But if you get it wrong, your website can quickly become a liability—one that turns potential customers away rather than drawing them in.

Many businesses unknowingly make crucial mistakes that can break their website, leading to poor performance, low engagement, and lost revenue.

To ensure your website is a success rather than a failure, ask yourself these two essential questions:

1. Who Is Your Website Really For?

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is designing a website based on what they like, rather than what their target audience needs. Your website isn’t for you—it’s for your customers.

Common Mistakes That Break Your Website:

• Unclear messaging: If visitors don’t immediately understand what your business offers and why they should care, they’ll leave. Every second a visitor spends confused increases the likelihood they’ll bounce away to a competitor’s site.
• Complicated navigation: If users struggle to find information quickly, they’ll go elsewhere. Visitors should be able to navigate your site intuitively without having to think too much about where to click next.
• Poor mobile experience: More than 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing potential customers. A responsive design that adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes is essential for user retention and search engine ranking.

How to Fix It:

• Define your ideal customer: Who are they? What problems do they need to solve? What questions do they have? Researching your audience through surveys, analytics, and user feedback can help refine your approach.
• Focus on user experience (UX): Make sure your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and has clear calls to action. Reduce unnecessary steps in the user journey and ensure that key information is always within reach.
• Speak their language: Write copy that resonates with your audience, addresses their pain points, and provides solutions. Avoid jargon and industry-specific terms unless necessary.

2. What Is the Primary Goal of Your Website?

Every successful well-designed website has a clear purpose. Whether it’s to generate leads, sell products, or establish authority in your industry, your website needs a well-defined goal.

Signs Your Website Lacks a Clear Goal (And How It Can Break Your Website):

• No clear call to action (CTA): If visitors don’t know what to do next—buy, book a consultation, request a quote—they won’t take action. A lack of direction can lead to high bounce rates and lost opportunities.
• Too much clutter: If your homepage is packed with unnecessary information, visitors will get overwhelmed and leave. Simplifying your layout and highlighting the most important elements ensures a smoother user journey.
• Lack of conversion elements: If you’re not collecting emails, tracking user behaviour, or encouraging engagement, you’re missing opportunities. Conversion elements like lead magnets, well-placed forms, and compelling offers encourage users to take the next step.

How to Fix It:

• Define your website’s main objective: Is it to collect leads? Make sales? Book appointments? Ensure everything on your site supports that goal. Each page should have a specific function that contributes to this objective.
• Include strong CTAs: Every page should guide users toward a specific action, such as “Get a Free Quote” or “Download Our Guide.” CTAs should be clear, concise, and positioned strategically across your website.
• Optimise for conversions: Use forms, chatbots, and compelling content to encourage users to engage with your brand. A/B testing different elements can help you determine what works best for increasing conversions.

Bonus: Common Website Killers (Avoid These at All Costs)

Even if you answer the two big questions correctly, some technical and design issues can still break your website:

• Slow loading speeds: 40% of visitors leave a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check and improve performance. Compressing images, using a content delivery network (CDN), and optimising code can significantly enhance load times.
• Lack of SEO optimisation: If your website isn’t optimised for search engines, people won’t find you. Use relevant keywords, optimise meta tags, and create high-quality content. SEO-friendly URLs and internal linking also help boost search rankings.
• Ignoring security: Google flags insecure websites. Ensure your site has an SSL certificate and is protected against malware. Regular security updates, firewalls, and secure hosting are essential to safeguarding your website and users’ data.
• Outdated content: A blog that hasn’t been updated in years signals neglect. Keep your content fresh and relevant. Regular updates show search engines and users that your site is active and authoritative in your industry.

Final Thoughts: Is Your Website Helping or Hurting Your Business?

Your website should work for you, not against you. By focusing on your audience’s needs and ensuring your site has a clear purpose, you can prevent costly mistakes that might break your website.

If your website isn’t performing as it should, now is the time to fix it.

Need expert advice? Get in touch with our team at Midas Creative, and let’s turn your website into a powerful tool for growth.