A well-structured and user-friendly website is essential for retaining customers and driving success for your business. But there are a range of often overlooked but common website issues which can frustrate users and lead to lost revenue.
50% of consumers say that their impression of a business depends on the company’s website design.
You may not even be aware that your poor website performance may have already detected customers. 21.56% of customers say never complain about a negative experience. Instead, they choose to quietly switch to a competitor.
This article outlines key website pitfalls that may be costing your business customers.
1. Slow page load times
Users anticipate fast access to information. A delay of even a few seconds might cause irritation and site abandonment. According to Google, 53% of mobile users leave websites that take longer than 3 seconds to load. This means that if your website is slow, over half of your potential customers may leave before even seeing your content, services or products. By optimising images, use browser caching, implementing lazy loading and consider changing your hosting service to improve load times. You’re able to check these aspects on Google’s PageSpeed insights tool.
2. Poor mobile optimisation
With mobile devices accounting for a major amount of web traffic, a site that is not mobile-friendly risks alienating a large segment of potential clients. By the end of 2024, mobile devices were responsible for around 60% of global website traffic. We recommend using responsive design concepts to ensure your website works well on all devices.
3. Outdated website design
An outdated or cluttered design can make your business appear unprofessional and deter potential customers. First impressions are formed within milliseconds and design plays a big role in how your brand comes across. 75% of people judge a website’s design as the most important factor in determining how credible the business is online.
If you don’t put effort into your website, it might reflect that you don’t put effort into your business, products or services (even if that’s not true). By investing in a high quality modern design, your business is reflected as high quality too. If your site feels dated or no longer reflects your business, let’s talk about a quality rebrand or fresh direction for your website.
4. Complex Checkout Process
If you run an e-commerce store, customers may be tempted to abandon their purchases if the checkout procedure is unnecessarily complicated or lengthy. According to research conducted by Baymard in 2024, 70.19% people abandon their online shopping card. Out of these abandonments, 25% of users who abandoned their cart did so because the retailer site seemed untrustable with their credit card information. 22% of customers abandoned their shopping carts because the checkout process was too long or difficult. 17% were due to website errors.
Based on this research, it highlights the importance of reducing friction for customers checking out and overall the importance of having a good quality website. Simplify forms, reduce the amount of processes and provide guest checkout options to improve the shopping experience. Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can help spot friction points. Let us know if you’d like a quick review.
5. Absence of clear calls to action (CTAs)
Visitors require clear guidance on the next steps, whether they are making a purchase, signing up for a subscription, or contacting your staff. Ambiguous or absent call-to-actions can cause user confusion and missed opportunities. CTAs that are embedded directly within page content consistently outperform banner ads in terms of generating leads. Additionally, Copyblogger reported a 45% increase in clicks simply by using CTAs designed as buttons rather than plain text links. A hyperlink buried in a paragraph may be easy to overlook. Buttons, on the other hand, offer visual prominence and are easier to recognise.
Use prominent, action-oriented text for CTAs and make sure they stand out visually on the page.
6. Broken hyperlinks and 404 errors
A broken or dead link is a hyperlink that doesn’t work because it leads to a page or resource that no longer exists. It can also harm your SEO as Search engines such as Google can interpret them as signs of a neglected or unreliable site, which can result in lower rankings over time. It’s bad for Google’s crawlers and your potential buyers who may deem the site untrustworthy if it hasn’t been maintained. Regular website audits can aid in the identification and resolution of these issues. You can use tools like Google Search Console to quickly find and resolve broken links.
7. Unclear value proposition
A value proposition is a clear, focused message that explains the distinct benefits your product or service delivers. It defines the problem you solve, the value you offer, and what sets you apart from the competition. If your website visitors cannot quickly understand what your business offers and how it benefits them, they are likely to leave your site. Clarity in your value proposition is crucial for engagement. Your USPs need to shine through on your main/landing pages to come across to potential customers. Hubspot has some great templates for this.
8. Inadequate customer support options
Limited or hard-to-find customer support can frustrate users seeking assistance. A survey by Salesforce revealed that 89% of consumers are more likely to make another purchase after a positive customer service experience so it’s important to provide excellent service all around. One way you can do this is by offering multiple support channels such as live chat, email or phone support if you have the capacity for this in your business – and ensure that these support channels are clearly accessible on your site.
9. Insufficient trust signals
Lack of trust indicators like customer testimonials, security badges, 5 star ratings or certifications can make users hesitant to trust your brand and therefore they may be hesitant to purchase with you. Trust is a significant factor in consumer decision-making. 66% of customers said the presence of social proof increased their likelihood to purchase a product.
Display trust signals prominently, including SSL certificates, customer reviews, and recognized industry affiliations help to show your credibility to consumers.
Featured in a press article or blog? Show it off on your website. Sometimes all it takes is a few tweaks to build more trust. We can help you spot any gaps.
If something in this list feels familiar, or you’re not sure how your site is performing, we’re happy to take a look for you. Addressing these common website issues can improve user experience, grow trust in your brand and improve your business’s online performance with customers. Regularly reviewing and updating your website makes sure it stays up to date and current for your customers.
