7 Reasons Your Website Looks Cheap | Luxury Website Design Tips

Are you ready to hear the truth?

If your website isn’t working FOR you (and attracting dreamy leads), it’s probably working AGAINST you…

Even if you’ve worked hard to provide an AMAZING service—if your website doesn’t come across as intentional and put-together, it isn’t doing you any favors.

Do you want to book high-ticket clients? Well, to be expensive, you’ve got to look expensive. It’s as simple as that.

Sooo many online business owners get this wrong, and I don’t want YOU to be one of them.

I’m Moriah—the founder and creative director of Moriah Riona Branding, where my mission is to empower female coaches, consultants, and online entrepreneurs with luxury branding. On my YouTube channel and this blog, I teach you how to build your brand, your online authority, and your audience—so you have the confidence to charge your worth and cultivate a thriving business and life.

In this video, I’m sharing 7 ways to avoid coming across as the budget option—so your website can start attracting more dreamy, high-paying clients (and fewer bargain hunters!).

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

Luxury Website Design Mistake #1: You don’t have your OWN website.

To me, this one is obvious—and the biggest mistake of all. If you’re trying to build your online presence on someone else’s platform, you’re taking a massive risk. And the thing is—it’s completely unnecessary! You can spend that same effort building a solid foundation on your OWN website.

I see many entrepreneurs trying to use a social media platform as their online brand “hub”. But this strategy is deeply flawed—because they don’t own those platforms. 

Thanks to tricky algorithms, hackers, and who knows what else, any traction they gain on the platform could dissolve instantly.

The safest bet? Build your online presence on your OWN platform—your website. [Just like we did for our client, Michele—because you can trust that thing isn’t going anywhere.]

Luxury Web Design Mistake #2: Your branding is inconsistent throughout your site.

I see it all the time—websites with mismatched fonts, inconsistent colors, and an aesthetic that’s all over the place. No matter how high-end your service is, if you have a haphazard website, you’re going to come across as cheap. 

And, even worse than that—your visitor will probably assume you’re just as inconsistent in your service, too. You and I both know that’s not the case. In fact, your website is probably lacking because you’ve been working so hard taking care of your clients. You simply haven’t had the time to build your dream site.

But to attract the people who will pay a lot of money to work with you, you’ll need to look cohesive and put-together online. 

I mean, look around—you won’t find thrown-together websites from the best luxury brands, right? Everything on their website is polished, intentional, and consistent.

See how we achieved this for one of our past clients, Nicole LaCroix? Everything from the fonts to the colors to the images works together to achieve a cohesive, polished look—no matter what page you’re on.

Luxury Website Design Mistake #3: You’re using a generic template.

You can just TELL when you’re on a website that uses a template, can’t you? And website templates can serve a great purpose for many businesses! But for a high-end service provider like you, you’ll want your website to showcase the investment you’ve put into your own service—so your prospect knows it’s worth spending the extra money to work with you.

Because when it comes down to it, if your visitor has a template experience on your website, they’re going to assume they’ll receive the same from you as a service provider. And your service is far from that—in fact, you’re one of a kind! So make sure your website makes your user feel that way, too—like we did for our client, Mandy Straight!

See how Mandy’s site is an anything-but-template experience? It’s totally unique! It captures her ideal client from the get go — and it just screams “Mandy!”

So, if you’re really serious about this for your own brand, let me hear from you down in the comments—type “Goodbye templates!” if you’re ready to set your business apart as a luxury brand, too.

Luxury Web Design Mistake #4: You have a DIY logo.

There are certain areas on your website that truly deserve expert guidance and attention, and your logo is one of them. 

If you want your website to convey luxury, you’ll need to ditch the DIY logo ASAP. It simply does NOT belong on a luxury website. And, to be honest, DIY logos are pretty easy to spot…

That’s because young designers and non-designers tend to have a “more is more” approach, but luxury logo design is characterized by the opposite. Instead of frills, think simplicity. And timelessness.

When it comes to your logo, less really is more.

For example, take a closer look at the logo on my own website. See how simple it is? Because of my logo, my brand comes across as refined and high-end. And my logo and website work together to attract the exact clients I want to work with.

If you want to learn how to achieve this luxury look for your brand, be sure to check out my video, Luxury Logo Design Tips: 5 Secrets To Attract High-Ticket Clients.

Luxury Website Design Mistake #5: Your brand fonts are hard to read.

Your website’s purpose is to tell your dream clients exactly who you are, what you do, who you serve, and why you do it. If your visitors can’t easily read the text on your page, you’ll miss out on making a deep connection with them—and, eventually, converting them into a client.

Instead of using those frilly and fancy fonts, opt for something simple to achieve a timeless look. Just like we did for our client, Jessica Vallia. See how the fonts on her website are crisp and clear? Because of that design decision, Jessica’s message comes through without distraction.

Luxury Web Design Mistake #6: Your design lacks white space.

When everything on your website is crammed together with no visual breaks, it can feel pretty busy. And even worse than that, it causes confusion for the user. Don’t leave your potential client overwhelmed and frantically wondering where to look next.

Great design subconsciously guides the viewer through the visual information—from most important to least. Negative space really assists in this process. And when it’s done right, your website will feel more elegant and luxurious.

To see this in action, check out this website we built for Illumine Coaching.

Notice how we intentionally left negative space throughout her site? This helps her potential clients move through her website with ease—and guides them on the exact journey she wants them to take. Now isn’t that something you’d like your visitors to do when they interact with your brand, too? Hit that ‘Like’ button if you agree!

Luxury Website Design Mistake #7: You don’t have professional brand photos on your website.

When you’re building a personal brand, it’s essential to have high-quality photos of yourself throughout your website. This humanizes your brand and helps your leads connect with you. 

And when you put your face to your brand, make sure you enlist the services of a professional photographer who’s experienced in capturing tasteful brand images. No selfies here!

Here’s some inspiration from Nichole McHugh, one of our past clients. See how the photography on her website gives you a feel for what it’s like to work with her? Imagine her website without those images. It wouldn’t be nearly as warm and welcoming, would it?

Now that you know exactly what to avoid, you’re totally equipped to build your own high-end website!

And since that shiny, new website of yours will attract high-end clients, you’ll need to learn how to deliver a total luxury brand experience to WOW them. Enroll in my FREE course! 5-Figure Clients, to unlock the secrets to building a rewarding coaching business with a waitlist of high-ticket clients! Inside you’ll learn how to create a high-ticket offer and position yourself as the go-to leader in your field. Get instant access to this FREE resource by clicking the link below!

By the way, if you found this helpful, you’re going to really like this video, where you’ll learn how to create a luxury brand that feels exclusive—so you can charge more for your services. And for a steady stream of entrepreneurship and luxury branding videos, be sure to hit that ‘Like’ button down below and subscribe to my YouTube channel!

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