After building websites for local businesses for years, I've noticed the same problems showing up again and again. None of them are hard to fix, but they're surprisingly common. Here are the five biggest ones.
§1. No Clear Call to Action
You'd be surprised how many business websites don't tell visitors what to do next. There's no "Call Us" button, no "Get a Quote" form, no obvious next step. If someone lands on your site and has to figure out how to contact you, most of them won't bother.
Every page should have a clear action you want visitors to take. Call you, fill out a form, book an appointment — whatever it is, make it obvious and easy.
§2. Using Stock Photos Instead of Real Ones
People can spot stock photos instantly. The perfectly diverse group of coworkers high-fiving in a glass conference room? Nobody buys it. Use real photos of your business, your crew, your work. They don't have to be professional photography — phone photos in good lighting are fine. Real always beats polished.
§3. Hiding Contact Information
Your phone number and address should be visible without scrolling. Put it in the header, put it in the footer, put it on every page. Some businesses bury their phone number on a "Contact Us" page three clicks deep. That's three clicks too many.
§4. Ignoring Mobile Completely
More than half your visitors are on their phone. If your site has tiny text, buttons too small to tap, or horizontal scrolling on mobile, you're losing customers every single day. Test your site on your phone right now. If it's annoying to use, it's annoying for everyone else too.
§5. Setting It and Forgetting It
A website isn't a "build it once and never touch it" thing. Your business changes — new services, new hours, new staff, new photos. If your site still shows information from two years ago, it looks abandoned. Customers notice.
You don't need to blog every week or redesign every year. But keeping your info current, your photos recent, and your content accurate is the bare minimum. A website that looks maintained signals a business that's active and trustworthy.
§The Good News
All of these mistakes are fixable. Some of them you can fix today. The bigger ones — like a complete redesign for mobile or replacing a template builder — take a bit more work, but the ROI is worth it. A website that avoids these five mistakes is already ahead of 80% of small business sites out there.