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Tips February 4, 2026 • 7 min read

5 website mistakes that drive your clients away

Your website can push clients away without you even realising it. Here are the 5 most common mistakes craftspeople make — and how to fix them.

You're skilled at your trade. You deliver quality work. But your website is silently pushing potential clients towards your competitors. Here are the five mistakes I see most often — and what to do about them.

#1 No phone number or contact visible above the fold

A visitor who can't immediately see how to contact you will leave. Your phone number and a contact link should be visible without scrolling — on desktop AND mobile. Every second of searching costs you a lead.

Fix: Put your phone number in the header. Add a visible CTA button. Don't make them hunt.

#2 Site loads in more than 3 seconds

53% of mobile users abandon a site that takes more than 3 seconds to load. Google knows this too — slow sites rank lower. WordPress with poorly optimised images and a stack of plugins is the main culprit.

Fix: Test your site at pagespeed.web.dev. Under 2 seconds is the target. Under 1 second is possible with the right stack.

#3 No real photos — only stock images

A plumber who shows photos of a model in a hard hat rather than their own work immediately loses credibility. Clients want to see YOUR work, YOUR team, YOUR before/afters.

Fix: Take 10 photos of your work with your phone. A real photo taken on site always outperforms a perfect stock image.

#4 No client reviews or testimonials

92% of consumers read reviews before contacting a business. If your site has no testimonials, you're invisible to a huge segment of potential clients — especially those who don't know you yet.

Fix: Add 3–5 real testimonials. Better still: link to your Google Business reviews. It adds trust and helps local SEO.

#5 No clear call to action

A visitor who doesn't know what to do next won't do anything. 'Discover our services', 'Learn more', 'Read the article'... are not calls to action. 'Request a free quote', 'Call now', 'Book a visit' — that's what converts.

Fix: Every page should have one clear primary action. Make it obvious, make it easy, make it compelling.

Does your site have one of these problems?

I'll take a look and tell you honestly what can be improved.

Get a free audit →