Your website might look fine to you, but if visitors are leaving without buying, booking, or getting in touch, something is broken. Here are the ten most common problems we see when auditing client websites — and how to fix each one.
1. It Takes More Than 3 Seconds to Load
Nearly 40% of users abandon sites that take more than three seconds to load. Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights right now. If your performance score is below 70, you’re haemorrhaging visitors.
Fix: Compress images, enable browser caching, minify CSS/JS, and consider a CDN like Cloudflare.
2. It’s Not Mobile-Friendly
Over 60% of web traffic in the UK now comes from mobile devices. If your site doesn’t work perfectly on a phone, you’re invisible to the majority of your potential customers.
Fix: Mobile-first responsive design. Test on real devices, not just browser emulators.
3. No Clear Call to Action
If a visitor lands on your homepage and can’t immediately see what you want them to do next — call you, book a consultation, buy a product — they’ll leave.
Fix: One primary CTA above the fold on every page. Make it obvious, make it specific.
4. Outdated Design
Design trends change. A site built in 2019 looks dated in 2026. Users judge credibility by appearance — if your site looks old, they’ll assume your business is too.
Fix: A modern redesign with clean typography, proper whitespace, and professional imagery.
5. No SSL Certificate
If your URL shows “Not Secure” instead of the padlock icon, browsers are actively warning people not to trust you. Google also penalises non-HTTPS sites in rankings.
Fix: Install a free SSL certificate via Let’s Encrypt. Most hosts offer one-click setup.
6. Missing or Poor SEO
If you don’t appear on the first page of Google for your core services, your website effectively doesn’t exist. 75% of users never scroll past the first page of results.
Fix: Proper title tags, meta descriptions, header structure, internal linking, and quality content targeting real search terms.
7. No Social Proof
Testimonials, reviews, case studies, client logos — these build trust. Without them, you’re asking strangers to take you at your word.
Fix: Add real testimonials with names and companies. Show logos of clients you’ve worked with. Include specific results where possible.
8. Confusing Navigation
If visitors can’t find what they’re looking for within two clicks, they’ll go to a competitor who makes it easier.
Fix: Simple, logical navigation with no more than 7 top-level items. Use descriptive labels, not clever ones.
9. No Analytics Tracking
If you’re not measuring what visitors do on your site, you’re flying blind. You can’t fix what you can’t see.
Fix: Install Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console. Review your data monthly.
10. Contact Forms That Don’t Work
You’d be surprised how many websites have broken contact forms. If your form doesn’t send emails reliably, you’re losing leads every day without knowing it.
Fix: Test your forms regularly. Use a reliable email delivery service and set up confirmation messages.
Want a professional audit of your website? Get in touch — we’ll review your site and tell you exactly what needs fixing.