Your website is usually the very first impression someone gets of your business. It’s like your storefront — only online. And just like a real storefront, if it’s cluttered, outdated, or impossible to navigate, people walk away.
Here’s the kicker: most small business websites don’t fail because the owners don’t care. They fail because of a handful of simple mistakes that go unnoticed — but cost customers, sales, and credibility.
The good news? These mistakes are 100% fixable. Here are the top five I see (and fix) every week — plus how to make sure they don’t keep hurting your business.
1. No Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
The mistake:
Your visitor shows up, looks around… and has no idea what you want them to do. No “Book Now.” No “Call Us.” No “Shop the Collection.” They shrug, click away, and head to your competitor.
The fix:
Decide the #1 action you want customers to take — and make it ridiculously obvious. Add a button or link above the fold (that’s fancy talk for “before they scroll”). Sprinkle a few more CTAs throughout the page so they’re impossible to miss. Think: “Schedule a Consultation” or “Get a Free Quote.”
2. Slow Loading Speed
The mistake:
Your site takes forever to load. Every extra second? Your bounce rate skyrockets. And in 2025, nobody has patience for a spinning loading wheel.
The fix:
Compress your images (there are free tools like TinyPNG for this).
Delete unused plugins.
Use a lightweight, modern theme.
Add caching.
Bonus: Google rewards fast websites with better SEO rankings. Translation — faster site = happier customers and higher visibility.
3. Outdated or Confusing Content
The mistake:
Your site says you’re open until 8, but you actually close at 6. Your homepage promises one thing, your services page says another. Or worse — your copy is stuffed with jargon only your industry understands.
The fix:
Audit your content at least once a quarter. Update hours, services, pricing, and promotions. Write like you’re talking to your customer, not to impress other people in your industry. Clear, simple language always wins.
4. No Schema Markup (a.k.a. Invisible to AI)
The mistake:
Your site might look fine, but search engines — and AI tools — don’t really understand it. Schema markup is the behind-the-scenes code that tells Google (and now AI Overviews) what your business actually does. Without it, your site is just another blob of text online.
The fix:
Add schema for:
Local business info (address, hours, services)
Reviews
Events or classes
FAQs
Here’s why it matters: schema helps you show up in “rich results” (like star ratings, event listings, or FAQs in Google). And now that Google is rolling AI answers into search, schema is one of the fastest ways to make sure your business doesn’t get skipped over. Think of it as leaving cheat notes for the algorithms.
5. No SEO Basics in Place
The mistake:
You have a beautiful website… but no one can find it. You skipped titles, meta descriptions, keywords, and backlinks. So your site is basically hiding in the corner of the internet, hoping someone stumbles across it.
The fix:
Write a clear page title and meta description for every page.
Add local keywords (“Tampa Bay yoga studio” vs just “yoga studio”).
Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile.
Create internal links between your pages.
These basics don’t take long but can completely change whether customers find you — or your competitor.
Final Thoughts
Most small business websites don’t need a complete overhaul. They just need these five mistakes fixed. Start with one change, then move to the next. Within weeks, you’ll notice more traffic, longer time on site, and more leads.
And if you’d rather not mess with plugins, schema, or SEO jargon? That’s literally what I do. At Woman In Tech, I make websites work for small business owners — not against them.
👉 Ready to fix your website? Contact me here.