I used to think website design was like ordering pizza: tell them what you want, they make it, you pay for it, done. Boy, was I wrong.
My first website looked like it belonged in a museum, beautiful, artistic, completely useless for my business. It took me two failed projects and a lot of wasted money to understand that good website design isn't about making something pretty. It's about making something that works.
Let me share the stuff nobody talks about when they’re trying to sell you services from a Website Design Company in St. Louis.
Design Is About Strategy, Not Just Looking Good
My first designer was an artist. And I mean that in the worst possible way for a business website.
Pretty doesn't pay the bills. The site they created for me was gorgeous—award-worthy, even. It had these stunning parallax effects, beautiful typography, and a color scheme that made my brand look sophisticated. It also had a bounce rate of 78% and converted exactly zero visitors into customers in its first month.
The wake-up call came from my analytics. People were landing on my homepage and leaving within seconds. My contact form was buried three clicks deep because the designer thought it would "disrupt the visual flow." My services were described in vague, artistic language that sounded profound but told potential customers absolutely nothing about what I actually did.
Good design companies think like business consultants, not artists. When I finally found the right team, they spent more time asking about my customers' journey than my color preferences. They wanted to know: How do people find you? What questions do they have? What objections do you need to overcome? What action do you want them to take?
The difference was night and day. My new site might not win any design awards, but it converts 23% of visitors into leads. I'll take function over form any day.
You Need to Be Involved (But Not a Micromanager)
Here's something that surprised me: good designers want your input, but they also need you to trust their expertise.
My first designer basically disappeared after our initial meeting. They took my brief, asked for 50% upfront, and then went radio silent for six weeks. When they finally showed me the first draft, it was so far off base that we basically had to start over. Turns out, they were waiting for me to give feedback, and I was waiting for them to show me something.
I learned to give better feedback by being specific. Instead of saying "I don't like it," I started saying "the call-to-action button gets lost against that background color" or "this section doesn't address the main concern my customers always bring up." Specific feedback gets specific results.
The best process I've found involves checkpoints. My current designer shows me wireframes before diving into visual design, gets approval on key pages before building out the whole site, and schedules regular review calls. We're both involved, but we're not stepping on each other's toes.
Revisions Aren't Free If You Keep Changing Your Mind
This one cost me big time with my first project.
I didn't realize that "unlimited revisions" had fine print. The contract said unlimited revisions, so I thought I could tweak and adjust forever. What I didn't understand was that changing the entire homepage layout after approving it wasn't a "revision", it was starting over. Those extra rounds of changes cost me $3,200 and added six weeks to the timeline.
Setting expectations upfront saves everyone's sanity. Now I make sure to understand exactly what's included in the base price, what constitutes a revision versus a change order, and how the approval process works. My current agency taught me to think through decisions carefully before giving the green light.
The smartest thing I learned: approve fast, change slow. If something is 80% right, approve it and make minor tweaks. Don't hold up the entire project waiting for perfection, you can always optimize later once the site is live and you see how real users interact with it.
You'll Learn More About Your Brand Than You Expected
This was the surprise benefit I never saw coming.
Good design forces you to clarify your message. When my designer asked me to write the homepage headline, I realized I couldn't clearly explain what I did in one sentence. When they asked for my brand colors, I realized I'd been using random colors with no thought behind them. The design process made me think critically about every aspect of how I present my business.
You'll discover things about your customers you didn't know. During the user experience phase, my designer had me map out different types of customers and their different needs. It opened my eyes to segments of my market I'd been ignoring and helped me create content that speaks to each group.
Your website becomes a mirror for your business strategy. By the time we launched, I didn't just have a new website, I had a clearer understanding of my value proposition, my target market, and my competitive advantages. The website became a tool that aligned my entire business message.
Wrapping Up
Here’s what I wish someone had told me from the beginning: working with a website design company is going to make you rethink your business, and that’s exactly what you need.
Don’t just look for someone to make your business "look prettier." Find a team that challenges your assumptions, asks tough questions, and helps you clarify what makes you stand out.
The best Website Design Company in St. Louis won’t just push pixels, they’ll be your strategic partner, using design to give you a competitive edge.