Small Business Website Mistakes to Avoid in 2023

Your website is your digital shopfront. It is often the first interaction a potential customer has with your business, and first impressions happen fast. Research suggests visitors form an opinion about your website within a fraction of a second.

After reviewing hundreds of small business websites across Western Sydney and beyond, we see the same mistakes over and over again. The good news is that most of them are fixable without a complete rebuild. Here are the most common website mistakes to watch out for in 2023.

Mistake 1: No Clear Call to Action

This is the single most common mistake we see. Visitors land on your website and have no idea what to do next. There is no prominent button, no clear next step, no obvious way to take action.

Every page on your website should have a clear call to action (CTA). What do you want the visitor to do? Call you? Fill out a form? Book an appointment? Make it obvious.

How to fix it:

  • Add a prominent CTA button above the fold on every page
  • Use action-oriented text like “Get a Free Quote,” “Book Now,” or “Call Us Today”
  • Make the button a contrasting colour so it stands out
  • Repeat your CTA throughout longer pages

Mistake 2: Slow Loading Speed

If your website takes more than three seconds to load, you are losing visitors before they even see your content. Slow websites frustrate users and hurt your Google rankings.

Common causes of slow websites:

  • Unoptimised images (the number one culprit)
  • Too many plugins (especially on WordPress)
  • Cheap or overseas hosting
  • Heavy animations or videos loading on page load
  • Bloated code or outdated themes

How to fix it:

  • Compress all images before uploading
  • Use an Australian hosting provider
  • Remove unnecessary plugins
  • Test your speed at pagespeed.web.dev and follow the recommendations
  • Consider a content delivery network (CDN) like Cloudflare

Mistake 3: Not Mobile-Friendly

We covered this in detail recently, but it bears repeating. Over half of your visitors are on mobile devices. If your website does not work properly on a phone, you are turning away the majority of your potential customers.

Quick check: Open your website on your phone. Can you easily read the text, tap the buttons, find your contact details, and fill out forms? If not, this needs to be your top priority.

Mistake 4: Outdated Design

Web design trends evolve, and a website that looked modern in 2017 now looks dated. While you do not need to chase every trend, a clearly outdated website signals to visitors that your business might not be keeping up either.

Signs your design is outdated:

  • Flash elements or animations
  • Overly complex layouts with too many columns
  • Small text on busy backgrounds
  • Stock photos that look generic or forced
  • Dated colour schemes and fonts
  • A “last updated” date from years ago

How to fix it: A fresh, clean design with plenty of white space, modern fonts, and quality imagery goes a long way. If your site is more than four or five years old, it is likely time for a redesign.

Mistake 5: Missing or Incorrect Contact Information

You would be surprised how many business websites have outdated phone numbers, missing email addresses, or no contact information on their homepage at all. Some bury their contact details deep in a submenu that visitors have to hunt for.

How to fix it:

  • Put your phone number in the header of every page
  • Make it clickable for mobile users
  • Include your email, address, and business hours on your contact page
  • Add a simple contact form
  • Include an embedded Google Map if you have a physical location
  • Double-check that all information is current

Mistake 6: Writing About Yourself Instead of Your Customer

Many small business websites read like a resume. “We were established in 2005. We are passionate about quality. We pride ourselves on excellent service.” While this information has its place, your website should primarily focus on the customer.

Instead of: “We have 20 years of experience in the industry.”

Try: “Get reliable results backed by 20 years of hands-on experience.”

Talk about the problems you solve, the benefits you provide, and the outcomes your customers can expect. Make the visitor the hero of the story, not your business.

Mistake 7: No Search Engine Optimisation

Having a website that nobody can find on Google is like having a shop with no sign on an empty street. Yet many small businesses launch a website and never think about SEO.

Basic SEO essentials:

  • Every page has a unique title tag including your service and location
  • Every page has a meta description that encourages clicks
  • Your content includes relevant keywords naturally
  • Your site has dedicated pages for each key service
  • You have a Google Business Profile linked to your website
  • Your site has a sitemap submitted to Google Search Console

Mistake 8: No Social Proof

If your website has no reviews, testimonials, or trust signals, visitors have no reason to believe you are any good. We covered this in detail in our recent social proof article, but the key takeaway is: display your best reviews and testimonials prominently on your website.

Mistake 9: Stock Photos Everywhere

Generic stock photos of people in suits shaking hands or smiling at laptops do nothing for your credibility. Visitors can spot stock photos instantly, and they make your business feel impersonal and generic.

Better alternatives:

  • Professional photos of your actual team, premises, and work
  • Behind-the-scenes photos (even taken on a phone)
  • Before-and-after photos of your work
  • Photos of your products
  • Local area photos showing your connection to the community

If you must use stock photos, choose ones that feel natural and authentic, and supplement them with real photos of your business wherever possible.

Mistake 10: No Blog or Fresh Content

A website that never changes gives Google no reason to re-crawl it and gives visitors no reason to return. Fresh content signals that your business is active and helps you rank for a wider range of search terms.

You do not need to blog every day. Even one or two quality articles per month can make a significant difference. Write about topics your customers actually care about: tips, guides, common questions, and local insights.

Mistake 11: Poor Navigation

If visitors cannot find what they are looking for within a few seconds, they will leave. Your navigation should be simple, intuitive, and consistent across your entire site.

Navigation best practices:

  • Keep your main menu to five to seven items
  • Use clear, descriptive labels (not clever or vague names)
  • Ensure every important page is reachable within two clicks from the homepage
  • Include a footer menu with additional links
  • Use breadcrumbs on content-heavy sites

Mistake 12: No Analytics

If you do not have Google Analytics installed, you have no way of knowing how many people visit your site, where they come from, or what they do. You are making decisions without data.

How to fix it: Set up Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console. Both are free. Check them at least monthly.

Your Website Improvement Checklist

Go through this checklist and score your website:

  • Clear call to action on every page
  • Loads in under three seconds
  • Works well on mobile devices
  • Modern, clean design
  • Accurate contact information prominently displayed
  • Customer-focused copy
  • Basic SEO in place
  • Testimonials and reviews displayed
  • Real photos of your business
  • Regular content updates
  • Simple, intuitive navigation
  • Analytics installed and tracking

If you scored well on most of these, you are in good shape. If you found several issues, prioritise the ones that will have the biggest impact on your visitors’ experience and your ability to generate leads.

Need Help Fixing Your Website?

At Cosmo Web Tech, we build and improve websites for local businesses across Western Sydney. Whether you need a complete redesign or just help fixing specific issues, we are here to help. Get in touch for a free website review and find out how your site stacks up.

Behind every fast website is solid infrastructure. Cloud Geeks handles cloud hosting, backups, and security so you can focus on growing your business.

Ashish Ganda is the founder of Ganda Tech Services, a Sydney-based technology consultancy helping Australian businesses grow through cloud, web, and mobile solutions.