Most small business websites lose customers before they ever make contact. Here are the most common mistakes — and the simple fixes.
After looking at hundreds of small business websites, the same mistakes come up over and over. The good news: every single one is fixable.
1. No clear headline on the homepage
Visitors give you about 5 seconds. If your homepage says "Welcome to our website" instead of "Houston's #1 rated carpet cleaning service," they're gone. Fix: write a headline that says exactly what you do and who you help.
2. Phone number buried or missing
Your phone number should be in the header of every page. Many customers decide to call before they decide to email. Make it click-to-call on mobile. Fix: add your number to your site header and footer.
3. No photos of real work
Stock photos scream "generic." Photos of your actual work, your team, your space — these build instant trust. Fix: take 10 photos with your phone this week and use them.
4. Too much text
Nobody reads paragraphs on a website. They scan. Use short sentences, bullet points, and headers. Fix: cut your copy in half. Then cut it in half again.
5. Slow loading speed
If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, half your visitors leave. Huge image files are the #1 culprit. Fix: compress your images before uploading (use squoosh.app — free).
6. Not mobile-friendly
Over 60% of web traffic is on phones. If your site looks broken on mobile, you're losing the majority of your visitors. Fix: use a modern template that's built to be responsive.
7. No call to action
Every page should end with a clear next step: "Call now," "Book an appointment," "Get a free quote." Don't make visitors guess what to do. Fix: add a button to every page.