“Most business owners don’t realize their site is losing them money every single day…” If your small business website isn’t generating leads or sales, the culprits are usually fixable. Use this SEO-friendly checklist to diagnose issues that hurt conversion rate, Google rankings, and revenue.
Contents
- 1) Slow load times = lost visitors
- 2) Not mobile-friendly (responsive design)
- 3) Confusing navigation and UX
- 4) Outdated design hurts trust
- 5) No clear call-to-action
- Next steps & quick wins
- FAQs
1) Slow load times = lost visitors
Speed is a direct ranking and conversion factor. A slow website increases bounce rate and kills sales—especially on mobile. Typical causes: uncompressed images, render-blocking assets, bloated themes, too many plugins, and underpowered hosting.
Quick wins: Convert images to WebP, enable caching and CDN, defer non-critical JS, and remove heavy plugins. Prioritize Core Web Vitals on your homepage and top service pages.
2) Not mobile-friendly (responsive design)
More than half of visitors browse on phones. If your layout breaks, text is tiny, or buttons are hard to tap, buyers won’t fight your site. Google’s mobile-first indexing means poor mobile UX can drag down rankings.
Quick wins: Use a lightweight, responsive theme, increase base font size, simplify menus, and test on multiple devices.
3) Confusing navigation and UX
If people can’t find pricing, services, or contact in 1–2 clicks, they leave. Crowded menus, clever-but-unclear labels, and buried pages create friction that reduces conversions.
Quick wins: Keep the main nav simple: Home, Services, Pricing, About, Contact. Add a prominent “Request a Quote” or “Book a Call” in the header, and use breadcrumbs on deeper pages.
4) Outdated design hurts trust
Visuals signal credibility. An outdated design suggests the business is behind, insecure, or inactive—crushing trust and conversions.
Quick wins: Refresh typography and spacing, use authentic photos, feature recent testimonials and trust badges, and keep colors consistent across pages.
5) No clear call-to-action
Visitors need a next step. Without a clear, repeated call-to-action, they’ll do nothing—even if they love your offer.
Quick wins: Place a primary CTA (e.g., “Get a Free Quote”) above the fold, in the header, and after key sections. Pair with a short form or booking link to reduce friction.
Next steps & quick wins
- Audit your homepage and top service pages for speed, mobile UX, and CTA clarity.
- Fix performance first, then navigation and design improvements.
- Add or tighten CTAs across the site and measure conversion lifts.
FAQs
How do I know if my site is costing me sales?
Check analytics for high bounce, low time on page, and poor conversion rate on key pages. Run a speed test, and review mobile usability.
What’s a “good” page load time?
Aim for under ~2 seconds on key pages and a strong Largest Contentful Paint. Faster is almost always better for conversions.
Do I need a redesign or just optimization?
Start with high-impact fixes (speed, mobile, CTAs). If the brand and layout feel dated or confusing, a redesign may deliver a higher ROI.
Take Action! If you’re noticing these issues, we can fix them quickly — affordable web development, PayPal accepted worldwide.