For small businesses and e-commerce owners, your website is your hardest-working employee. It’s open 24/7, promotes your products, books your services, and handles sales. But if it’s not set up properly, it could also be quietly sabotaging your success. Let’s look at 10 common website mistakes—and how to avoid them.
1. Outdated Design
If your site looks like it’s stuck in the early 2000s, customers might assume your business is too.
Solution: A modern, polished design shows your business is current and trustworthy. Leave outdated layouts, clashing colors, and Comic Sans in the past where they belong.
2. Lack of Mobile Optimisation
More than half of website traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re leaving money on the table.
Solution: Use responsive design so your site looks great and works smoothly on smartphones and tablets. Mobile shoppers will thank you—and so will Google.
3. Slow Loading Speeds
In e-commerce, every second counts. If your website takes too long to load, visitors will click away to faster competitors.
Solution: Optimize your images, use fast hosting, and clean up unnecessary code. A faster site means happier customers (and higher conversion rates).
4. Confusing Navigation
If customers can’t find your products or services quickly, they won’t stick around to hunt for them.
Solution: Create intuitive navigation with clear categories and a search bar. For e-commerce, make it easy to browse by product type or need.
5. Missing Contact Information
For service-based businesses, not listing contact details is a dealbreaker. For e-commerce, customers need confidence they can reach you if something goes wrong.
Solution: Add a visible contact page with email, phone, or a chat option. Customers want reassurance they can connect with a real person.
6. Neglected Blog or Updates
A blog can be a powerful tool for building trust and driving traffic—unless it’s abandoned with a post titled *“Exciting Things Coming in 2020.”*
Solution: Only start a blog if you can commit to regular updates. Alternatively, focus on other ways to engage, like email marketing or social media.
7. Overwhelming Text
Long, dense paragraphs can overwhelm visitors and hide the key points you’re trying to make.
Solution: Keep your copy concise. Use headings, bullet points, and images to break up text and highlight what’s most important.
8. Auto-Playing Media
Surprising your visitors with auto-playing music or videos might get their attention—but not in a good way.
Solution: Let visitors control their experience by choosing when (or if) they want to play media.
9. Weak Product Pages
For e-commerce sites, weak product pages are a conversion killer. Poor images, vague descriptions, and unclear pricing leave customers unsure about buying.
Solution: Use high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and easy-to-understand pricing. Clear CTAs like “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” are essential.
10. Ignoring Analytics
Running an e-commerce site without analytics is like running a store without paying attention to who’s shopping or what they’re buying.
Solution: Use tools like Google Analytics to track where visitors come from, what they do on your site, and where they drop off. Data helps you optimize and grow.
For small businesses and e-commerce owners, avoiding these website mistakes can make a huge difference in attracting customers, increasing sales, and building trust. Your website should make things easy for your visitors, not drive them away.
If you need help crafting a site that works for your business and converts visitors into loyal customers, we’re here to help—no awkward designs or surprise auto-play media included.