Follow these steps exactly — they’re guaranteed to keep your site broken, ignored, and heartbreaking to manage.
1) Skip the strategy.
If you want your site to fail, start by building from features and inspiration photos instead of the people you serve. Don’t define who you want to reach, what problem you’ll solve, or the single action you want visitors to take.
2) Treat content like an afterthought.
Design first, words later. Ignore headlines, stories, and clear calls to action. Empty pages and pretty images equal low conversions.
3) Pick the most complicated tech stack you can find.
Load up on plugins, integrations, and custom code you don’t understand — and then don’t document anything. Bonus points if nothing updates cleanly.
4) Launch without follow-up.
Collect zero emails, set up no onboarding, and don’t automate responses. That’s how visitors become ghosts forever.
5) Make it “clever” not usable.
If your navigation confuses people, hide critical info in creative menus, and bury your donation/contact buttons, you’ll keep conversions low and frustration high.
6) Ignore accessibility and mobile.
Assume everyone uses the same device and can see, hear, or navigate everything perfectly. That’s a great recipe for excluding supporters.
7) Skip analytics and testing.
Don’t measure behavior. Don’t test messaging. Keep guessing forever — it’s cheaper in stress, not results.
8) Never plan maintenance.
Let updates pile up. Backups? Optional. Recovery? Fictional.
If any of that sounds familiar, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to keep repeating the same mistakes. Instead of “how to NEVER,” try this quick pivot: start with clarity (who you serve + one clear goal), write for that person, choose simple, supported tech, set up at least one follow-up flow (email or onboarding), and measure one metric so you can improve.
Are you’re ready to stop the cycle of overwhelm and actually build a website that works for your mission?
Book a Free Consultation to simplify your tech and grow your impact.