Your website might be losing you customers every single day—and you don't even know it. These common mistakes seem small, but they add up to lost sales, missed opportunities, and frustrated visitors who go straight to your competitors.
Let's fix that.
Mistake #1: No Clear Value Proposition
When someone lands on your website, they should know within 5 seconds:
- What you do
- Who you do it for
- Why they should choose you
The Problem: Too many small business websites open with vague statements like "Welcome to Our Website" or "Quality Service Since 1985."
The Fix: Lead with a clear headline that speaks to your customer's needs:
❌ "Welcome to Johnson's Heating & Cooling" ✅ "Stay Comfortable Year-Round with Same-Day HVAC Service in Portland"
Mistake #2: Missing or Hidden Contact Information
If customers can't reach you easily, they won't try hard. They'll just go to the next business in their search results.
The Problem:
- Phone number buried in the footer
- No contact form on service pages
- "Contact Us" hidden in a dropdown menu
The Fix:
- Put your phone number in the header (clickable on mobile)
- Add contact forms to every service page
- Include a sticky "Call Now" button on mobile
- Display your hours of operation prominently
88% of consumers who search for a local business on their phone call or visit within 24 hours. Make it easy for them.
Mistake #3: Slow Loading Speed
Every second your website takes to load costs you customers:
- 1 second delay = 7% fewer conversions
- 3 seconds = 53% of mobile visitors leave
- 5 seconds = might as well not have a website
The Problem:
- Huge uncompressed images
- Too many plugins or scripts
- Cheap hosting
The Fix:
- Compress images before uploading (use TinyPNG or similar)
- Choose a quality hosting provider
- Minimize unnecessary features and plugins
- Test your speed at PageSpeed Insights
Mistake #4: Not Mobile-Friendly
Over 60% of web traffic is mobile. If your website doesn't work on phones, you're invisible to most of your potential customers.
Signs your site isn't mobile-friendly:
- Text is too small to read
- Buttons are too small to tap
- You have to scroll sideways
- Features don't work on mobile
- Forms are impossible to fill out
The Fix:
- Use a responsive website design
- Test on actual phones, not just your computer
- Make buttons at least 44x44 pixels
- Use readable font sizes (16px minimum)
Mistake #5: No Social Proof
People don't trust businesses—they trust other people. Without reviews and testimonials, visitors have no reason to believe your claims.
The Problem:
- No reviews displayed on the website
- Testimonials without names or photos
- No case studies or examples
- Missing trust badges
The Fix:
- Add a dedicated testimonials section
- Include customer names and photos (with permission)
- Display star ratings from Google or Yelp
- Add trust badges (BBB, certifications, awards)
- Show logos of businesses you've worked with
Mistake #6: Confusing Navigation
If visitors can't find what they're looking for in 3 clicks, they're gone.
The Problem:
- Too many menu items
- Vague labels like "Solutions" or "Resources"
- Important pages hidden in dropdowns
- No search function on larger sites
The Fix:
Keep navigation simple and clear:
- Limit main menu to 5-7 items
- Use descriptive labels ("Our Services" not "What We Do")
- Put the most important pages first
- Include a prominent contact button
Good navigation example:
Home | Services | About | Reviews | Contact | Get a Quote
Mistake #7: Generic, Stock-Photo-Heavy Design
When your website looks exactly like every other website in your industry, you blend in instead of standing out.
The Problem:
- Obvious stock photos of people in suits shaking hands
- Generic template design
- No personality or brand identity
- Looks like it was made in 2010
The Fix:
- Use real photos of your team, location, and work
- Develop a consistent color scheme and brand identity
- Show your personality in your copy
- Invest in modern, clean design
Quick Audit Checklist
Run through this checklist for your own website:
- Clear headline explaining what you do
- Phone number visible in header
- Contact form on every page
- Loads in under 3 seconds
- Works perfectly on mobile
- At least 5 customer testimonials
- Simple, clear navigation
- Professional, modern design
- Real photos (not all stock images)
- Clear calls-to-action
How many boxes did you check?
- 8-10: Great job! Fine-tune the details.
- 5-7: You're losing some customers. Prioritize fixes.
- 0-4: Your website needs serious work. Consider a rebuild.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
Every day your website has these problems, you're:
- Losing potential customers to competitors
- Damaging your professional reputation
- Missing out on leads while you sleep
- Wasting money driving traffic to a broken site
The good news? Most of these fixes are straightforward. Start with the biggest problems and work your way down.
Ready for a website without these mistakes? Create a professional website with Uncody in minutes—mobile-friendly, fast, and designed to convert visitors into customers.