Sparked Blog

5 Common Website Mistakes Small Businesses Make (and How to Fix Them)

Written by Sparked | Aug 17, 2025 7:42:24 PM

First impressions matter, and your website is often the first place people interact with your business. If your site isn’t bringing in leads or building trust, one of these common mistakes could be the reason.

Let’s walk through the top five issues we see and how to fix them.

Your Website Isn’t Mobile-Friendly

The Problem:

More than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site doesn’t look good or work well on a phone, you’re losing visitors fast.

The Fix:

Use responsive design that automatically adjusts for mobile screens. Make sure:

  • Text is easy to read without zooming

  • Buttons are tappable

  • Menus are simple and functional

Pro tip: Test your site on multiple devices or use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test Tool.

You Don’t Have a Clear Call to Action (CTA)

The Problem:

If your site doesn’t clearly guide visitors to take a specific action and make it easy for them to convert, they’ll leave. 

The Fix:

Every page should have clear, visible CTAs above the fold and throughout the page content. Some examples:

  • “Schedule a Free Consultation”

  • “Get a Custom Quote”

  • “Contact Us Today”

Pro Tip: Use buttons with action-oriented language to excite users and make it clear exactly what's in it for them. 

Your Website Loads Too Slowly

The Problem:

Visitors expect websites to load in 2–3 seconds. The longer your site takes to load, the higher the chances are visitors will bounce, and that can hurt your search rankings. 

The Fix:

  • Use website speed tools like PageSpeed Insights to identify speed issues
  • Compress large images
  • Remove unnecessary plugins or scripts
  • Work with a marketing specialist to implement any technical updates

Your Messaging Isn’t Clear

The Problem:

When someone lands on your homepage, they should know within 5 seconds:

  • What you do
  • Who you help
  • Why they should choose you

If that’s unclear, they’ll leave confused and frustrated.

The Fix:

Refine your homepage messaging and hero section. Answer these questions:

  • What problem do you solve?
  • Who is your solution for?
  • What makes you different?

Example:

“We help service-based businesses build digital foundations that attract and convert online without the marketing fluff.”

You’re Missing Basic SEO Essentials

The Problem:

If your website doesn’t include key search engine optimization elements, it’s unlikely to show up in searches.

The Fix:

Start with the basics:

  • Use clear, keyword-rich page titles and meta descriptions
  • Add alt text to images
  • Structure your pages with header tags (H1, H2, etc.)
  • Make sure each page has a unique URL and description

Pro tip: Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile to improve local search visibility.

 

Is Your Website Making Any of These Mistakes?

Need help assessing your current website? We’ll identify what’s working, what’s not, and what it’ll take to turn your website into a real business asset.

At Sparked, we help small and mid-sized businesses build websites that don’t just exist. They perform. From SEO and messaging to mobile design and conversion optimization, we create digital foundations built to grow. 👉 Schedule a free discovery call to get started.