Good Design vs. Cheap Design: What’s the Real Cost?

Why Cutting Corners Can Cost You Customers, Revenue, and Reputation

When it comes to business expenses, design often gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list. Many companies assume that as long as their logo, website, or packaging is functional, it’s good enough. And if a cheap option is available, why not save a few bucks?

Here’s why: bad design is expensive.

It might not seem obvious at first, but poor design decisions can cost your business in lost customers, lower conversions, expensive redesigns, and a weak brand presence. In contrast, good design is a business asset—it builds trust, increases revenue, and gives you a competitive edge.

Let’s break down exactly why good design pays off—and why cheap design might cost you more than you think.

1. First Impressions: 50 Milliseconds to Win or Lose a Customer

Before a customer reads your tagline, clicks a button, or even considers your product, they’ve already judged you. How fast?

50 milliseconds. That’s how long it takes for someone to form an opinion about your website, according to a study by Google researchers (Lindgaard et al., 2006).

A Stanford Web Credibility Research study found that 75% of users judge a company’s credibility based solely on its website design (Fogg et al., Stanford University).

What Good vs. Cheap Design Looks Like

• Good design: Clean, professional, visually cohesive, and easy to navigate. It makes people trust your brand instantly.
• Cheap design: Cluttered, outdated, hard to read, or generic. It makes people question your legitimacy—or worse, assume you’re a scam.

First impressions are lasting impressions. If your design doesn’t inspire confidence immediately, you could lose customers before they even interact with your product or service.

2. The Hidden Cost of Lost Customers

Bad design doesn’t just look bad—it actively drives customers away.

• 38% of users will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive (Adobe, “State of Content Report” 2015).
• 94% of first impressions on a website are design-related (Stanford Web Credibility Study).
• A well-designed user experience can increase conversion rates by up to 400% (Forrester Research).

What Cheap Design Costs You in the Long Run

Let’s do some quick math:

• Say your website gets 10,000 visitors per month and your conversion rate is 2%. That’s 200 customers per month.
• If bad design lowers your conversion rate to 1%, you’re now only getting 100 customers per month.
• That’s 1,200 lost customers per year—and potentially thousands or millions in lost revenue.

If design flaws are driving customers away, your business is bleeding money without even realizing it.

3. Cheap Design = Expensive Fixes Later

Ever heard the phrase “buy cheap, buy twice”? That applies to design, too.

The Real-World Cost of Cheap Design

Tropicana’s $30 Million Mistake

In 2009, Tropicana spent $35 million on a rebrand that customers hated. Sales dropped by 20% in just two months, costing the company $30 million in lost revenue before they scrapped the redesign (The New York Times, 2009).

Pepsi’s $1 Million Logo Fail

Pepsi paid $1 million for a logo redesign that many considered a downgrade. Unlike Coke, which has maintained strong brand consistency, Pepsi has rebranded multiple times, confusing consumers and weakening brand recognition (Business Insider, 2018).

4. Trust & Perception: Looking the Part Matters

People don’t just buy products or services—they buy confidence. And design is one of the biggest trust signals your brand can send.

The Psychology of Design

• Good design makes a business look established, professional, and credible.
• Bad design makes a business look cheap, inexperienced, or even untrustworthy.

According to Lucidpress’s 2021 brand consistency study, companies with strong, consistent branding increase revenue by up to 23%.

5. The ROI of Good Design: It Pays for Itself

If you’re still skeptical, let’s look at the numbers. Investing in high-quality design isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about business growth.

• Companies that prioritize design outperform competitors by 200% (McKinsey, 2018).
• For every $1 invested in UX, businesses see a return of $2 to $100 (Forrester Research).
• Consistent branding increases revenue by up to 23% (Lucidpress, 2021).

Final Thought: Cheap Design is a False Economy

Cutting corners on design might feel like a money-saver in the short term, but in reality, bad design costs far more in lost customers, weak branding, and expensive re-dos.

If you’re serious about growth, customer trust, and staying competitive, investing in high-quality, strategic design isn’t optional—it’s essential.

Because in the end, the real cost of cheap design… is your brand’s success.

Sources:

• Lindgaard et al. (2006). “Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression!” Behaviour & Information Technology.
• Fogg et al., Stanford Web Credibility Research Lab.
• Adobe (2015). State of Content Report.
• McKinsey & Company (2018). The Business Value of Design.
• Lucidpress (2021). The Impact of Brand Consistency on Revenue.
• Forrester Research (2018). The ROI of UX.
• The New York Times (2009). Tropicana’s Branding Backlash.
• Business Insider (2018). Pepsi’s Branding Fails Over the Years.