Author: Jacqueline Elder

Common website errors that drive customers away

The holidays are around the corner! While you’re preparing for more customers your website mistakes might be quietly working against you. Yet for a small business, a bad website doesn’t just look unprofessional, it actively drives customers away. It’s important to be able to audit your website with quick confidence, because online shopping is at an all-time high, and customers expect a seamless experience. Read on to learn the top five website mistakes that are costing you money. Plus, learn how to fix them before the busiest season of the year!

1. Your site takes forever to load

First, let’s start with the most common website mistakes that turn visitors away before they even see your site: speed and performance. Slow sites lose visitors in seconds and in a world of short attention spans and on-demand service, a delay of even 2–3 seconds can cut your conversion rate in half!

Website speed, or performance, refers to how quickly a browser can fully load website pages, and poor speed results in poor conversion rates. One study found that decreasing their homepage load time by 100 milliseconds resulted in a 1.11% increase in session-based conversion.  Another, looking at Walmart, discovered that improving page load time by even one second increased their conversions by 2%. An even more impressive improvement happened for one retailer who experienced a 12-13% increase in sales after cutting its page load time in half. A faster site makes customers happier. It also helps you rank higher in Google.

You can use this great tool to audit your website. The bottom line: speed matters, and optimizing your website is key to optimizing your conversion rates.

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Fix: Invest in reliable hosting and speed optimization.

2. Your site isn’t mobile-friendly

Even if your site loads quickly, it won’t matter if visitors can’t use it easily on their phones. More than half of online traffic now comes from mobile: a whopping 62.4%. If your site looks broken or is hard to navigate on a phone, you’re losing sales every day.

For better or worse, mobile isn’t going anywhere. In 2005, only 6.1% of traffic was from mobile users, but within 10 years it grew to almost 40%. Now, in 2025, mobile traffic makes up the majority of users, and that number will only continue to rise. If your site isn’t mobile friendly, you’re losing easy sales. According to Optinmonster (2022), 77% of consumers purchase impulsively, and 70% of them make purchase decisions on their mobile devices within the first hour of seeing a product. If your website isn’t easy to scroll and navigate, consumers will quickly lose interest before ever completing their purchase with your small business.

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Fix: Update to a responsive design that adapts to any screen size.

3. Customers can’t find what they need

Of course, a mobile-friendly design is only part of the picture — customers also need to find what they’re looking for without getting lost. Burying your phone number, address, or menu behind too many clicks creates friction. If a customer struggles, they’ll bounce to a competitor.

In a recent survey, 50% of internet users were able to predict where relevant content would appear in a standard website navigation structure.. While that might sound positive, if only half of your visitors can find the information they’re looking for, it’s actually a major problem. A disorganized website can lead to higher bounce rates and less time on your site, which ultimately lowers conversion rates.
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Fix: Place contact info and key calls-to-action front and center.

4. Outdated design signals “out of business”

Clear navigation helps, but if your site looks like it hasn’t been touched in years, visitors may still click away. Websites that look stuck in 2010 send the wrong message: if you don’t update your website, can customers trust you to keep up with their current needs?

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce found in a recent study that 55% of a brand’s first impressions are visual. If your website fails to meet that expectation from the start, you’re already losing potential customers. Updating your brand doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does have to be thoughtful. You need to understand your customer base better than anyone else in order to build a site that is visually appealing to your specific audience. Be wary of chasing trends that overhaul your website but ultimately only last for a small duration, leading to even more work.

To help you audit your website’s visual evolution use The Wayback Machine! If your site hasn’t changed visuals in 5 years, it’s time for a refresh.

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Fix: A modern, clean design builds credibility instantly.

5. No clear call-to-action

Finally, even the best-looking site won’t drive results if you don’t tell visitors what to do next. Your website isn’t just decoration. If you’re not guiding visitors toward booking, calling, or buying, you’re leaving money on the table.

We can all agree that full-screen pop-ups are extremely annoying, but that’s not the only way to gather leads, close a sale, or drive customers to a specific page. Small pop-up windows in the sidebar, relevant hyperlinks within content, and easy-to-find “Buy Now” buttons show customers they’re expected to take action on your site. Remember: calls to actions (CTAs) allow you to collect valuable information from consumers so you can follow up with educational materials, sales promotions, and updates about your company. There’s no need to chase down consumers when they’re already on your site.

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Fix: Add clear buttons and forms on every page.

Don’t let your small website mistakes cost you customers. By fixing these five common issues — slow load times, poor mobile design, confusing navigation, outdated visuals, and missing CTAs — you’ll keep visitors engaged, build trust, and convert more sales. Every second matters online, and even one weak spot can send customers to your competitors. Go audit your site today and look for these 5 website mistakes; even one small fix can make a big difference. If you discover gaps, Forward Digital Marketing builds websites designed to convert, so you can focus on running your business while your site does the heavy lifting. Ready to see what your website could do for your business? Contact us today for an expert eye to look over your site!