If your website isn’t helping your business grow, it’s probably holding you back.
As a web developer who works with small businesses, I’ve seen these same issues crop up again and again. They’re easy to overlook, especially when you’re busy wearing every hat in your business. But even small mistakes can quietly cost you leads, sales, and credibility.
Five of the most common website mistakes I see ,and how you can fix.
Your Site Loads Too Slowly
People are impatient online, we have the attention span of a gnat these days. If your site drags its feet, they’re gone before they even see what you offer. And Google notices too, it pushes slow sites down in search results , bad for SEO
What to do:
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Compress your images when you upload them. you don’t need print quality images
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Ditch clunky plugins if you’re using WordPress. Actually ditch any you dont need, all those ones you installed to try things out . Bad for performance , and another potential hacking target
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Invest in a decent web host, please don’t go with the cheapest option.
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Run a free speed test at PageSpeed Insights.
Visitors Don’t Know Where to Click
If your site feels cluttered, or your menu is overloaded, you’re asking visitors to work too hard, and they won’t, remember , gnats!
What to do:
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Stick to simple, clear labels like “Home,” “Services,” and “Contact.”
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Don’t bury your phone number or contact form, if they want to call you, make it easy to find. We are used to looking at the top and bottom of the page – put it there.
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Give each page one clear purpose.
- Make information easy to find . If you are a shop, where are the opening times. If you are serviced based, what are your packages.
You Forgot to Tell People What to Do Next
A website isn’t just a digital brochure it’s a tool. If you’re not guiding people to take action, you are losing potential clients
What to do:
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Add buttons and prompts like “Book a Call,” “Request a Quote,” or “Buy Now.”
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Make them easy to spot—on your homepage, on service pages, everywhere.
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Be specific , what do you want them to do, book a discovery call, send an email? Tell them what it is
It Looks Outdated, or The Content is Outdated
I’ll be honest: if your website looks like it hasn’t been touched since 2014, it sends the wrong message. You might be great at what you do, but your website is what people judge first. There will always be someone out there with a site that looks better and people are fickle, they will judge you on what they see
What to do:
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Update your design every few years (or at least freshen it up with better photos and fonts).
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Check your content for old dates or broken links.
- Get rid of information that is out of date, Christmas offers in June. I still see covid messages.
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Swap out overused stock images with ones that actually reflect your brand.
It’s Not Mobile-Friendly
Most of your visitors are probably coming from their phones. If your site isn’t easy to use on mobile, they’ll bounce fast. Google rates mobile responsiveness highly, and if it doesn’t work on a phone, your will be affecting your SEO. I fnd a lot of business, especially when they DIY their site forget to check this.
What to do:
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Pull up your site on your phone. Can you read it? Click things easily?
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If not, it’s time for a responsive design.
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Most platforms (WordPress, Squarespace, etc.) offer mobile-friendly templates—use them.
- Check the menus actually work
Final Thought
You don’t need a flashy, five-figure website. You just need one that works.
These issues aren’t hard to fix—but they do make a difference. I’ve been building websites for years, and what I know for sure is this: a good website doesn’t just look nice. It supports your business goals, earns trust, and makes it easy for the right people to say “yes.”