The Mistakes That Delay Website Projects (And How to Avoid Them)

Karima Williams

2 days ago

2 min read

I'm not here to make anyone feel bad. These are things I've genuinely seen happen, more than once, sometimes many times. And because I want every client's experience to be smooth, I'm sharing them openly.

Changing your niche mid-project.

This is the biggest one. A coaching client comes in with a clear focus, we start building around that message, and then a few weeks in, they have a breakthrough in their own business development and realize they want to pivot. Completely valid. Pivots happen. But when they happen during a website build, it can mean starting sections over, rewriting copy, and rebuilding pages that were nearly done.

The fix: work through your niche and messaging before you sign a contract with a web designer. Give yourself time to sit with it and feel confident.

Not having photos ready.

I've had website projects sit at the finish line, completely designed and ready to launch, waiting on photos for weeks. Photos of the coach are essential. They're often the first thing a visitor notices, and they do a lot of the trust-building work on a coaching site.

The fix: book your brand photo session early. Don't wait until the design is done. Treat it as part of your website prep.

Writing copy after design is done.

Design is built around words. When content comes in after the fact, it rarely fits the space cleanly. Sections have to be adjusted, layouts shift, and what looked great with placeholder text can look unbalanced with real content.

The fix: have your key copy ready before design begins: your bio, program description, homepage headline, and about page points. It doesn't have to be perfect. It has to be real.

Unclear decision-making.

Some projects slow down because too many voices are involved: a partner, a business coach, a mentor, each with a different opinion. Others slow down because the client isn't sure what they want and keeps going back and forth on decisions.

The fix: know who the final decision-maker is going in, and trust yourself. Your web designer is guiding you through the process. You don't need to get everyone's approval on every page.

Not treating website prep as real work.

Website development tends to feel like something that happens to you rather than something you actively participate in. But the truth is, your input is the fuel. When you show up prepared, engaged, and decisive, everything moves faster and turns out better.

The fix: block time for your website prep the same way you'd block time for a client call. It's not busywork. It's investment.