Common Website Mistakes Small Businesses Make (And How to Avoid Them)

As a small business owner, your website is often the first point of contact for potential customers. Here in Staffordshire and beyond, a well-crafted website can transform your business, driving local engagement and boosting sales. However, we see many small businesses fall into common website traps that can harm their online presence and turn visitors away.

At McKinney’s Website Design, we’ve helped clients like The Spittal Brook and Jetwash Staffordshire avoid these pitfalls and create websites that deliver real results. As a small business specialist, I’m sharing the top website mistakes we see small businesses make—and practical tips to help you steer clear of them.

Common Website Mistakes Small Businesses Make (And How to Avoid Them)

1. Ignoring Mobile Users

The Mistake: Building a website that shines on desktops but feels clunky or unusable on smartphones. With over 60% of web traffic coming from mobile devices (Statista, 2024), neglecting mobile users can push away a huge portion of your audience.

How to Avoid It: Make responsive design a priority to ensure your website looks and works great on any screen size. At McKinney’s Website Design, we specialize in creating mobile-friendly websites for small businesses. For example, we built a seamless mobile experience for Horse and Jockey, making it easy for customers to browse menus or book tables on the go. Test your site across devices to confirm navigation is intuitive, text is readable, and buttons are tap-friendly. A mobile-optimized site not only keeps visitors happy but also boosts your SEO, as Google favors mobile-friendly websites.

2. Overcomplicating the Design

The Mistake: Packing too many elements—flashy animations, multiple fonts, or cluttered layouts—onto your website to stand out. This often overwhelms visitors, making it hard for them to find what they’re looking for.

How to Avoid It: Keep your design clean and user-focused. Stick to a simple layout with a clear structure, using no more than two or three fonts and a consistent color palette. We at McKinney’s Website Design excel at creating straightforward yet creative websites. Take The Shelby Pub Company’s site, where we highlighted key details like menus and bookings without unnecessary clutter. Focus on what matters to your customers—contact info, services, or a clear call-to-action—and make those elements easy to access.

3. Slow Loading Times

The Mistake: A website that takes ages to load, frustrating visitors and driving them away. Research shows 53% of users abandon a site if it takes over three seconds to load (Google, 2023).

How to Avoid It: Optimize for speed by compressing images, streamlining code, and choosing reliable hosting. We ensure every website we build at McKinney’s Website Design, like Jetwash Staffordshire’s fast-loading service pages, performs efficiently to keep visitors engaged. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your site’s speed and fix any issues. A fast website not only retains customers but also improves your search engine rankings.

4. Neglecting SEO

The Mistake: Launching a stunning website but failing to optimize it for search engines, leaving it invisible to people searching for your services. A Staffordshire pub without local SEO, for instance, might miss out on nearby diners.

How to Avoid It: Start with basic SEO practices. Include relevant keywords—like “Staffordshire pub dining” or “local services”—in your headings, meta descriptions, and content. At McKinney’s Website Design, we weave SEO into every project, helping clients like The Spittal Brook rank well for local searches. Claim your Google My Business profile, add alt text to images, and create content that answers your customers’ questions. These steps help your site get noticed by the right people.

5. Weak or Missing Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

The Mistake: Not guiding visitors toward the next step, whether it’s booking a table, requesting a quote, or making a purchase. Without clear CTAs, users may leave your site without engaging.

How to Avoid It: Use prominent, action-oriented CTAs throughout your website. Phrases like “Book Now,” “Get a Quote,” or “Shop Today” paired with bold buttons work wonders. We built Horse and Jockey’s site with clear CTAs for reservations, making it simple for customers to take action. Place CTAs strategically on your homepage, service pages, and even blog posts to drive conversions without feeling pushy.

6. Outdated Content

The Mistake: Letting your website stagnate with old information, like outdated menus, expired offers, or irrelevant posts. This can make your business seem unprofessional or disconnected.

How to Avoid It: Schedule regular content updates and blog posts to keep your site current. For small businesses with packed schedules, we at McKinney’s Website Design provide ongoing support to ensure sites like The Shelby Pub Company’s always reflect the latest menus or events. Set a reminder to review your site every few months, refreshing hours, services, or images as needed. Fresh content also tells search engines your site is active, improving your visibility.

7. Skipping Security Features

The Mistake: Overlooking website security, leaving your site open to hacks or data breaches. Customers expect safe browsing, especially when entering details for bookings or purchases.

How to Avoid It: Invest in essentials like an SSL certificate (for HTTPS), regular updates, and strong passwords. At McKinney’s Website Design, we build secure websites for all our clients, giving businesses like Jetwash Staffordshire and their customers peace of mind. If you collect user data, display a clear privacy policy to build trust. A secure site protects your reputation and keeps visitors coming back.

Why Avoiding These Mistakes Matters

For small businesses, a website isn’t just an online presence—it’s a powerful tool to connect with customers, showcase your brand, and grow your revenue. Falling into these common traps can push potential clients away, but with the right approach, you can create a website that works hard for you. At McKinney’s Website Design, we understand the unique needs of small businesses in Staffordshire and beyond. Our affordable, creative designs help clients like The Spittal Brook and Horse and Jockey sidestep these pitfalls, delivering fast, user-friendly, and effective websites that drive results.

Ready to take your website to the next level? Contact us at McKinney’s Website Design today for a free consultation, and let us help you build a site your customers will love. Visit mckinneyswebsitedesign.co.uk to see how we’ve helped other small businesses succeed online.