“People visit my site, but nobody calls.”

I hear this a lot. And the first reaction is usually to add more stuff: a pop-up, a bigger banner, a flashing button. It’s like a store with a messy entrance that decides to put a guy with a sign outside. More people walk in, sure. And they walk right back out.

Most of the time, the problem isn’t your customers. It’s small things on the site that get in their way. These are the website mistakes small business owners make the most, and how to fix each one.

Mistake 1: Everything shouting at the same time

The homepage has five buttons: call us, download the brochure, follow us on Instagram, watch the video, sign up for the newsletter. All the same size, all the same color.

When everything is important, nothing is. Your visitor doesn’t know where to look, so they don’t do anything.

Fix it:

• Pick one main action per page. Call, book or order.
• Make that button stand out. Everything else, smaller and calmer.
• Give things space. Empty space isn’t wasted space. It’s what lets people breathe.

Mistake 2: A menu nobody understands

“Our Universe.” “The Experience.” “Solutions.” Creative names feel original, but they make people guess. And people don’t like guessing.

Fix it:

• Use plain names: Services, Menu, Gallery, About, Contact.
• Five or six items, max.
• If you have many services, group them under “Services.”
• Any important page should be two or three clicks away from the homepage, never more.

Mistake 3: A contact form that feels like a tax return

Name, last name, company, job title, phone, email, address, budget, how did you hear about us… By field six, half the people are gone.

Fix it:

• Ask only for name, phone or email, and a short message.
• If something’s wrong, show it right next to the field, not in a red banner at the top.
• After sending, show a clear “Got it, I’ll call you today” message. Otherwise people send it three times, or think it didn’t work.
• Even better for many local businesses: a big WhatsApp button. Your customers already use it.

Mistake 4: Walls of text

Nobody reads a website from top to bottom. People scan: titles, bold words, lists. If your services are buried in a long paragraph, they won’t find them.

Fix it:

• Clear titles that say something. “Brake repair in 1 day” beats “Our approach.”
• Short paragraphs, two to four sentences.
• Lists for services, prices and hours.
• Dark text on a light background, big enough to read.

Mistake 5: A slow site

You know the feeling. You tap a link, the screen stays white, you tap “back.” Your customers do the same with your site.

Common causes: huge photos straight from the camera, too many plugins, background videos and buttons that jump around while the page loads (and you end up tapping the wrong one).

Fix it:

• Compress your photos.
• Remove plugins and widgets you don’t use.
• Skip background videos.
• Test your site on your phone, on mobile data, not just on your office Wi-Fi.

Mistake 6: Forgetting the phone

Most of your customers will see your site on a phone. If it was designed for a computer and squeezed later, you get tiny buttons, menus that don’t open and your phone number hidden at the bottom.

Fix it:

• Big buttons, easy to tap with one thumb.
• Phone, address and hours visible and one tap away.
• A short menu that opens clean.

I wrote a full guide on this: Mobile friendly website: why your customers live on their phone.

Mistake 7: Claims without proof

“The best service in Utah.” “Quality guaranteed.” “Leaders in the industry.” Everyone says that. Nobody believes it.

What builds trust is proof:

Instead of this	Do this
“We’re the best”	“Over 300 cars repaired last year”
A review signed “J. M.”	A review with a first name and a photo, or a screenshot from Google
Stock photos of smiling people in suits	Real photos of your team, your place and your work
A form and nothing else	Your address, phone, hours and a map

Fix it: show real reviews, real photos and real numbers. A photo of your actual tacos beats any slogan.

The 5-minute check

Open your site on your phone and answer honestly:

1. Can someone tell what you do in 5 seconds?
2. Is the main button visible without scrolling?
3. Does the menu have six items or fewer, with plain names?
4. Is the contact form four fields or fewer?
5. Does it load fast on mobile data?
6. Are there real reviews and real photos?

Every “no” is a customer you’re probably losing.

What I’d do if I were you

Don’t redo the whole site at once. Fix one thing per week, starting with the contact form and the main button. Those two usually bring results fastest.

If you’d rather someone look at it with you, send me your site and I’ll tell you honestly what I’d fix first. If you’re starting from zero, read How to plan a small business website, or check my Business plan.

Frequently asked questions