Top Mistakes Designers Make When Selling Templates

Here’s the thing about being a designer: you’re detail-oriented, creative, and probably a little bit of a perfectionist. (No judgment—I’m raising my hand too.)

But sometimes those same qualities that make you great at design can actually work against you when you’re creating website templates. You get so focused on making something beautiful that you forget to ask: Does this actually work?

I’ve seen incredibly talented designers create stunning templates that nobody buys. Or gorgeous websites that don’t convert. And it’s usually because of a few common mistakes that are surprisingly easy to fix once you know what to look for.

So let’s talk about the top mistakes designers make—and more importantly, how to avoid them so your templates actually sell and your client sites actually perform.

Mistake 1: Getting Too Creative with Your Template Design

I know, I know. This one might sting a little because creativity is literally your job.

But here’s what I mean: when you’re designing a website template, you want it to stand out. You want people to look at it and think: “Wow, that’s gorgeous.” Absolutely.

The catch? If your template is so uniquely creative or so hyper-specific to one aesthetic that potential buyers can’t imagine their own brand fitting into it, they’re going to scroll right past.

Think about it from their perspective. They’re trying to picture their business, their colors, their vibe. If every element is so distinctly you that it feels impossible to customize, you’ve lost the sale.

The fix: Design templates that showcase your aesthetic but leave room for interpretation. Use neutral placeholder images. Create layouts that work for multiple industries within your niche. Show the bones of great design without limiting how buyers can use it.

Your template should whisper “imagine the possibilities” — not shout “this is the only way.”

Mistake 2: Lack of Clarity in Messaging

You know what makes a beautiful website useless? When visitors land on it and have no idea what’s going on.

Every website—whether it’s a template you’re selling or a site you’re designing for a client—needs to answer three questions within seconds:

• Who are you?
• What do you do?
• Who do you help?

If someone has to scroll, click around, or read multiple paragraphs to figure out what this business actually does, they’re gone.

The fix: Make your headlines work harder. Your hero section should immediately tell visitors what they need to know. Think clear over clever.

Instead of “Elevating Your Creative Journey” try “Custom Brand Design for Wedding Photographers.”

See the difference? One sounds pretty but vague. The other tells you exactly what you’re getting and who it’s for.

When you’re creating templates, consider adding short instructional notes in key sections explaining what that area is for. This helps your buyers understand how to use the template effectively and gets them thinking about their own messaging from the start.

Mistake 3: No Clear Call to Action

Here’s a question: what do you want people to do when they visit your website?

If you don’t have a clear answer, your visitors definitely don’t either.

Every page on a website should guide users toward a next step. Not five next steps. Not a “maybe click here or maybe click there” situation. One clear, intentional action.

Your homepage might lead to “View Our Services” or “Book a Consultation.” Your about page might direct to “Let’s Work Together. ” Your blog post should end with a relevant CTA that keeps people engaged with your site.

The fix: Think through the user journey on every page of your template. Where did they come from? What information do they need? What should they do next?

Then make that CTA impossible to miss. Use buttons, not just text links. Make them visually distinct. Use action-oriented language that tells people exactly what happens when they click.And please, for the love of good design, don’t hide your contact button in the footer and call it a day.

Mistake 4: Overcomplicated Navigation

You know that website you visited last week where you couldn’t find anything and eventually gave up? Yeah, your visitors don’t want to feel that way either.

I see this mistake all the time: designers who create navigation menus with eight top-level items, dropdown menus within dropdown menus, and a structure so confusing that even they have to think about where things are.

The fix: Keep your main navigation clean and simple. Less is often more here.

Group related pages under broader categories if needed, but don’t go more than one level deep with dropdowns. And make sure your menu items are named clearly— “Services” is better than “What We Offer” which is better than “The Experience.”

When you’re designing templates, create a navigation structure that makes sense for your target audience. If you’re designing for photographers, think about what their potential clients actually need to find: about, portfolio, pricing, booking, contact. That’s the menu.

