Why your small business website could be costing you customers

If you're a small business owner, your website might be doing more harm than good, and you may not even realise it.

Your website is often the first impression a potential customer gets. A slow, confusing, or outdated site could be sending them straight to your competitors.

Here’s why that matters, and what you can do to turn things around.

First impressions matter more than ever

Visitors decide in seconds whether to stay on your site or bounce. If your website looks outdated or is hard to use on mobile, many won’t stick around.

That’s lost business.

A professional website design shows customers you take your business seriously, and that they can trust you to deliver.

DIY or outdated websites hurt your credibility

We see it all the time:

Text that’s hard to read. Buttons that don’t work. Confusing navigation. No clear call to action

An unpolished site can create doubts about your reliability, even if your service is excellent.

If you built your site yourself a few years ago or used a basic template, it might not reflect you and your current business.

Mobile responsiveness isn’t optional

Over 60% of UK web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you're losing potential customers every day.

A responsive web design ensures your website works seamlessly on phones, tablets, and desktops, giving users a better experience and boosting your chances of winning their business.

SEO starts with smart design

Design and structure play a huge role in how your website performs on Google.

Things like:

Fast loading times
Clear page structure
Optimised images
Search-friendly content
Proper metadata

… all contribute to better rankings. If your site isn’t built with SEO in mind, it’s harder for people to find you online, especially in local searches.

Small fixes can make a big difference

The good news? You don’t always need to start from scratch.

Sometimes, a few targeted updates, like improving page speed, adding calls to action, or refreshing the content can significantly improve your site’s performance.

Let’s Make Your Website Work for You

At Sotto Digital, we specialise in affordable website design for small businesses. Whether you need a full redesign or a few smart improvements, we’ll help you build a site that works hard for your business and your budget.

Want a free website audit?
Contact us and we’ll show you exactly what’s working and what’s not!