5 Common Website Mistakes Small Businesses Make - And How to Avoid Them

Your website should be one of the strongest tools for growing your business, but for many small businesses, it ends up being a missed opportunity. 

At Digital Roots Co., we regularly see business owners invest time and money into websites that don’t drive leads or growth. Fortunately, most of their underlying issues are common and fixable.

Here are the 5 biggest website mistakes small businesses make, along with practical ways to avoid them.

1. Creating website pages without a clear goal (or too many goals)

One of the most common website mistakes I see businesses make is creating website pages without a single, clear purpose. You’ve probably seen it before: a homepage that tries to do everything, a services packed with options but no guidance, or a vague “Sign Up” button that doesn’t explain what happens next.  

If you can’t clearly explain why a page exists visitors should get out of it, your customers (and search engines) won’t understand it, either. And 61% of people will go to another website if they don’t find what they’re looking for in about five seconds. 

How to avoid this mistake:

• Define one primary goal for each page. For example: introduce the brand, help customers find what they’re looking for, answer a question, explain a service, or sell a product.
• Create focused landing pages with content, structure, and calls-to-action (CTAs) that address each page’s primary goal
• Make your calls-to-action specific and actionable. Instead of a vague “Contact us” button, try “Book an appointment,” “Buy now,” or “Get a quote.”

Focused pages create a better user experience, improve your SEO, and increase the likelihood that visitors take action on your website.

2. Writing content for the sake of writing content

Another major website mistake is publishing content with no real strategy behind it. I’ve heard far too many business owners say something like “I’ve written 50 blogs, but my website isn’t ranking!”

The real question website owners should be asking is: Why do these blog posts exist? Who are they for? What problem do they solve? Why do they deserve to rank?

Content only performs well when it delivers real value. Modern SEO rewards content that answers questions, solves problems, and stands out from what already exists.

Remember: Google’s job is to provide users with the most helpful results to their questions. So at the most basic level, your content must achieve this.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Research the problems and questions your customers are asking
• Build a content strategy that addresses those needs
• Prioritize quality over quantity
• Create content that is more helpful, provides a new angle, or shares something different from competing pages

3. Prioritizing traffic over everything else

Another key part of creating a successful website strategy is determining what is actually valuable for your business. Sure, more website traffic sounds great, but not all traffic helps your business grow.

For example, I recently worked with a Realtor whose top blog posts ranked on on keywords like “celebrities that live in [city]” and “best antique shops in [city].” These posts brought in visitors, but none of those visitors became clients. 

Her actual buyers, many of whom were relocating to the city where she lived, were looking for details about the local community and lifestyle. So we shifted the strategy to target that audience, giving them helpful information with expert, first-hand insights. Within two months, she gained three new clients, even with less overall traffic.

How to avoid this mistake:

• Stop chasing traffic for the sake of traffic
• Focus on potential customers who are actually interested in your products and services
• Give those customers the information they need to take the next step

4. Missing on-page best practices

Even great content can underperform if it’s not properly optimized. On-page SEO helps both users and search engines understand your content more clearly. 

Here are some of the most common on-page SEO mistakes I see:

1. Ignoring title tags and meta descriptions

Title tags and meta descriptions tell search engines what your page is about, and they appear in search results as the clickable headlines and summaries that help users decide which links to click.

Best practices:

• Write unique title tags and meta descriptions for every page
• Keep them clear, concise, and relevant
• Use keywords naturally (without over-stuffing)
• Make them compelling enough to encourage clicks to your website

2. Using headings for style instead of structure

Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.) should organize your content, not just make text look bigger. A strong heading structure helps readers find what they’re looking for and helps search engines understand your content better.

Best practices:

• Use one H1 per page (no more, no less)
• Make sure each page’s H1 is unique
• Use H2s for major sections, H3s for subsections, and so on
• Don’t skip heading levels (for example, jumping from H1 to H3)
• Include relevant keywords and keyword variations naturally

3. Making spelling and grammar mistakes

It may seem minor, but frequent spelling and grammar errors can damage your credibility and make your business appear unprofessional. Mistakes happen, but too many can hurt readability, trust, and conversions. 

Bottom line: Please, proofread your website!

5. Focusing only on your website

Even though this is a list focused on website mistakes, your website can’t act alone. Search engines and customers evaluate your business based on your broader online presence. 

According to a Brightlocal study, in 2025, over two thirds of consumers “always” or “regularly” read online reviews when researching local businesses.

Think of it like choosing a restaurant. Would you choose a restaurant you’ve never heard of, or the one with a strong reputation, great reviews, and proven quality? 

Strengthen your online presence by investing in:

• Your Google Business Profile
• Customer reviews
• Social media
• Online mentions and brand visibility across the web

All of these signals help build trust, authority, and visibility, which ultimately benefits your website, too.

Takeaway

Avoiding these common website mistakes can help you get more value from your website, attract better leads, and grow your business more effectively.

If you want expert help improving your website, SEO, and content strategy, contact Digital Roots Co. for a free consultation. We’re here to help your business grow stronger digital roots.