Common Website Mistakes Small Businesses Make and How to Avoid Them
We know that our business website serves as the first point of contact between your business and potential customers, reflecting the professionalism, credibility, and quality of your products or services. However, many small businesses fall into common pitfalls in website design and management, leading to lost sales and missed opportunities. This blog post will identify these mistakes and offer advice on how to avoid them, ensuring a successful online presence.
Table of Contents
Poor Website Navigation
Mistake: Complicated or Unclear Navigation Menus
When visitors struggle to find the information they need due to complicated or unclear navigation menus, they quickly become frustrated and leave your site. This increases bounce rates and diminishes their overall experience.
Solution: Simplify Navigation with Intuitive Menus and Clear Categories
Use straightforward labels for menu items, don’t try to use fancy words that people don’t understand, and limit the number of main menu options to avoid overwhelming users. Implement breadcrumb trails to help users understand their current location and navigate back to previous pages easily. Additionally, a search bar allows users to quickly find specific content.
Lack of Mobile Optimization
Mistake: Website Not Optimized for Mobile Devices
With over half of web traffic coming from mobile devices, a non-responsive site can result in poor user experience and high bounce rates.
Solution: Implement Responsive Design
Ensure your website is compatible with all device types by using flexible grids and layouts that adjust to different screen sizes. Optimise images and media for faster loading on mobile networks. Studies show that 57% of users won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site, and with Google’s mobile-first indexing, search engine rankings are significantly influenced by mobile optimization.
You can check your mobile friendliness of your website through Google Search Console.
Slow Loading Times
Mistake: High Loading Times
Users expect pages to load within 2-3 seconds. Slow websites can lead to frustration, increased bounce rates, and negatively impact search engine rankings.
Studies have shown that a slow website is a turn-off for most consumers. Websites that load within one second have the highest conversion rate at about 40%4. But for each additional second of loading time, that rate decreases. The conversion rate drops from 40% to 34% from one to two seconds.
Solution: Optimize Images, Leverage Browser Caching, and Use CDNs
Compress and resize images without sacrificing quality, enable browser caching to store commonly used files locally, and use Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to deliver content faster by utilising servers closer to the user’s location. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights provide actionable recommendations to improve loading times.
We use and recommend WPX for our websites and our client’s websites!
Outdated Content
Mistake: Stale, Outdated, or Irrelevant Content
Visitors may perceive your business as inactive or unreliable if your content is outdated. This can lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss of trust. Another common mistake is leaving the published date visible, if you data is date sensitive it is important to show the date, however, lots of information isn’t and leaves the website looking unloved. If you can’t spend time on your own business, how will others feel confident that you will look after theirs?
Solution: Regularly Update Content
Create a content calendar to organise and schedule regular updates for blog posts, product information, and company news. Engage with your audience through fresh and relevant content. Tools like Trello or Asana can help manage content schedules and tasks, and automated reminders can ensure periodic content reviews. You can read more about the value of content for your website in our Blog Post.
With AI allowing for quick and relatively good content creation, if you’re not utilising it, your competitors will be! Check out our Blog Post on using AI for Content Creation.
Ignoring SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) Best Practices
Mistake: Poor SEO Leading to Low Search Engine Rankings
Ignoring SEO best practices can result in less visibility in search results, translating to fewer visitors and missed opportunities for organic traffic and new customers.
Solution: Implement Basic SEO Practices
Conduct keyword research to identify terms your target audience is searching for and optimise meta titles, descriptions, and headers with relevant keywords. Build quality backlinks from reputable sites to enhance domain authority. Tools like RankMath and Google Analytics and Search Console can help monitor and improve your site’s SEO performance.
Understanding and implementing basic on-page SEO principles can make all the difference to your rankings.
Lack of Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
Mistake: Absence of, or Confusing CTAs
Without clear and compelling CTAs, users are unsure of what steps to take next, leading to missed conversion opportunities. Users these days expect to be told what to do next on your website. Don’t let them have to make that decision. They don’t know what they don’t know. It is your responsibility as a business website owner to guide them through the journey.
Solution: Strategically Place Clear and Compelling CTAs
Use action-oriented language that clearly conveys the benefit, such as “Sign Up Now” or “Get Your Free Quote.” Ensure CTAs stand out visually with contrasting colours and prominent placement. Examples of effective CTAs include “Start Free Trial” buttons on the homepage, “Download Our Free eBook” within blog posts, and “Add to Cart” buttons on product pages.
Missing Contact Information
Mistake: Hard-to-Find or Missing Contact Information
Frustrates users who want to reach out for inquiries or support, hindering the building of trust and credibility with potential customers. The same too with location. Would you want to visit a hairdresser or request an electrician from another state, let alone another country?
Solution: Ensure Contact Details Are Visible on Every Page
Prominently display contact information in the header or footer, including multiple contact methods such as phone number, email address, and physical address. Consider adding a contact form and live chat option for immediate assistance. Tools like Intercom or Zendesk can facilitate real-time communication.
51% of customers prefer to use live chat while multitasking. 53% of companies resolve most complaints during the first live chat interaction. 60% of customers say they are more likely to revisit a website if it uses live chat.
Poor Visual Design
Mistake: Cluttered or Unappealing Visual Design
A cluttered or unappealing visual design detracts from the user experience and can make the site seem amateurish. Overly busy or inconsistent designs can confuse and overwhelm visitors and they struggle to move around and make a decision.
Our brains like order, and constant visual reminders of disorganisation drain our cognitive resources, reducing our ability to focus.
Solution: Maintain a Clean, Professional Aesthetic
Use a simple, cohesive colour scheme and typography that aligns with your brand. Ensure sufficient white space to avoid clutter and improve readability. Best practices include choosing a primary colour with complementary accents, selecting 2-3 fonts maximum, and using grid-based layouts for a structured and balanced design.
Security Vulnerabilities
Mistake: Weak Security Measures
Weak security measures expose your website to risks such as data breaches, malware infections, and unauthorised access. Compromised security can damage your reputation and customer trust.
Solution: Implement Robust Security Measures
Use SSL certificates to encrypt data, update your CMS, plugins, and themes to patch vulnerabilities, and use strong, complex passwords with two-factor authentication. Regular security audits and vulnerability scans can proactively address potential threats. Displaying security badges and SSL certificates reassures visitors about the safety of their data.
We use and recommend WPX for our websites and our client’s websites!
Privacy Policy (Australian Websites)
Mistake: Not having a website-specific Privacy Policy
Australian privacy legislation requires websites to post a Privacy Statement or have a Privacy Policy if they collect ANY customer or website visitor information. This means almost EVERY Australian website needs a Privacy Policy.
Solution: Include a Privacy Policy prominently on your website
A Privacy Policy statement tells your website, visitors and customers that you will keep their personal information secure and confidential and that your business complies with Australian law. Many legal companies provide templates.
Conclusion
Recapping these common website mistakes and their solutions highlights the importance of addressing them to improve user experience and business performance. Continuously monitoring and improving website performance is crucial, as website management requires ongoing attention. Stay updated on web design trends and best practices, and regularly seek user feedback to identify areas for improvement.
Call to Action
Audit your own website for these common mistakes using the checklist provided. If you need expert advice or a professional website evaluation, consider reaching out for a free consultation or additional resources.