7 UX Mistakes Many SMB Websites Make (and How to Fix Them)

A beautiful website is not enough. If visitors can't find what they're looking for or don't understand what to do, you lose customers. In this article, we discuss the 7 most common UX mistakes we encounter on SMB websites.

What is UX Actually?

UX stands for User Experience. It's about how easy and pleasant it is to use your website. Good UX means visitors:

• Quickly find what they're looking for
• Understand what you offer
• Know what they should do
• Leave with a positive feeling

Mistake 1: Unclear Navigation

The problem: Visitors click away within an average of 3 seconds if they don't know where to look. A chaotic menu with too many options or vague names causes confusion.

Recognizable symptoms:

• Menu with more than 7 items at the top level
• Vague names like "Solutions" or "More"
• Dropdown menus with even more submenus
• No clear hierarchy

The solution:

• Limit your main menu to 5-7 items
• Use clear, descriptive names
• Most important pages directly accessible
• Consider a mega menu for complex structures
• Test: can someone find what they're looking for in 5 seconds?

Mistake 2: Too Much Text, Too Little Structure

The problem: Large blocks of text without subheadings, bullets, or visual breaks. Nobody reads that. People scan websites, they don't read them from A to Z.

Recognizable symptoms:

• Paragraphs longer than 3-4 lines
• No subheadings
• No bullet points or lists
• No images or icons
• Everything equally large and equally important

The solution:

• Break up text with clear headings (H2, H3)
• Use bullet points for lists
• Maximum 3-4 sentences per paragraph
• Add relevant images
• Make important words bold
• Use white space

Mistake 3: Confusing Call-to-Actions

The problem: Too many buttons that all seem equally important. Or the opposite: no clear button to take action.

Recognizable symptoms:

• Multiple colored buttons next to each other
• Vague text like "Click here" or "More info"
• CTA button hidden at the bottom of the page
• Same button color as the rest of the design

The solution:

• One primary CTA per page/section
• Action-oriented language: "Request a quote", "Schedule appointment"
• Contrasting color that stands out
• CTA visible without scrolling
• Repeat the CTA after important sections

Mistake 4: Poor Mobile Experience

The problem: More than 60% of your visitors come via mobile. A website that only works well on desktop loses the majority of its audience.

Recognizable symptoms:

• Text too small to read
• Buttons too close together
• Horizontal scrolling required
• Menu doesn't work properly
• Forms impossible to fill out
• Images too large or distorted

The solution:

• Design mobile-first
• Touch-friendly buttons (minimum 44x44 pixels)
• Readable text without zooming (minimum 16px)
• Vertical scroll direction
• Sticky menu for easy navigation
• Test on real devices, not just in browser tools

Mistake 5: Slow Loading Times

The problem: A slow website frustrates visitors and costs you Google rankings. And the problem gets worse on mobile with slower connections.

Recognizable symptoms:

• Loading time above 3 seconds
• Large images that aren't compressed
• Many external scripts and plugins
• No caching set up
• Videos that load automatically

The solution:

• Compress images (WebP format)
• Use lazy loading for images
• Minimize plugins and scripts
• Implement caching
• Choose fast hosting
• Measure regularly with PageSpeed Insights

Mistake 6: Missing Contact Information

The problem: Visitors want to know who they're doing business with. If they can't find or reach you, they go to the competitor.

Recognizable symptoms:

• No phone number visible
• Contact page hard to find
• Only a contact form, no alternatives
• No address or business details
• No response time indication

The solution:

• Phone number in header (clickable on mobile)
• Email address as alternative
• Contact page in main menu
• Physical address if applicable
• Offer multiple contact options
• Set expectations: "Response within 24 hours"

Mistake 7: No Trust Signals

The problem: People don't do business with companies they don't trust. Without social proof, you start with a disadvantage.

Recognizable symptoms:

• No reviews or testimonials
• No client logos
• No trust seals or certifications
• No "About us" page
• Stock photos instead of real photos
• No case studies or portfolio

The solution:

• Actively ask customers for reviews
• Show logos of well-known clients
• Add relevant trust seals
• Invest in real photos of team and office
• Write case studies of successful projects
• Create a personal "About us" page

How Do You Know If Your Website Has UX Problems?

Use Data

• Bounce rate above 70%? Visitors aren't finding what they're looking for
• Time on site under 1 minute? Content isn't interesting enough
• Exit pages: where do visitors leave?

Ask for Feedback

• Have 5 people test your website
• Ask: "Can you find X?" and "What would you do here?"
• Watch as they navigate

Use Tools

• Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity for heatmaps
• Google Analytics for behavioral data
• PageSpeed Insights for speed
• Mobile-Friendly Test from Google

Quick Wins: Improve Immediately

No time for a major revision? Start with these quick wins:

1. Phone number in header - immediately reachable
2. Choose one clear CTA color and use it consistently
3. Compress images with TinyPNG
4. Add reviews to your homepage
5. Add headings to long texts

Conclusion

UX mistakes cost you money. Visitors who can't find what they're looking for leave your website. Those conversions never come back.

The good news: most mistakes are relatively easy to fix. Start with the three biggest pain points and work from there.

Want to know how your website scores on UX? Contact us for a free website analysis. We look at navigation, speed, mobile, and conversion optimization.

Further Reading

• Increase Website Conversion - 10 practical tips
• Core Web Vitals Explained - Measuring speed and stability
• 5 Steps for a Good Website Analysis - Complete analysis approach