Why Your Website Feels Generic (And How to Fix It)

Nov 1

Here's the brutal truth: most websites don't fail because they're ugly. They fail because they're forgettable. If your site looks like every other template out there, sounds like a robot, or gives off major stock photo energy — we need to talk. I'm breaking down exactly why your website feels cookie cutter, and what to actually change if you want it to stand out. And yes, I brought receipts.

This one's best watched, not read — the whole point is side-by-side comparisons of real websites getting this right and very, very wrong.

In the video, I walk through real Squarespace templates and real client websites side by side, so you can actually see the difference each fix makes. Here's what I cover:

Your fonts might be the problem

Default font pairings are the fastest way to make a site feel like a template, because that's exactly what it still is. Mixing a serif and a sans serif — one for headings, one for body text — instantly adds character. I show a handful of Squarespace templates where the typography is doing absolutely nothing, next to real sites (a wedding coordinator, a spirituality brand, a cocktail bar) where the font choice alone sets the entire vibe.

Want the shortcut? I made a free Squarespace & Canva Font Pairing List — every font that exists in both platforms, so your website and your graphics always match.

Stock photos aren't the enemy — bad ones are

Half of my own website is stock photography. The difference between a cheesy, dentist's-office-lighting site and one where the photos actually enhance the vibe isn't whether the photos are stock — it's whether they were chosen to feel like they came from the same photographer, the same mood, the same story.

Give your page some visual moments

A website with no layout variation is like a room with no focal point — just beige furniture pushed against every wall. I compare a blog page that repeats the exact same block (image, category, date, title) all the way down the screen against sites that change up backgrounds, add overlays, and break rhythm section by section — and why that variation is what actually keeps someone scrolling.

Nothing standing out means nothing gets read

If everything on the page is loud, nothing is loud. If everything's beige, it's all invisible. I show a wall-of-text bio page next to one that uses bolding, underlines, and colour shifts to pull the eye through — and it's an obvious, night-and-day difference in how much you actually want to keep reading.

Want to hand this off entirely? If you'd rather skip the DIY and have it done for you, that's exactly what my team and I do. We've spent a decade writing the book on Squarespace design (quite literally) and have trained over 4,500 designers along the way — we also love designing for clients ourselves, primarily taste-led brands, interior designers, wedding professionals, boutique businesses, and personal brands who want their website to be as strategic as it is stylish. If you're done losing dream clients to a website that undersells you, tell us about your project — we'd love to hear from you.

"We're passionate about your success" isn't copy — it's wallpaper

I read out some genuinely painful real examples of generic website copy, then contrast them with sites that let personality through — including a past student whose "about" copy compares her design process to "the most exquisite cake vibes." Bland copy blends into 99% of the internet. Specific, opinionated copy is what actually gets read.

Not sure what to say on your homepage? Grab the free Homepage Copy & Content Planner — it maps out exactly what to say, section by section, so you're never staring at a blank page.

Know exactly who you're talking to

A website with no clear reader is the online equivalent of a first date with no opinions and no hot takes. I show two website designers' sites side by side — one built entirely for custom home builders, one built for spiritual, creative entrepreneurs — and how completely different their fonts, images, and copy are as a result, purely because they know exactly who they're speaking to. (If that's the bit you're stuck on, the Ideal Client Workbook is built to solve exactly that.)

Design from your content, not into a template

Templates aren't the problem — squishing your words into a template's pre-made boxes without changing anything is. I show what happens when I drop my own course promo content straight into an unedited template versus building the page around the content itself. The difference in how "custom" it feels is massive, even though nothing about the underlying platform changed.

The finishing details still matter

A "Made with Squarespace" badge in your footer, the default black-cube favicon, an untouched white background — these are small, but they're the equivalent of leaving the price tag on. I show what changes when you swap those defaults out, style your section backgrounds, and treat every part of the page (even the footer) as a design opportunity rather than an afterthought.

None of this requires a rebuild. Most of it is an afternoon of font swaps, photo edits, and one honest look at your homepage copy. Start with whichever section made you wince hardest — that's usually the one worth fixing first.

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