3 Costly Website Mistakes That Are Driving Your Customers Away (And How to Fix Them)
Your website is the heart beat of your business—it’s your digital business front.
And just like in real life, that first impression can make or break whether someone wants to stick around.
A poorly designed site is like showing up to a networking event in pajamas: confusing, unprofessional, and guaranteed to make people walk away.
But here’s the good news: most website mistakes are completely fixable.
Trust me, I’ve been there.
Let me tell you a quick story.
A few years ago, a client of mine started an alternative health website.
She poured her heart into her product line—her Instagram was gorgeous, her customer service was impeccable, and her brand had so much potential.
But her website? Oh, no. It was a hot mess.
The homepage was cluttered with mismatched fonts, a carousel of blurry images and crappy video that slowed the site down, and—worst of all—there was no clear call-to-action.
It wasn’t even clear what her website was about.
It was hard to tell what she was selling or why someone should buy from her. She had tons of traffic (and a HUGE e-mail list) but very little sales.
We sat down over coffee (and some cheesecake of course), and I helped her pinpoint what wasn’t working.
I asked her what the purpose of her website was.
She looked at me blankly. “to tell people about my business”
Well kinda, but your website is not a personal resume.
This is going to sound harsh, but I said “when a potential customer first comes to your website - they don’t care about who you are or your business - they just want to know if you can solve their problem or give them what they are searching for”
So, with that painful realization (don’t worry, she didn’t take it too personally - because it’s really not personal) she changed up her entire website, starting with the homepage.
Within a month of redesigning her homepage and clarifying her calls-to-action, her conversion rate tripled.
Why? Because her website finally communicated what she was offering her target audience and made it easy for visitors to take the next step.
That’s what I want for you, too.
Soooooo, here are 3 mistakes you’re most likely making and HOW TO FIX THEM FAST.
Because if you’re not getting the traffic, leads and sales you dream about - you need to change something.
1. Cluttered Hero Section
Why It’s a Problem:
Your hero section is the first thing visitors see. If it’s overcrowded with too much text, conflicting visuals, or an unclear purpose, it overwhelms and confuses users.
Often people talk about themselves and their business in this section but this is a huge mistake.
We all gave attention spans of ants these days, so if your potential customer doesn’t understand what problem your website solves instantly - they will bounce.
This is why bounce rates are 60-80%, someone will read one short article that answers their question.
Consider your hero section to be your digital elevator pitch.
How To Fix It:
Simplify your hero section with one compelling headline, a short sub-headline, and a single, bold call-to-action.
You should state CLEARLY what problem you solve like “I Create Stunning Websites That Convert Visitors Into Customers” if someone found you through search while looking for a web designer - BINGO! It’s CLEAR what you do for THEM.
A great sub-headline could be “Your website deserves to wow. Let’s create a design that not only turns heads but turns visitors into loyal customers”.
2. Weak or Missing Call-to-Action (CTA)
Why It’s a Problem:
There is a little saying in web usability and the last thing you want to do is make your potential customer thing.
Your website should lead them right to the water so they can drink what you believe will quench their thirst.
Visitors won’t take action if you don’t tell them what to do. A vague or hidden CTA means missed opportunities.
How To Fix It:
Make your CTA clear, action-oriented, and highly visible. Use contrasting colors to ensure it pops.
Keep the CTA buttons across your site in their own custom color and always have the same CTA on all buttons - it also needs to make sense.
If you want them to book a service a “Book Now” button is perfect.
3. Generic or Outdated Images
Why It’s a Problem:
Low-quality or irrelevant visuals make your site feel unprofessional and untrustworthy.
Images and video should be relevant to your topic/niche.
Mis-matched image/video styles will make your website look sloppy and unprofessional.
How To Fix It:
Invest in custom, high-quality images or modern illustrations that align with your brand.
Get professional photos done. Or download from reputable free quality stock photos site like Unsplash or Pexels.
Make sure to leave enough white space and padding in between layout items.
Navigate your website and pretend you’re a potential customer, how does it look? How does it feel? Good flow? Good.
Your website has the power to be your business’s most valuable asset—if it’s designed to make a lasting impression and guide visitors to take action.
By addressing these common mistakes, you can turn confusion into clarity, frustration into trust, and visitors into loyal customers.
Your website is an investment in your business, a crappy website can give potential customers the impression you don’t care much about your business either.
But let’s be honest, spotting these issues on your own isn’t always easy—that’s where I come in! With a free website audit, I’ll help you uncover exactly what’s holding your site back and show you how to fix it.
The best part? It’s fast, easy, and completely personalized to your business. Don’t let simple mistakes keep costing you leads. Let’s get your website working for you.
If you’re a keener and like to do your own website SEO, I have some more SEO hacks you can perform on your website to improve your traffic, leads and sales!