5 Website Mistakes That Are Costing You Customers

Yes, Your Site Might Be Scaring People Away

Let’s be real: your website is your business’s first impression.

And just like a first date, if it loads slowly, looks confusing, and immediately starts yelling at visitors with pop-ups and flashing banners… they’re probably going to bail.

We’ve seen it all: spinning cursors of doom, photos that look like they were taken on a potato, and enough broken links to qualify as a digital haunted house.

So today, we’re calling out the top 5 website mistakes that are quietly (or not so quietly) making your customers hit that back button.

Mistake #1: Your Website Loads Slower Than a Dial-Up Connection in 1998

If your website takes longer than 3 seconds to load, you're losing over half of your mobile visitors.

Yes, over 53% bounce rate after 3 seconds. And that stat is from 2016.

If your homepage has more loading bars than content, that’s not suspense, it's sabotage.

Why it happens:

• Oversized images
  
  
• Bloated code or too many plugins
  
  
• Cheap hosting
  
  
• Outdated themes
  
  

Fix it fast:

• Use PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test your site speed
  
  
• Compress images with TinyPNG
  
  
• Upgrade your hosting
  
  
• Clean out old plugins and scripts
  
  

Speed matters. Get your site snappy or wave goodbye to those precious leads.

Mistake #2: Your Website Looks Like It Was Designed on Microsoft Paint

Visual impression matters. A lot.
Studies show visitors form an opinion about your website in 0.05 seconds.

If your site gives “Craigslist Halloween ad” vibes, it’s time for a makeover.

Common visual disasters:

• Wild neon-on-black color schemes
  
  
• 12 competing fonts on one page
  
  
• Awkward stock photos (hello, handshake in front of a skyline)
  
  
• Dense, unformatted text
  
  
• Menus that belong in a Rubik’s Cube
  
  

Quick design wins:

• Stick to 2–3 fonts max (and make sure they’re readable)
  
  
• Use white space to keep things clean and scannable
  
  
• Use real photos or at least better stock images
  
  
• Format your content with headings, bullets, and short paragraphs
  
  
• Test your site on mobile, over 60% of traffic comes from phones
  
  

If your site isn’t mobile-friendly in 2025… we don’t know what to tell you. Except maybe: call us.

Mistake #3: Nobody Knows What You Actually Do

This one is WILDLY common: business owners who bury the lead.

If we land on your homepage and can’t tell within 5 seconds what you sell, you’ve already lost the game.

Confused customers don’t buy. They bounce.

Messaging red flags:

• Fluffy mission statements with zero clarity
  
  
• Jargon like “solutions-driven synergies” (barf)
  
  
• Important info buried three clicks deep
  
  
• Copy that sounds like it was written by a robot with a thesaurus
  
  

Clarity is king:

• Use a simple, bold headline on your homepage
  Ex: “We Build Affordable, Custom Websites for Small Businesses in Georgia.”
  
  
• Add a quick subheadline that says how you help
  
  
• Include a clear CTA above the fold
  Ex: “Book a Free Consult” or “See Our Pricing”
  
  

Don’t make people decode your messaging. Tell them what you do, who it’s for, and how to get started.

Mistake #4: You’re Hiding the Good Stuff (or Making It Too Hard to Find)

Your website isn’t a puzzle. It shouldn’t take detective work to find your contact info, services, or hours.

If your site feels like a digital escape room, people are going to give up and find someone easier to work with.

Info people need to see:

• How to contact you
  
  
• Where you’re located
  
  
• What you offer (services/products)
  
  
• How much it costs (or at least a range)
  
  
• Booking or quote options
  
  
• Testimonials or social proof
  
  

Easy fixes:

• Make your contact info sticky in the header or footer
  
  
• Add a simple “What We Do” or “Services” page
  
  
• Use action buttons: “Book Now,” “Get a Quote,” “Call Today”
  
  
• Stop hiding your prices like they’re a state secret
  ‍

Your site should function like a store: easy to browse, easy to buy.

Mistake #5: You Don’t Show Up on Google (a.k.a. The SEO Black Hole)

You might have the most gorgeous website in the world, but if no one can find it, you’re just shouting into the void.

If Google doesn’t know you exist, neither will your customers.

SEO symptoms:

• You don’t show up when people search for your service
  
  
• You haven’t touched your meta titles or descriptions
  
  
• Your URLs look like: /index.php?id=87263
  
  
• You’ve never even heard of “Google Search Console”
  
  

Beginner SEO wins:

• Set up and optimize your Google Business Profile
  
  
• Add simple keywords to your homepage and service pages
  (ex: “Lawn Services Jackson County”)
  
  
• Update your meta titles and descriptions with plain, helpful copy
  
  
• Use clear, human-friendly URLs like /services or /about
  
  
• Create content (like this!) that answers questions your customers are asking
  
  

You don’t need to become an SEO wizard, you just need to give your site a chance to be found.

Bonus Offense: Auto-Play Music (Please... Don’t.)

Unless you're a DJ or own a dance studio, your website should not start playing music the moment it loads.

We’re begging you.

TL;DR — The “Please Don’t Lose Customers” Checklist

Here’s your simplified sanity check:

✓ Loads fast (under 3 seconds)

✓ Mobile-friendly and clean

✓ Clear, plain language that explains what you do

✓ Easy-to-find contact info and calls-to-action

✓ Optimized for Google search

✗ No auto-play elevator music

Need Help Fixing It?

Listen, we’re not here to roast your site (okay, maybe just a little).
We’re here to help you fix it.

At Digital Proof, we:

• Build beautiful, affordable websites for small businesses
  
  
• Help you show up on Google
  
  
• Take care of the tech so you don’t have to Google “What is DNS?”
  
  
• Offer real support, real results, and no hidden fees
  
  

If your site isn’t doing what it should - we can help.

[Contact us for your free consultation]‍

We’ll give you honest feedback, walk you through your options, and help you turn things around.

No pressure. Just solutions. And maybe a meme or two.