10 Mistakes I Made Building My First Site

You’ve got a domain, three coffee cups, and a template that looked perfect in the preview — and now your hero text is sitting on a moody photo of a mountain goat. Been there. When I built my first site, I made every classic mistake. Here are the big ones—and exactly how I fixed them.

Mistake #1: I Started Building Without a lear Brand

What I did: Opened a template and started typing.
Why it hurt: Every decision (copy, colors, layout) felt random and took forever.
What I learned: Brand first. Site second.

Fix (30 minutes):

• Write a one-sentence UVP: “I help [audience] get [outcome] with [how].”

• Choose 3–5 tone words (e.g., warm, grounded, direct, hopeful, practical).

• Lock the primary CTA label (“Book a Free Consultation”) and reuse it everywhere.

Mistake #2: Ten Fonts and a Rainbow

What I did: “This script is cute… and this serif… and this neon button.”
Why it hurt: It looked DIY, not deliberate; readability tanked.
What I learned: Two-font, four-color rule.

Fix (20 minutes):

• Fonts: One heading + one body (or one family with 2 weights).

• Colors: Primary, accent, neutral, contrast.

• Check contrast (AA at minimum) so body text is truly readable.

Mistake #3: Clever Page Names

What I did: “The Journey,” “The Lab,” “The Meadow.”
Why it hurt: Visitors and Google couldn’t find anything.
What I learned: Clear beats clever.

Fix (10 minutes):

• Use standard labels: Home, About, Services, Approach, Resources, Contact.

• Keep slugs short, lowercase, hyphenated: /about, /services.

Mistake #4: A Wall of Text on the Homepage

What I did: Told my entire life story in the hero.
Why it hurt: People bounced; no clear path.
What I learned: One job per section.

Fix (40 minutes):

• Hero: Outcome-first headline → subhead (who + how) → one CTA.

• Flow: Problem → Guide → 3-Step Plan → Services Snapshot → Outcome → Social Proof → Secondary Offer → Final CTA.

• If you must scroll to find the first button, move the button up.

Mistake #5: Selling Features, Not Outcomes

What I did: “60-minute sessions, CBT, EMDR, etc.”
Why it hurt: Features don’t answer “Why does this help me?”
What I learned: Translate to benefits.

Fix (25 minutes):

• Add “so you can ____” to every feature.

• “60-minute sessions so you can go deeper and leave with next steps.”

• Put 2–3 benefit bullets on each service card.

Mistake #6: No Single Primary CTA

What I did: “Learn more,” “Contact,” “Let’s go,” “Start here,” “Book now.”
Why it hurt: Decision fatigue.
What I learned: Consistency converts.

Fix (15 minutes):

• Pick one primary label (e.g., Book a Free Consultation) and reuse it globally—in header, hero, mid-page, and footer.

Mistake #7: Ignoring Mobile Until the End

What I did: Designed everything on a 27″ screen.
Why it hurt: On phones, texts were wrapped awkwardly, buttons were tiny, and forms were painful.
What I learned: Mobile first. Desktop second.

Fix (30 minutes):

• Set body text ≥ 16px, generous line spacing.

• Make buttons thumb-friendly (44×44px), with clear labels.

• Collapse busy layouts into simple stacks; hide decorative blocks on mobile.

Mistake #8: Stock Photos That Felt… Stock

What I did: Hands shaking hands. Pebbles stacked on pebbles.
Why it hurt: Generic images = generic trust.
What I learned: Human, brand-aligned imagery wins.

Fix (40 minutes):

• Swap the hero for a friendly headshot or a calm, on-brand scene.

• Add alt text that describes the purpose (“Therapist in a welcoming office, smiling”).

• Keep compositions simple so text can sit cleanly over them.

Mistake #9: Forms That Ask for Too Much

What I did: Name, email, phone, reason for care, history, insurance info…
Why it hurt: Drop-offs skyrocketed. Also: keep PHI out of marketing forms.
What I learned: Minimal fields; clinical intake belongs in your EHR.

Fix (15 minutes):

• Contact form: Name, Email, Message (with optional phone number).

• Lead magnet form = First name + Email (that’s it).

• Add a friendly success message and realistic response time.

Mistake #10: Waiting for Perfect Before Launch

What I did: Tinkered for months.
Why it hurt: There was no real feedback, and no clients from the site.
What I learned: Ship V1.0. Improve with data.

Fix (60 minutes):

• Run a pre-flight: links work, forms submit, hero reads clearly on phone, titles/meta set.

• Soft-launch to 10–25 trusted peers; collect fixes.

• Announce publicly next week.

60-Minute Rescue Plan (If You’re Stuck Right Now)

1. Homepage triage: Outcome headline, one CTA, remove extra buttons.

2. Navigation cleanup: Standard labels; keep to 5–7 items.

3. Services snapshot: 3 cards with who/benefit/logistics; link to details.

4. Mobile pass: Font 16px+, thumb-friendly buttons, simplified stacks.

5. Forms: Trim to essentials; set a friendly auto-reply.

6. Final CTA: Repeat the exact label in hero, mid-page, and footer.

No one ever hired a practitioner because the site had “advanced parallax.” They hired because the message was clear, the next step was obvious, and the vibe felt like you. Ship it.