go.

• Keep your design simple and clean.

• Always check your mobile version.

• Talk to your visitors, not just about yourself.

• And don’t be afraid to lean on templates or tools that make life easier.

At the end of the day, your website is there to represent you and welcome people in. It doesn’t have to be fancy — it just has to feel like you.

So take a deep breath, press publish, and trust that you can keep improving from there. Your business deserves to be seen, even in its “imperfect” first version. And if you don’t want to start completely from scratch, I create Canva website templates in my shop that you can easily customize for your own business. They’re a simple way to make the process less overwhelming.