You Only Get One Chance
When someone lands on your website, you have about 3 seconds before they decide whether to stay or leave.
Three seconds.
That's it. No second chances. No do-overs. They either stay and explore, or they hit the back button and check out your competitor.
After reviewing hundreds of small business websites, I've noticed the same mistakes over and over. These aren't tiny technical issues—they're major problems that actively push customers away.
The good news? They're all fixable. Let me show you what to look for.
Mistake #1: No Clear Value Proposition Above the Fold
What it looks like:
You land on a website and see a generic headline like "Welcome to ABC Services" or "Quality Products Since 2010." The hero section has a vague stock photo and no clear explanation of what the business actually does.
Why it costs you customers:
Visitors shouldn't have to scroll or think hard to understand what you offer. If they land on your site and can't immediately answer "What does this business do?" and "How does it help me?"—they're gone.
How to fix it:
- Write a clear headline that states exactly what you do and who you serve
- Include a subheading that explains the primary benefit
- Make it visible without scrolling
Good example: "Professional Dog Grooming in Seattle – Your Pet Deserves the Best Care"
Bad example: "Welcome to Paws & Claws – Est. 2015"
Mistake #2: Missing or Hidden Contact Information
What it looks like:
No phone number visible. Contact info buried in a footer. The only way to reach you is through a contact form that might take days to get a response.
Why it costs you customers:
When someone's ready to buy, they want to contact you NOW. Making it hard to reach you sends the message that you don't want their business. They'll simply call the next company whose number they can actually find.
How to fix it:
- Put your phone number in the header on every page
- Make it clickable on mobile (tap to call)
- Include business hours so people know when they can reach you
- If you serve local customers, include your address
- Add a "Contact" button in your main navigation
Mistake #3: Slow Loading Speed
What it looks like:
Your site takes more than 3 seconds to load. Images appear slowly. The page feels sluggish.
Why it costs you customers:
53% of mobile users will leave if a page takes more than 3 seconds to load. Every extra second of load time reduces conversions by an average of 4.42%.
Speed isn't just a nice-to-have anymore—it's a requirement. A slow website tells customers you don't respect their time.
How to fix it:
- Compress and optimize all images before uploading
- Use modern image formats (WebP)
- Choose quality web hosting (not the $3/month option)
- Minimize the use of heavy animations and videos
- Remove unnecessary plugins and scripts
Mistake #4: Not Mobile-Friendly
What it looks like:
Text too small to read on phones. Buttons too small to tap. Horizontal scrolling required. Content that looks perfect on desktop but broken on mobile.
Why it costs you customers:
Over 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. If your site doesn't work well on phones, you're literally turning away the majority of potential customers.
How to fix it:
- Test your site on multiple phone sizes
- Use responsive design that adapts to screen size
- Make buttons and links large enough to tap easily
- Ensure text is readable without zooming
- Test your contact forms on mobile
Mistake #5: Unclear or Missing Calls-to-Action
What it looks like:
No obvious "next step" for visitors. Generic buttons that say "Learn More" or "Submit." Multiple competing CTAs that confuse people about what to do.
Why it costs you customers:
Even interested visitors need clear direction. If they're ready to buy but don't see an obvious way to do so, they'll leave. Decision paralysis is real—give people one clear action to take.
How to fix it:
- Use specific, action-oriented button text: "Schedule Your Free Consultation," "Get a Quote Today," "Book Your Appointment"
- Have one primary CTA per page (the main thing you want people to do)
- Make CTA buttons visually prominent with contrasting colors
- Place CTAs strategically (hero section, after explaining benefits, at the end)
- Remove competing CTAs that distract from your main goal
Mistake #6: Unprofessional Design and Outdated Look
What it looks like:
Website looks like it was built in 2005. Clashing colors. Comic Sans font. Animated GIFs. Busy backgrounds that make text hard to read.
Why it costs you customers:
75% of users admit to making judgments about a company's credibility based on website design. An outdated or unprofessional website makes people question whether your business is still operating, whether you're trustworthy, and whether your services are up to date.
How to fix it:
- Use a modern, clean design with plenty of white space
- Stick to 2-3 complementary colors maximum
- Use professional, relevant photos (not cheesy stock images)
- Choose readable, professional fonts
- Remove auto-playing music, excessive animations, and flashy effects
- Update copyright year in the footer
Mistake #7: No Social Proof or Trust Signals
What it looks like:
No customer reviews. No testimonials. No indicators that real people have used and liked your services. No credentials or certifications displayed.
Why it costs you customers:
88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. When visitors can't find evidence that others have successfully used your services, they assume the risk themselves. Most won't.
How to fix it:
- Display customer testimonials with real names and photos (get permission)
- Show your Google review rating and link to reviews
- Include logos of companies you've worked with
- Display relevant certifications, licenses, or awards
- Add case studies or before/after examples
- Show the number of customers served or years in business
- Include professional association memberships
The Quick Self-Audit
Go to your website right now and ask yourself:
- First impression test: Can someone who lands on your homepage immediately understand what you do and why they should care?
- Contact test: Can someone find your phone number within 3 seconds?
- Speed test: Does your site load in under 3 seconds? (Test at pagespeed.web.dev)
- Mobile test: Pull it up on your phone. Does everything work well?
- Action test: Is there a clear next step on every page?
- Design test: Does your site look modern and professional?
- Trust test: Would you trust this business based on the website alone?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, that's a priority to fix.
The Cost of Doing Nothing
Here's the thing about website mistakes: they're invisible to you but obvious to potential customers.
You've seen your site hundreds of times. You know how to navigate it. You know where to find information. You're immune to its problems.
But every day, potential customers visit your site, get frustrated, and leave. They don't email to tell you why. They don't leave feedback. They just quietly go to your competitor.
How many customers have you lost this month because of fixable website problems? How much revenue could you gain by addressing these issues?
Getting Help
The good news is that these problems are all solvable. You have three options:
Option 1: Fix them yourself
If you built your own site and have the time/skills, you can tackle these issues one by one. Start with the biggest problems first.
Option 2: Hire someone to fix your existing site
A designer can audit your current site and fix specific problems without rebuilding from scratch.
Option 3: Start fresh with a professional
Sometimes it's easier to rebuild with these principles in mind from the beginning than to patch an fundamentally flawed site.
Whichever path you choose, don't let these mistakes continue costing you customers.
Want an honest assessment of your website? [Contact us for a free website review →](/contact)