7 Signs It’s Time to Hire a Shopify Website Designer

Ever feel like your website isn't quite hitting the mark, but you can't put your finger on why?

After working with countless small businesses as a Shopify website designer, I’ve noticed the same problems on nearly every site.

Do you know what’s wonderful about everyone making the same mistakes? Avoiding them makes it easy for your business to stand out.

I’ve put together the seven signs I see most often to help you decide whether it’s time to upgrade with a Shopify website designer.

1. Your Text Is Centered… Everywhere.

By far, the most common mistake I see on DIY websites is the overuse of center aligned text. I understand why it's so common—it seems like an easy typesetting solution for most layouts. But the problem is that too many lines of center aligned text is incredibly straining on the eye to read which means most people will skip over it altogether.

Most languages read from left to right, which means our eye is expecting the next line of text to begin in the same place the previous line started. The trouble with center aligned text is that, depending on the length of the line, it can start anywhere!

Here's an example:

When you read this first sentence your eye is predicting where the next line of text will start. With left aligned text your eye's prediction is correct and you can keep reading smoothly.

However, when you try to read center aligned text, your eye can't predict where the next line of text will begin. This puts a strain, not only on your eye, but on your mind to comprehend what you're reading as well.

Eventually you'll get tired and quit reading.

Don't get me wrong, I use center aligned text in my website designs all the time. There's certainly a time and a place for it. However the key comes in being aware of how long the piece of copy is and striking a visual balance.

For short pieces of copy, center aligned may be just fine. However for most chunks of copy, left aligned copy will be your friend.

2. Unbalanced design

Ever open your website and get that nagging feeling something’s just… off?

Chances are, you’re dealing with a balance issue.

Unbalanced design is tricky to spot if you’re not trained, and there’s no “one-size-fits-all” fix. There are some rules in design like “The Golden Ratio” or “The Rule of Thirds,” but good visual balance usually comes from experience, not just following a formula.

A quick way to test is to open your homepage and notice where your eyes land first. Do they know exactly where to go, or dart around the page? If you don’t know where to look, your customers won’t either.

3. Weak or Non-Existent Call to Action

Many business owners struggle with feeling too “salesy,” and while it seems obvious that people come to a website to shop, they still need to be told. The best conversion rates come from offering a direct call to action (CTA), and offering it often.

✅ Shop Now
✅ Add to Cart
✅ Shop Collection
✅ Sign Up

These CTAs communicate clearly what you want the customer to do.

🚫 Learn More
🚫 Browse The Collection
🚫 Find Out More
🚫 Get Started

These examples don’t inspire the customer to take action. It’s like telling your customer “You can come look around if you want, but it’s totally ok if you don't buy anything” (of course, it is ok if they don't buy anything, but we still want to invite them to make a purchase).

4. Bland Branding (landing?)

The worst thing your brand can do is have a forgettable first impression. Design trends have adopted a "minimal" and "neutral" aesthetic over the last few years or so, and while some brands do it well and with intention, for most it just comes across as unfinished.

In 2002, the American Psychological Association published a study that found people seemed to better recall images that were presented in color over those presented in black and white. Color gives our brains more information to grab hold of and stick in our memory. We connect better with color.

But, for arguments sake, let's say your brand palette really needs to be black and white. There are other ways to convey personality. Your brand personality can be expressed by how you use black and white together, the fonts you select, the type of imagery you use, and your copywriting.

Personality is essential to making a connection with your customers. People connect with stories and characters. A Shopify website designer's job is making sure your brand’s personality shines through.

5. Tired Copy

It doesn't matter which way you slice it: people don't like to read on the internet. More often than not, people will skim your website, allowing their eye to grab only the headlines or only a few keywords. Rarely does anyone read every word on your website.

But rather than saying, "Oh, I guess my copy isn't important then," I would argue it's more important. You have fewer opportunities to get your message across and few chances to make a connection.

Rather than using headlines on your website that aren't much more than uninspired labels, write copy that piques the customer's interest, engages their senses, and lures them toward your call to action.

6. Tedious Copy

In the same vein of making sure your copy isn't tired, you need to also make sure it's not tedious. Like I mentioned before, people skim websites which means your copy needs to be formatted in a way that makes that easy for them.

Big blocks of copy or long paragraphs are going to wear your reader out. They will see that giant wall of words and think, "UGH. That's too hard!" and skip right over it.

Instead, break your copy into short, choppy chunks and utilize font styles like bold or italic to help give even more emphasis.

7. Unorganized Navigation

Recently my grocery store renovated the entire store. When construction was finally over, they had moved everything around and nothing was in the same place that it was before the renovation. As a customer, it's was really frustrating trying to adjust to a new layout and even a year later I'm still not sure where everything is.

Have you ever had that happen? You go to a store to find something specific only to get overwhelmed by the layout, unable to find what you're looking for until you just give up and decide to find it somewhere else instead?

That's what trying to navigate a poorly organized website is like. Your customers want to are on your site for a reason but they get too frustrated by not being able to quickly and easily find what they're looking for so they give up.

Unlike a brick and mortar store where you can find an employee to ask for help, customers have to find what they're looking for on your website all by themselves. Clean, intuitive navigation is a form of customer service, and a skilled Shopify website designer will make it a top priority.

Is It Time to Hire a Shopify Website Designer?

Remember, your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your brand. Think of it as the digital equivalent of a firm handshake and a bright smile. So why settle for a limp handshake and spinach stuck in your teeth?

As a professional Shopify website designer for small businesses, I’m basically your personal brand fairy godmother, ready to wave my magic wand 🪄 (okay, mouse) and transform your website from “meh” to marvelous.

Book a free call so we can talk about building you a Shopify website that is cool AF.