What mistakes do small businesses make with their websites?

Creating your own website today seems easier than ever. Website builders, templates, and AI tools promise quick results — especially for small and medium-sized businesses. In practice, however, many self-made websites miss their target.

This is rarely due to a lack of commitment, but to a lack of time, uncertainty in the approach, and a lack of external perspective. The result are websites that are online but generate hardly any inquiries.

In this article we show the most common mistakes—and how we at lilac-media help companies avoid them from the start.

Unprofessional Design

Your own website reflects your company. From a poorly designed homepage it is easy to draw conclusions about the state of your business. 

Bad design deters prospects. As a result, many contacts are prevented.

Common mistakes are:

• outdated design that does not align with current viewing habits
• images too small, which have little impact
• fonts inappropriate for your industry
• color scheme with too little contrast or a bad background image that makes readability harder

Our solution:

We develop a customized, modern design that fits your industry, your target audience, and your brand. The goal is not “beautiful at any price,” nor “as many animations as possible,” but an appearance that conveys competence and convinces visitors.

No Clear Benefit Identified

Websites get very little time to grab the attention of visitors. If it isn’t quickly clear what type of business this is, visitors leave again quickly.

If visitors only encounter generalities, and no clear benefit, they often see no reason to engage further with your company

Common mistakes are:

• you cannot tell at a glance what kind of company it is
• vague slogans 'we offer quality...'
• benefits and unique selling points are not presented

Our solution:

We advise and support our clients in formulating clear core messages and help put the benefit for your customers at the center. This makes your strengths, distinctive features, and your added value visible—clear, concrete, and audience-oriented.

Not Designed for Different End Devices

A large portion of website traffic comes from mobile devices. It is therefore important that the site displays well on all devices. If it is not mobile-friendly, it’s hard to read on a phone.

Common mistakes are:

• no mobile version
• not responsive
• not accessible

Our Solution:

We rely on responsive websites that work on all devices—from smartphone to large monitor. Accessibility-friendly design additionally ensures better accessibility and user-friendliness.

Too Little / Outdated Content

Current information shows that you are active; outdated information appears lazy and can create negative impressions.

Common mistakes are:

• the latest news from a long time ago
• displayed content is not up-to-date
• only general content is provided; specifics, benefits are not shown
• regional specifics are ignored
• you can’t immediately tell what kind of company it is; generic values and emotions of the respective industry are missing

Our solution:

We assist in creating and maintaining individualized content that authentically represents your company — including regional references, e.g. to Halle, Leipzig and Central Germany.

Unclear Navigation and Missing User Guidance

Even the best and most engaging content is useless if your users cannot find it intuitively. This leads to frustration — and quick drop-offs.

Common mistakes are:

• no clear menu structure
• overloaded hierarchy
• menu items named technically
• no internal links

Our Solution:

We develop a clear, logical navigation from the perspective of your customers. Content is sensibly structured, linked together, and easy to find — for people, search engines, and AI.

No References/Customer Testimonials

A company lives on trust. Initially, your company is a blank page for new users. Without references you can’t form a picture. Your offers remain abstract. If user testimonials are missing, it becomes difficult to build trust.

Frequent mistakes are:

• no references
• no project examples
• no customer testimonials
• no context of your own experience

Our Solution:

We help to present references meaningfully and credibly incorporate customer testimonials — as trust anchors for new prospects.

Legal Requirements Are Underestimated

Often it is not known which information is necessary to operate the website legally. If you make mistakes here, it can quickly become expensive.

Common mistakes:

• Imprint and/or privacy policy not present or incomplete
• no consent prompt or missing cookie banner (where needed — e.g., when Google Maps is used)
• no SSL server certificate

Our Solution:

We implement websites in a legally compliant way — including SSL, consent tool, and clean page structure. Legal texts are integrated as needed through specialized partners.

Missing / Incomplete Contact Details

Visitors want to decide how to contact you themselves. If information is missing, you make it unnecessarily hard for potential customers to get in touch.

Common mistakes are:

• hidden contact page
• only a contact form
• no telephone number (when faster contact is needed or desired)
• no address (if the location of the headquarters is relevant)
• no opening hours or not up-to-date

Our Solution:

We ensure clearly visible, complete, and unambiguous contact options — tailored to your company and your customers. If desired, we also manage your Google My Business account and update, for example, your opening hours.

No Clear Call to Action

You make your offer clear on your website, but not what users should do next.

Common mistakes:

• no call to contact ('call-to-action')
• unclear or too reserved messaging

Our Solution:

We integrate clear calls to action such as 'Request now', 'Schedule an appointment' or 'Request a quote' — at the right places and without coming across as pushy.

Conclusion: A Website Must Do More Than “Be Online”

• modernized, targeted, and industry-appropriate design
• responsive structure, adaptable to all device types
• clear navigation & user guidance
• legally reviewed pages, including a consent tool
• ongoing maintenance & SEO optimization

If you are unsure whether your website is reaching its potential, we are happy to advise you — honestly, understandably, and on equal footing.

Erstveröffentlichung am 16.12.2025