A poorly designed or outdated website has the same effect in the digital world. It signals to visitors that your business might not be professional, trustworthy, or ready to meet their needs.
Like it or not, your website is the first interaction many customers have with your business — and first impressions matter.
Your website doesn’t need to be massive or “fancy,” but it does need to work. A clean, updated, and user-friendly site builds trust and supports your marketing efforts, like ads, email campaigns, and social media.
Investing in your website is one of the most impactful things you can do to grow your business — and in our competitive world, you can’t afford to overlook it. Let’s dive into some of the most common website issues that may be costing you customers and how to turn things around.
“Your website is the foundation for all your marketing efforts. A well-optimized site builds trust, increases conversions, and helps you stand out in a competitive market. The return on investment from improving your website often far exceeds the initial costs, making it a worthwhile step for any business looking to thrive in the digital age.” — Kayde Kempen, Account Strategist at E-Power Marketing
Slow Loading Speed
Patience is a virtue that most of us don’t have. Customers expect a website to load in under three seconds. Any longer, and research shows you’ll lose 30% (or more) of them, which means fewer sales or leads for your business.
How to Improve
- Compress your images and videos.
- Enable browser caching on your site.
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML code by reducing unnecessary characters or unused code.
- Reduce the number of page redirects that can slow down your site.
Non-Mobile-Friendly Design
Statistically, almost 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re probably causing frustration for more than half your audience — and making it hard for them to shop or contact you.
How to Improve
- Use a responsive design that automatically adjusts to different screen sizes.
- Use a hamburger menu or collapsible sections to simplify navigation.
- Swap intrusive pop-ups with slide-ins or banners that don’t block content on small screens.
- Increase spacing between clickable elements to prevent accidental taps or swipes.
- Adjust fonts and colors for easier readability on small screens.
- Break up large chunks of text with bullets and images.
- Keep important information and CTA buttons above the scroll.
Confusing or Missing Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
If visitors don’t know what to do once they visit your site, they’ll leave without a second thought. Make sure it’s clear and easy for them to take the next step—whether it’s contacting you, booking a service, or making a purchase.
How to Improve
- Use clear, actionable language like “Call Now” or “Get a Free Quote.”
- Place your CTAs prominently across your site, especially above the scroll on your homepage and other natural stopping points.
- Use bold, contrasting colors (that align with your branding) to help the CTAs stand out.
- Incorporate urgency or exclusivity when possible with phrases like “Limited Time Offer” or “Sign Up Now for 20% Off.”
- Test all CTAs and fix broken links.
Cluttered Website Layouts
In the digital world, less is often more. A cluttered website with too many visuals, busy layouts, and a lack of whitespace can overwhelm potential customers and make it hard for them to hone in on your products or messaging.
How to Improve
- Remove unnecessary elements to simplify your layouts.
- Strategically use whitespace to give content room to breathe.
- Limit the number of colors, fonts, and images to maintain a clean, cohesive look.
- Use size, color, or position to naturally draw the eye to important information.
- Replace large blocks of text with images or simple bullets.
Outdated Design
While the 90s are definitely making a comeback, it’s best to leave outdated website design in the past. An old, out-of-date aesthetic can make your business seem unprofessional or behind the times, even if your products and services are top-notch.
How to Improve
- Refresh your branding elements like your logo, color palette, and typography to create consistency and properly reflect your current brand.
- Swap low-quality and stock images with updated, high-resolution visuals.
- Incorporate modern visuals, such as video and subtle animation.
- Regularly update images and content to ensure they remain relevant.
Poor or Complex Navigation
If customers can’t find what they’re looking for on your site quickly, they’ll give up and move on. It’s as simple as that. Hard-to-follow navigation can also make it harder for search crawlers to understand your site, impacting search rankings and organic traffic.
How to Improve
- Keep menus simple and intuitive with 5-7 key items max and group related categories.
- Place important pages (like your homepage and contact) at the top or in a prominent position.
- Include a search bar to help users locate specific information.
- Consider adding a sticky header or floating navigation bar to maintain visibility while users scroll.
Missing or Low-Quality Content
Your customers and website visitors expect to find useful, relevant information when they visit your site. Thin, poorly written, or outdated content dings your credibility and impacts trust. It also means search engines are less likely to show your content on search results pages, making it harder for customers to find you in the first place.
“Think of your website’s content as a conversation with potential customers. If something’s missing or it feels low quality, you’re losing the chance to connect or build that relationship. Clear, engaging content turns your website into a place where visitors feel excited, confident, and ready to take action.” —Emily Miels, Inbound Marketing Strategist at E-Power Marketing
How to Improve
- Create content that addresses common user questions or searches.
- Improve readability by breaking up long paragraphs with headings, bullet points, and visuals.
- Include links to other related content on your site to improve navigation and encourage users to explore further.
- Write with your audience in mind and use natural keywords to help with SEO.
Lack of Social Proof and Trust Signals
In a world of AI, scams, and misinformation, trust is everything. People visiting your website are less likely to engage if they don’t see reviews, testimonials, certifications, and other trust signals that validate your business.
How to Improve
- Display customer testimonials and reviews prominently, especially on your homepage and product pages.
- Include trust badges like secure payment badges, Better Business Bureau certifications, or professional memberships to boost your credibility.
- Develop case studies and success stories that outline results and wins with happy customers.
- Highlight money-back guarantee, free trials, and warranty information to minimize customer hesitations.
- Showcase employee photos and bios to humanize your brand and add legitimacy.
- Link to social media profiles to show customers that you’re engaged and responsive.
- Prominently display contact or customer service details so customers can quickly reach out if they have concerns or questions.
Let E-Power Help You Improve Your Website
We get it — we threw a lot at you up above. Improving your website is a process, but it doesn’t need to be complicated.
If you’re wondering how to improve your website, we recommend starting with a website audit. This will showcase key issues impacting SEO and conversions and help you prioritize what to focus on that’ll have the biggest impact for your business.
For additional support, our team of marketing experts is here to help. Our SEO, content, and web design experts will help you audit your site and start making improvements quickly and efficiently. We can even design a custom dashboard for you, so that you can see how investing in your website is paying off over time with increased traffic, leads, and sales.
