7 Mistakes You're Making with Your Website Design (and How to Fix Them)

Your website is your digital storefront, and in competitive markets like Metro Detroit, first impressions can make or break your business. 78% of potential customers will leave your website within 15 seconds if they encounter design issues that frustrate them. Whether you're a Birmingham restaurant, Troy-based service company, or Royal Oak retail business, these seven critical website mistakes could be costing you thousands of dollars in lost revenue every month.

The businesses thriving in 2025 understand that modern web design isn't just about looking good: it's about converting visitors into customers seamlessly and efficiently. Here are the most damaging mistakes we see Michigan businesses making, and exactly how to fix them.

1. Slow Loading Speed Is Killing Your Conversions

47% of users expect your website to load in 2 seconds or less: and if it doesn't, they're gone. We've audited hundreds of local businesses throughout Metro Detroit, and slow loading speed consistently ranks as the #1 conversion killer.

Your Royal Oak bakery might have the best cupcakes in Oakland County, but if your menu takes 8 seconds to load on mobile, hungry customers are already calling your competitor down the street.

The immediate fix:

• Compress all images before uploading (use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim)

• Choose reliable hosting that can handle your traffic spikes

• Remove unnecessary plugins and widgets that bog down your site

• Implement browser caching to speed up return visits

Pro tip from our team: Test your site speed on Google PageSpeed Insights at least monthly. Aim for a score of 90+ on both mobile and desktop.

2. Your Website Looks Terrible on Mobile (And Everyone Notices)

Over 65% of web traffic in Michigan comes from mobile devices, yet we constantly see Birmingham and Troy businesses with websites that look like they were designed in 2010. Tiny text, buttons you can't tap, and layouts that break on smartphones are sending customers straight to your competitors.

Mobile-first design isn't optional anymore: it's a survival requirement. Google now prioritizes mobile-friendly sites in search results, meaning poor mobile design doesn't just hurt user experience; it makes you invisible in search.

How to fix mobile design issues:

• Use responsive design frameworks that automatically adjust to screen sizes

• Make buttons at least 44px tall for easy tapping

• Ensure text is readable without zooming (minimum 16px font size)

• Test your site on actual phones, not just browser tools

• Simplify navigation menus for thumb-friendly browsing

3. Confusing Navigation Is Costing You Sales

We recently worked with a Metro Detroit home services company that had 13 different menu items on their homepage. Visitors couldn't find what they needed, bounce rate was 78%, and lead generation had stalled completely.

Your navigation should pass the "5-second test": can a first-time visitor find your main services, contact info, and key pages within 5 seconds? If not, you're losing money every day.

Navigation fixes that work:

• Limit main menu items to 7 or fewer

• Use clear, descriptive labels ("Plumbing Services" not "Solutions")

• Add a search function for complex sites

• Include your phone number prominently in the header

• Create logical page hierarchies that make sense to your customers

4. Poor Typography Makes Your Content Unreadable

38% of users will stop engaging with a website if the content or layout is unattractive. We see this constantly with local Birmingham businesses trying to cram too much information into tiny fonts with poor color contrast.

Your expertise means nothing if visitors can't read about it comfortably. This is especially critical for professional service providers in Troy and Royal Oak who need to establish credibility quickly.

Typography fixes that improve readability:

• Use fonts at least 16px for body text (18px is even better)

• Maintain strong contrast between text and background colors

• Stick to 2-3 font families maximum throughout your site

• Break up text with subheadings, bullet points, and white space

• Keep line length between 50-75 characters for optimal reading

5. Weak Call-to-Actions Are Invisible to Your Customers

The average Metro Detroit business website has weak or missing calls-to-action (CTAs) on 60% of their pages. Generic buttons like "Learn More" or "Submit" don't inspire action: they inspire visitors to leave.

Your CTAs should be impossible to miss and irresistible to click. Every page needs a clear next step that guides visitors toward becoming customers.

CTA improvements that drive action:

• Use action-oriented language ("Get Your Free Quote" instead of "Contact Us")

• Make buttons stand out with contrasting colors

• Place CTAs above the fold and at the end of content sections

• Create urgency with phrases like "Schedule Today" or "Limited Time Offer"

• Test different button colors, text, and placements to see what converts best

6. Unoptimized Images Are Slowing Everything Down

Large, uncompressed images are performance killers. We've seen Royal Oak restaurants with beautiful food photos that take 15+ seconds to load: by then, hungry customers have already found somewhere else to order.

Every image on your site should be optimized for web delivery without sacrificing visual quality.

Image optimization strategies:

• Resize images to actual display dimensions before uploading

• Use WebP format when possible for better compression

• Add descriptive alt text to every image for SEO and accessibility

• Implement lazy loading so images load only when needed

• Compress images to under 100KB for web use

7. Ignoring SEO Basics Makes You Invisible in Search

75% of users never scroll past the first page of Google results. If your Troy business isn't showing up when locals search for your services, you're missing out on the easiest, most cost-effective marketing available.

Basic SEO isn't complicated, but it's absolutely essential for competing in Metro Detroit's digital marketplace.

SEO fundamentals every local business needs:

• Include your city and service keywords in page titles and headers

• Write unique meta descriptions for every page

• Create location-specific pages (like "Plumbing Services in Royal Oak")

• Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile

• Get reviews from satisfied Birmingham and Troy customers

• Use descriptive URLs that include keywords

Local SEO tip:Create content that answers common questions your Metro Detroit customers ask. "Best HVAC companies near Birmingham" or "Troy wedding photographers" are exactly what potential customers are searching for.

The Bottom Line: Small Fixes Create Big Results

These seven mistakes might seem minor individually, but together they're devastating to your online success. The good news? Every single one is completely fixable with the right strategy and execution.

We've helped hundreds of Metro Detroit businesses transform their websites from conversion-killers into lead-generating machines. The companies that fix these issues see immediate improvements in user engagement, search rankings, and most importantly: revenue growth.

Your Royal Oak, Birmingham, or Troy business deserves a website that works as hard as you do. Don't let poor design choices cost you another day of potential customers.

Ready to turn your website into your best marketing tool? These fixes are just the beginning of what's possible when you prioritize user experience and conversion optimization.