- Liat Elkaim Chetrit
- Jun 10
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder—and that’s especially true in web design. What looks stunning to one person might seem “just okay” to someone else.
Still, there’s one thing most of us can agree on: We don’t want our sites to look cheap or boring. We want them to look clean. We want them to look professional. We want them to look on-brand, no matter where people click.
So, how do you achieve that high-end look? After 12 years in design (including my current role as art director for Wix Agency), I’ve picked up some helpful tricks. Rest assured that you don’t need to throw more money at your site or have a design degree to pull this off. There are some small, easy things that you can start fixing today.
But first, what are the common culprits of “low-end” design?
Before we dive into techniques, let’s take a quick look at some mistakes I often see. Here are a few signs your website might be coming across as amateur or incomplete:
Poor typography choices: Too many fonts, styles and inconsistent font sizes can make your site hard to read and messy.
Lack of visual hierarchy: When all the content, text and titles are the same size and font, nothing stands out.
Low-quality images: Pixelated, stretched or inconsistent photo styles can be harsh on the eyes.
Confusing navigation: Disorganized or poorly labeled menu items can confuse visitors.
Poor mobile experience: No matter how nice your website might look on desktop, if it shows up badly on mobile devices, then you risk losing tons of visitors (especially given that over 63% of website traffic now comes from mobile devices).
No clear brand identity: If you lack a consistent voice, color scheme or overall vibe, people might question the legitimacy of your brand.
No clear CTA: People need to know where to go or what to do on your site—otherwise, they might just give up and bounce.
10 tricks for making your site look high-end
Now that we’ve covered what not to do, let’s look at some ways you can start improving your site.
01. Check alignment
If you’re using the Wix Editor, turn on gridlines and structure your page with strips. Both of these techniques help to keep everything aligned and balanced. (Don’t forget to let each section breathe, too. White space isn’t wasted space; it’s a powerful tool for keeping things anchored and looking clean).
02. Set your site theme
Choose two main fonts—one for your header text, another for body text. Stick to these, as well as three to five brand colors, and a few button styles. Take advantage of Theme Manager. This is where you can set brand styles and keep everything looking consistent.
03. Add simple scrolling effects and animations
A little goes a long way here. Try fade-ins or slide-ins as people scroll. Use simple effects to make your site feel modern without overdoing it.
04. Add hover boxes
Choose from Wix’s pre-designed hover boxes to create a more interactive, engaging experience for visitors. These elements let you present additional content without cluttering your main layout—when a visitor hovers over a box, it animates or reveals more information.
05. Clean up your top menu
Keep the top menu simple and intuitive (ideally stick to four to six main links). Also, make sure your menu is fixed and stays visible as people scroll so it’s easily accessible.
For longer one pagers, you can add anchor links to create smooth scrolling. Alternatively, if you’ve got a more elaborate site—like an eCommerce site—create a dropdown menu or a mega menu that’s organized by category and includes some visual elements.
06. Sharpen your images
Only use high-quality images on your site. You can explore the Wix Media Library to find better images if you’re lacking options. Or, take advantage of Wix’s AI-powered photo editor to refine existing images and/or ask AI to design new ones for you.
07. Tweak the mobile version of your site
Your site might look great on desktop, but you’ll always want to check the mobile editor. Check for proper spacing, font sizes and layout. Chances are, you’ll want to adjust how your content appears on smaller screens. You can even hide some elements that work well on desktop but clutter the mobile experience.
08. Add customer service features
Just like in a luxury store, a high-end online experience starts with excellent service. Add Wix Chat, AI Site Chat or WhatsApp to your site, so your customers can reach you as they’re clicking through your site. Remember, faster responses build trust.
09. Include an FAQ section
Address common customer questions directly on your site. Create a dedicated FAQ page or add a collapsible FAQ section to any page so that important information is easily accessible. Consider using the Wix FAQ app to easily manage a collapsible FAQ section.
10. Weave in testimonials
Strengthen the credibility of your brand and website by adding testimonials where appropriate. Use repeater sections offered in the Wix Editor, which can present testimonials in a polished, easy-to-read format.
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