You can always add more pages to the site—just don’t put them all in the main navigation.

Mistake 5: Ignoring Mobile Optimization

Let me hit you with a stat: most of your website traffic is coming from mobile devices. Most of it.

And yet, I still see designers who create these elaborate desktop layouts and then just… hope it works on mobile? Or worse, they don’t even check.

The fix: Design for both desktop and mobile simultaneously. Don’t treat mobile as an afterthought.

Check how your layouts stack on smaller screens. Make sure buttons are large enough to tap with a thumb. Ensure text is readable without zooming in. Test your navigation menu on an actual phone.

If you’re working in Showit (which we love for template design), take advantage of the mobile canvas. Don’t just let elements auto-stack—intentionally design the mobile experience.

Your template might look stunning on a 27-inch monitor, but if it’s a mess on an iPhone, nobody’s going to buy it. And more importantly, it won’t convert for the people who do.

Mistake 6: Poor Image Usage

Nothing tanks the professional look of a website faster than bad images.

I’m talking about pixelated photos, images that don’t match the brand aesthetic, awkward stock photos where everyone is pointing at laptops, or worst of all—images you don’t have the license to use.

The fix: Invest in quality stock photos or create a shot list for custom photography. Sites like Unsplash and Pexels offer free options, but make sure you’re reading the licensing terms. If you want curated, on-brand imagery, Elevaé offers beautiful stock photos that feel fresh and professional.

For templates specifically, choose images that are aspirational but versatile. You want photos that make the template look gorgeous but don’t pigeonhole it into one very specific aesthetic.

And please, please, please—if you’re using stock photos in your templates, make sure you have the proper license for commercial use and distribution. The last thing you want is a copyright issue because you used an image you weren’t supposed to.

Pro tip: Create an image guide for your template buyers that suggests where they can find similar photos or what style of imagery works best with your design.

Mistake 7: Unlicensed Fonts

Okay, this one is serious. Font licensing isn’t the most exciting topic, but it’s incredibly important—especially if you’re creating templates that other people will use.

Just because you bought a font for your own use doesn’t mean you can include it in a template you’re selling. Most font licenses are for individual use only. If you’re distributing a template, you need an extended or commercial license that allows for that.

The fix: Always check the licensing terms before you include a font in your template. If the license doesn’t allow for distribution, either purchase the appropriate license or choose a different font.

Google Fonts is a great resource because they’re free and licensed for commercial use. Adobe Fonts (if you have Creative Cloud) also has commercial licensing, but double-check the terms for template distribution. Jen Wagner Co. also offers gorgeous fonts with various licensing options perfect for template designers.

When in doubt, reach out to the font creator and ask. It’s way better to ask the question upfront than to deal with a cease and desist letter later.

And if you’re using a font that requires a special license, let your template buyers know! Include information about where to purchase the font and what license they need. It protects both of you.

A Few Final Thoughts

Here’s what I want you to remember: these mistakes? They’re so common. Almost every designer has made at least a few of them (definitely raising my hand here).

The difference between a designer who keeps making these mistakes and one who doesn’t isn’t talent—it’s awareness.

Now that you know what to look for, you can create templates that don’t just look beautiful, but actually work. Templates that sell because they’re practical and functional and make your buyers look like rockstars.

Templates that help their clients book more weddings, sell more products, or grow their email lists—because at the end of the day, that’s what a great website is supposed to do.

So take a look at your current templates or client projects. Are any of these mistakes hiding in there? No judgment if they are. Just fix them and move forward.

That’s the beautiful thing about design—you can always make it better.

Which of these mistakes are you going to tackle first? Drop a comment below—I’d love to hear what resonates with you.

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Ready to see how we handle all of this in our own templates? Check out our Showit Website Templates designed with clarity, conversion, and beautiful design in mind.

Are you a designer? Check out our Design & Sell Showit Templates Course to learn exactly how we create best-selling Showit templates.