Five Common Website Mistakes Small Businesses Make in the UK (And How To Avoid Them).
Small businesses rarely set out to build a bad website. Most simply don’t have the time, clarity, or guidance to make the right decisions — and the result is a site that feels confusing, unfinished, or quietly working against them.
The good news? These mistakes are easy to fix once you know what to look for.
Here are the five issues we see most often when helping small businesses rebuild or refine their websites — and how you can avoid them.
1. Trying to say everything at once.
When you’re close to your business, it’s tempting to cram every detail onto the homepage. But visitors don’t read websites — they scan them. The result is a homepage that feels busy, overwhelming, or unclear.
A better approach: Lead with one simple message: What you do, who you help, and why it matters. Everything else can sit deeper in the site.
2. No clear call to action
Many small business websites end without telling the visitor what to do next.
Should they call you?
Fill in a form?
Book a consultation?
Download something?
If you don’t guide them, they won’t act.
A better approach? Use one clear, confident call to action across your site — and repeat it. “Book a call”, “Request a quote”, “Send a message” — whatever fits your style.
3. Outdated or inconsistent design
Your website is often the first impression someone has of your business. If it feels dated, cluttered, or inconsistent, people assume the same about your service.
This isn’t about being flashy — it’s just about feeling trustworthy.
A better approach? Use clean spacing, consistent colours, and simple typography. Quiet confidence always beats loud design.
4. Slow loading and poor mobile experience
More than half of visitors browse websites using their phone. So, if your site loads slowly or feels awkward on mobile, they leave — often within seconds.
A better approach? Optimise images, simplify layouts, and test your site on a real phone.
A fast, calm mobile experience builds trust instantly.
5. No real sense of personality
Many small business sites sound the same: “We offer high‑quality services at competitive prices…”. Visitors forget them instantly.
A better approach? Share a little of your story:
Why you started.
What you care about.
How you work.
People buy from people — especially small businesses. So get your personality across and shine through the crowd!
In Conclusion
A great website doesn’t need to be complicated. It just needs to be clear, human, and built around what your visitors actually need.
If your current site feels confusing, outdated, or not quite “you”, these five fixes are a strong place to start — and if you’d like help refining things, we always here to support you.