A website has become an essential tool for every business, regardless of its size. It’s not just an online representation of your company but a critical platform for attracting new customers and maintaining connections with existing ones.
Statistics emphasize the importance of having a high-quality website. Research shows that approximately 75% of users form their first impression of a business based on its website design, and over 30% of visitors leave if they can’t quickly find the information they need.
This article will help you avoid common mistakes that can hinder your website’s effectiveness and provide practical tips to make it user-friendly, modern, and result-oriented.
Your website’s design shapes the first impression for visitors. If it looks outdated, cluttered, or poorly designed, it can undermine trust in your business.
Too much text, an excess of colors, or distracting animations.
Consequence: Visitors may feel overwhelmed and leave without finding the information they need.
Old-fashioned fonts, irrelevant images, or outdated templates.
Consequence: The site appears unreliable, and the business seems less professional.
The site doesn’t display well on mobile devices.
Consequence: Potential customers using smartphones (a majority) will quickly abandon the site.
Use a limited color palette and clean, simple fonts.
Hire experts to create a modern and visually appealing website.
Ensure the site performs well across all devices — from smartphones to large monitors.
Invite several people to test your website and share their feedback.
By addressing these design challenges, your website can make a lasting positive impression and foster trust in your business.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a critical factor for attracting new customers via search engines. If your website isn’t optimized, potential clients will struggle to find you amidst competitors.
Absence of clear key phrases matching your customers’ search queries.
Consequence: The site doesn’t appear in search results.
Heavy images or outdated coding.
Consequence: Users leave before the page finishes loading.
No structured descriptions of your pages.
Consequence: Your site appears unprofessional in search results.
Technical errors prevent pages from being indexed.
Consequence: Search engines don’t recognize your site.
Use tools to identify popular queries in your industry.
Incorporate keywords into headings, text, images, and meta descriptions.
Compress images, enable caching, and evaluate your hosting provider.
Use headers (H1, H2) and include internal links.
Monitor SEO metrics using tools like Google Search Console or similar services.
By addressing these SEO-related challenges, you’ll significantly improve your website’s visibility and ability to attract new customers.
Website navigation serves as a guide for your visitors. If users cannot easily find the information or features they need, they will leave your site, even if your product or service initially interested them.
Menus with too many options or unclear names.
Important pages buried under submenus, requiring unnecessary clicks.
Visitors struggle to quickly locate specific information.
Navigation elements placed in unexpected locations or difficult to spot.
Users don’t know their current location on the site or how to navigate back.
Items grouped illogically, making it hard for users to find what they need.
Visitors leave if they cannot find information within seconds.
Complex navigation gives an impression of a disorganized company.
Users unable to locate desired products or services are unlikely to complete a purchase.
Group pages into clear categories.
Limit menu options to essential sections such as "About Us," "Services," "Products," and "Contact."
Make it visible on every page.
Ensure search results are fast and relevant.
Allow users to easily understand their location and navigate through the site’s structure.
Ensure navigation is user-friendly for mobile users, with large buttons and clear design.
Invite real users to test your navigation.
Collect feedback and improve functionality based on user insights.
A well-organized navigation system ensures that users can find what they’re looking for within seconds. A user-friendly site will encourage visitors to stay longer, increasing the likelihood of purchases or inquiries.
The majority of users visit websites via smartphones or tablets. If your site is not mobile-friendly, this can be a major barrier to attracting customers and improving conversions.
Fonts too small, requiring users to zoom in to read.
Small or poorly placed buttons and links are difficult to click.
Heavy graphics or outdated files slow down loading times.
Page elements don’t scale properly to screen sizes, distorting content.
Users can’t swipe pages or view images easily.
Visitors leave quickly if navigating the site is difficult.
Search engines like Google prioritize mobile-optimized sites.
Customers won’t make purchases if the checkout process is inconvenient on mobile.
Ensure your site adapts automatically to different screen sizes.
Compress images and use modern file formats like WebP.
Minimize the use of heavy CSS and JavaScript files.
Ensure buttons and links are large enough for easy tapping.
Make the interface intuitive.
Regularly check how your site appears on smartphones and tablets with different operating systems (iOS, Android).
Design and develop with mobile users in mind first, then adapt for larger screens.
Reduce waiting time for mobile users so they can quickly access your content.
Mobile optimization is no longer a bonus — it’s a standard requirement. By ensuring a seamless experience for mobile users, you’ll attract more clients, maintain their trust, and significantly boost sales.
Contact information on a website serves as a crucial bridge between you and your potential customers. If it is hard to find or incomplete, it can lead to a loss of trust and potential clients.
Customers want to quickly know how to contact you in case of questions or issues.
The absence of clear contact details creates an impression of unreliability.
Missing phone number, email, or physical address.
No links to the company’s social media pages.
No map showing the company’s location.
No buttons for quick calls or messaging.
Include all available contact options: phone number, email, physical address.
Add an interactive map for businesses with physical locations.
This ensures they are accessible on every page.
Add "Call Now" or "Chat" buttons.
Provide a contact form for quick inquiries.
Calls-to-action (CTAs) are essential website elements that guide customers toward taking specific actions. They help drive results, such as purchases, registrations, or subscriptions.
CTAs direct customers to take necessary steps, ensuring your website achieves its goals.
Without clear calls-to-action, customers may feel unsure and leave the site.
For example, "Click here" instead of "Learn more" or "Buy now."
Low contrast between buttons and the overall background.
Use specific phrases like "Order now," "Submit request," "Subscribe."
Use bright colors to make buttons stand out on the page.
Add animations or highlights to draw attention.
For example, below product or service descriptions or at the end of pages.
Including clear and functional contact information and effective CTAs will help your customers interact with your website more easily, enhancing trust and boosting conversions.
Content is the foundation of your website that significantly impacts the first impression of your business. Poorly written texts, grammatical errors, or a lack of regular updates can undermine customer trust.
High-quality content creates a positive impression of your brand.
Regular updates demonstrate that your business is active and dynamic.
1. Grammatical and stylistic errors.
2. Lack of a blog or up-to-date company news.
3. Dry or overly formal writing that fails to engage emotionally.
Well-crafted texts build trust in your brand.
Maintain a blog and publish helpful articles or company updates.
Write simply and clearly, addressing customers in a language they understand.
Web analytics is a vital tool for evaluating your website’s performance. Neglecting to analyze data can lead to customer loss and an inaccurate understanding of your site's effectiveness.
Analytics helps identify which parts of your website perform well and which need improvement.
It enables you to measure the success of your marketing campaigns.
1. No integration of Google Analytics or other tools.
2. Infrequent analysis of user behavior data.
3. Overlooking key metrics such as conversions, bounce rates, or time spent on site.
Use Google Analytics, Hotjar, or Meta Pixel to track user behavior.
Review which pages get the most traffic and which lose customers.
Improve elements of the site with low engagement rates.
A small business website is a vital tool for attracting customers. By avoiding common mistakes, you can create a platform that effectively engages your audience.
Your business website should be more than an online business card — it should be a powerful tool for attracting customers and driving growth. The COI marketing and software team is ready to help you create a web resource that meets modern market demands and your clients' expectations.
We offer a full range of services, from designing a user-friendly and appealing site structure to optimizing content for better search engine visibility. With our personalized approach, we consider the unique aspects of your business, the needs of your target audience, and the specifics of your industry.
Trust COI.UA experts to develop and optimize your site, and you’ll gain a platform that attracts clients and drives sales growth. Fill out the form on our website or message us to discuss your needs and find the best solution for your business!