The Canva Trap, Episode 7
Canva is a powerful tool, but using it the wrong way can quietly hurt your website, your visibility, and your accessibility. The trap is simple: posting a flyer image on a webpage without the actual text.
The Canva Trap Explained
The issue is not Canva itself. The problem is treating a graphic like content instead of a visual supplement.
When important details live only inside an image, your website loses usability, search value, and accessibility.
What usually happens:
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Upload a flyer image
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Drop it on a page
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Call it done
It is not done.
Mobile Users Cannot Read It
Flyers are usually designed for print or desktop, not phones.
On mobile, users are forced to pinch and zoom just to read basic information, which quickly drives people away.
The result:
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Poor mobile experience
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Frustrated visitors
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Missed engagement
Google Cannot Index Images
Search engines cannot read text inside images.
If your event name, location, date, or offer only exists in a graphic, Google gives you no credit for it.
That means:
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No keyword value
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No ranking benefit
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No discoverability
Alt text helps and should be used, but it is rarely done well and does not fully solve the problem.
Tell Customer Stories the Simple Way
“Story” doesn’t need to be complicated. You just need their words.
Ask what they needed before working with you
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Capture why they chose you
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Document what surprised them and what changed
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Let them explain why you’re worth recommending
Accessibility and Legal Risk Are Real
Screen readers cannot interpret flyer images with embedded text.
If your content is not readable on the page, people with visual impairments cannot access it at all, which creates unnecessary legal risk.
This is especially important for:
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Municipalities
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Schools
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Nonprofits
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Community organizations
The Simple Fix That Solves Most of the Problem
If the text exists in the graphic, it also needs to exist on the page.
That alone gets you most of the way there.
At a minimum, include:
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Title or event name
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Date and time
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Location, plus a map when relevant
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Cost or registration details
If the text resizes cleanly on mobile, you are likely in good shape.
Canva Is the Visual, Not the Content
Use Canva to enhance your page, not replace it.
You are already spending time creating the flyer. Spending a few more minutes adding the text ensures:
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Better SEO
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Better mobile usability
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Better accessibility
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Better overall results
This Applies to Everyone
This is not just a business issue.
It matters for:
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Local governments
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Nonprofits
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Chambers
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Community groups
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Schools
If it is public facing, it needs to be readable.
Pro tip
You are not finished when the flyer looks good. You are finished when the text lives on the page.
If you want, I can also do a strict punctuation pass or lock this to a reusable internal style rule for future episodes.
Related Marketing From the Car Episodes
If this way of thinking makes sense, these episodes carry it a step further:
👉 Next Steps
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