5 Website Mistakes That Are Costing You Customers

I've audited hundreds of small business websites. And I see the same problems over and over again. Not design problems. Not technology problems. Business-killing problems that owners don't even know they have.

The worst part? These aren't hard to fix. Most take less than an hour. But every day you don't fix them, you're losing customers to businesses that did.

Let me show you what to look for.

Mistake #1: Your Site Takes Forever to Load

This is the silent killer. You can't see it because you're on fast Wi-Fi. But your customers? They're on their phones at a red light, waiting for your page to load. And they're not waiting long.

The Numbers Don't Lie:

• 53% of mobile users leave if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load
• Every additional second of load time drops conversions by 7%
• Google penalizes slow sites in search rankings

How to check: Go to PageSpeed Insights and enter your URL. If your mobile score is below 50, you have a problem.

Quick Fixes:

• Compress your images (most sites have massive unoptimized photos)
• Remove plugins and scripts you're not using
• Switch to better hosting (cheap hosting = slow site)
• Enable browser caching

Mistake #2: Nobody Can Find Your Phone Number

I see this constantly. Someone lands on your website ready to call—and they have to hunt for your phone number. It's buried in the footer. Or it's only on the contact page. Or worse, it's an image that can't be clicked on mobile.

Every extra click is a customer lost.

Think about it: Someone searches "plumber near me" at 10pm with water spraying everywhere. They click your site. They need to call you NOW. If they can't find the number in 2 seconds, they're hitting back and calling the next result.

The Fix:

• Put your phone number in the header—visible on every page
• Make it a clickable link: tel:+1234567890
• On mobile, consider a sticky "Call Now" button
• Test it: Can your mom find your number in under 3 seconds?

Mistake #3: Your Site Looks Broken on Phones

"But I checked it on my computer and it looks fine!"

Yeah, but 60-70% of your traffic is on mobile. And if your site looks like garbage on a phone—text too small, buttons impossible to tap, images overflowing—those visitors are gone.

Common Mobile Disasters:

• Text so small you need a magnifying glass
• Buttons too close together (fat finger syndrome)
• Horizontal scrolling (instant bounce)
• Popups that can't be closed on mobile
• Forms that are impossible to fill out

How to check: Actually look at your site on your phone. Not a simulator—your actual phone. Try to do what a customer would do. Book an appointment. Find your address. Fill out a form. Is it easy or frustrating?

Mistake #4: You Don't Tell Visitors What to Do

Someone lands on your homepage. They read about your services. They think "this looks good." And then... what?

If you don't tell them exactly what to do next, they do nothing. They leave. They forget about you.

This is called a Call to Action (CTA)—and most small business websites either don't have one, or have one so weak it might as well not exist.

Weak CTAs That Don't Convert:

• "Submit" (submit what? to whom?)
• "Learn More" (vague and uninspiring)
• "Contact Us" buried at the bottom of the page
• No CTA at all—just information with no next step

CTAs That Actually Work:

• "Get Your Free Quote" (specific, valuable)
• "Book Your Appointment" (clear action)
• "Call Now: 555-123-4567" (removes friction)
• "See Our Work" → "Get Started" (guided journey)

Rule of thumb: Every page should have ONE clear thing you want visitors to do.

Mistake #5: You're Invisible on Google

You have a website. Great. But if nobody can find it, what's the point?

I talk to business owners all the time who say "I have a website but it doesn't bring in any business." When I check, their site doesn't show up for ANY relevant searches. Not even when searching their exact business name.

Why You're Not Showing Up:

• No Google Business Profile – This is free and essential for local businesses
• No location information – Google doesn't know where you are
• Generic page titles – "Home" instead of "Cleveland Plumbing | 24/7 Emergency Service"
• No content about what you do – Two sentences isn't enough for Google to understand your business
• Not mobile-friendly – Google punishes non-mobile sites in rankings

Quick test: Open an incognito window and search "[your service] + [your city]". Do you show up on the first page? If not, you're invisible to everyone who didn't already know your name.

Start Here:

1. Claim your Google Business Profile (if you haven't)
2. Add your city/service area to your homepage and page titles
3. Write actual content about your services—aim for 300+ words per service
4. Get reviews (Google loves businesses with reviews)

The 5-Minute Website Audit

Want to check your site right now? Grab your phone and run through this:

Does the site load in under 3 seconds on mobile?

Can you find the phone number without scrolling?

Is everything readable and tappable on your phone?

Is there a clear "next step" on the homepage?

Does your business show up when you Google it?

If you checked all 5, your site is in better shape than 80% of small business websites.

The Bottom Line

These five mistakes are costing small businesses customers every single day. The frustrating part? They're all fixable.

You don't need a complete redesign. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars. You need to:

• Speed up your site
• Make your contact info obvious
• Test on mobile (actually test, not assume)
• Tell people what to do
• Help Google understand who you are

Fix these five things, and you'll be ahead of most of your competition. Not because you have a fancier website—because yours actually works.

Want Us to Audit Your Website?

We'll run through your site and tell you exactly what's working, what's not, and what to fix first. Free, no pressure, no sales pitch.

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