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Are you considering outsourcing your web design services to a white-label provider? Outsourcing is an excellent way to grow your digital agency without overextending your in-house capabilities—but only if done correctly.
Many agencies enter into white-label relationships expecting quick wins, only to find themselves dealing with client dissatisfaction, timeline delays, and unexpected costs due to simple white label website design mistakes.
In this article, we discuss the most common white label web design mistakes that may negatively impact your business and how to avoid them.
Choosing the Wrong White-Label Partner
Selecting the right vendor is arguably the most critical part of entering a white-label partnership. Many agencies choose the wrong white label partner and later realize that saving money often means compromising quality or commitment to the final product.
No Proven Portfolio or Experience
You should be concerned about a vendor that provides limited (or no) portfolio or case studies. According to some stats, 37% of small enterprises outsource at least one business process.
It is always best practice to ask to see previous work, in particular if the vendor is being asked to work on a more advanced platform such as Shopify, WordPress or Webflow, as these each have specialized areas of expertise.
Weak Technical Capabilities
If a vendor does not show proficiency in modern technologies such as responsive design, SEO-friendly code, and modern fast-loading frameworks, this will ultimately compromise the final product and product quality.
Poor Communication or Time Zone Clashes
In many cases, client communication in white-label projects and considerable time zone distance can be obstacles to meeting project targets. In fact, 51% of outsourcing failures relate to poor communication. If your vendor is not available when you (or your clients) need to provide updates or information, your trust and satisfaction will quickly begin to erode.
Ignoring Quality Assurance and Testing
Your agency brand is connected to the work that your white-label partner produces. When the quality of the build goes off the rails, your credibility is reduced with your clients as well.
Lack of Mobile Optimization
Considering that mobile is over 55% of global web traffic, to have a non-responsive design is a failure. Clients assume they will have the same experience on every device.
No Cross-Browser Testing
If a site looks great in Chrome but doesn’t respond in Firefox or Safari, there is clearly an issue with QA. Cross-browser testing is important, but also resolutely ignored by poor providers.
Poor Load Speed and Performance
Essentially, a case was conducted that said just a 1-second delay in page load can negatively reduce conversions by 7%. Make sure that your white-label partner is using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to test site performance before publishing.
Inefficient Client Communication Process
One of the largest mistakes when using a white label web design service common error in white label design services is the disconnect between your agency, your provider, and the final client and poor communication will result in there being failures.
No Unified Workflow
When there is no centralized system (like ClickUp, Trello, or Slack), communication is lost in emails and spreadsheets. This delays timelines and is also confusing and messy.
Misaligned Branding
Your white-label partner should deliver professional assets (presentations, reports, training resources, etc.) in your agency’s branding. If they fail to deliver the assets in your branding, your client will not perceive the deliverables as they are supposed to appear, as if the work is done in person by your agency.
Response Delays
If your white-label partner delays replying, your client will end up waiting longer than necessary for answers, which will reflect poorly on you and your agency.
Mismanaging Revisions and Feedback
Dealing with client feedback and design revisions is part of the role, but if it is not managed well, it can kill time, money, and goodwill. Managing revisions in white label design is crucial for the success of the development.
Undefined Revision Limits
Most agencies fail to set clear limits on things like revisions upfront, leading to too much back-and-forth. According to reports, an agency could lose 20% of its margins due to unmanaged scope creep and revisions.
No Feedback System
Design apps like Figma and Adobe XD can help make it easier to collect and manage feedback. Clients can annotate the specific designs instead of sending lengthy email threads.
Hidden Charges for Extra Edits
Clients desire and require transparency. Be sure to indicate the amount of revisions that are included, and what you charge for additional changes (for example, $50-75/hour).
Not Clarifying Project Scope and Pricing
A little vagueness in a contract scope or price conditions turns a normal project into a nightmare. This is one of the most common errors in white label design services.
Lack of Cost Breakdown
Transparency in price is vital. Here is a rough breakdown of what white-label web design costs will look like in 2025:
| Service Type | Average Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Basic Website | $300 – $700 |
| Custom WordPress Website | $1200– $3500 |
| Shopify/WooCommerce eCommerce | $900 – $2,500 |
| Monthly Maintenance & Support | $50 – $200/month |
In the absence of clear costs like these, clients may feel they were blindsided by new charges.
Undefined Timelines
Deliverables and timelines should be defined at the start of any project- 5-7 business days for a simple site, 2-3 weeks for eCommerce builds, etc.
Missing Scope of Work Agreement
Remember to always provide a clearly defined scope document outlining project goals, tools, platform, features, deadlines, and rounds of revisions.
Overlooking Post-Launch Support and Documentation
A white-label relationship should not end when the site goes live. Not providing a complete handover and support can create support problems that you and your agency are left to answer for.
No Bug Fix Guarantee
Your partner should always provide an unconditional free support window (generally for 14 -30 days) for any post-launch bugs. Not having this in your white-label plan leads to client issues and frantic last-minute fire drills.
Lack of Maintenance Services
Over 30,000 websites are hacked every day, so website maintenance is not an “option” for you to offer your clients. If one of your partners doesn’t offer this, you will lose revenue and the security of your client.
No Handover Documentation
Clients need a user’s handbook, admin access, and training videos, and on top of that, they need to know that you haven’t just abandoned them. Not delivering all of this makes them feel singularly reliant upon you and forget that your agency is trying to be professional and as if it wants to continue to provide services.
Conclusion
If you make it easy to avoid these white label website design mistakes, you will protect your brand as an agency and your client relationship as well. Everything you decide, from the selection of your partners to the management of revisions, ensuring quality, and offering post-launch support, impacts your business outcomes.
If you are looking for a trustworthy white label development services provider who understands the needs of growing agencies, Shiv Technolabs can offer you a full-service solution. Shiv Technolabs excels at WordPress, Shopify, Laravel and other platforms to the highest design quality. Let us help you look like a champion and address all your white label website design quality issues while you confidently scale.
