If your website looks decent but your phone isn’t ringing, you might be making some hidden mistakes that are quietly killing conversions.
As a Durham-based web design agency, we’ve built and fixed over 100 sites for local businesses — and here are the 5 most common mistakes we see (plus how to fix them).
1. Slow Load Time = Lost Customers
Fact: 40% of users bounce if your site takes more than 3 seconds to load.
In Durham’s competitive market, a slow site means lost leads. Large images, bloated themes, and outdated hosting are usually to blame.
💡 Fix: Use WebP image formats, lazy loading, and host with speed-optimised providers like SiteGround or Kinsta.
2. No Clear Call to Action (CTA)
Visitors land on your homepage… and then what?
If your CTA isn’t clear and prominent — think “Book Now”, “Get a Quote”, or “Call Us Today” — people won’t take the next step.
💡 Fix: Add strong, repeated CTAs above the fold, in the footer, and after key sections.
3. Mobile Design Is an Afterthought
Over 70% of traffic in Durham is mobile. Yet many sites are still built desktop-first, leading to clunky menus and unreadable text on mobile screens.
💡 Fix: Use responsive frameworks and test across multiple devices. Mobile-first isn’t optional anymore — it’s survival.
4. No SEO Structure
Even a beautiful site is useless if no one finds it.
Many Durham businesses forget to optimize their meta tags, heading hierarchy, internal links, and image alt text — all of which are vital for Google visibility.
💡 Fix: Use an SEO checklist like this post, and consider a Durham SEO audit to fix technical issues.
5. Homepage Doesn’t Build Trust
Your homepage needs:
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Testimonials
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Trust badges
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A real team photo
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Clear contact info
Without these, your visitors won’t feel confident enough to take action.
💡 Fix: Showcase happy clients from Durham, add before-and-after case studies, and make it human.
Final Word: Good Design Isn’t Just Pretty — It’s Profitable
If your Durham business relies on online leads, fixing these mistakes could double your conversion rate.
And if you don’t know where to start? That’s what we’re here for.
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Softplace is a full-service digital agency based in Gateshead, offering expert web design, local SEO, PPC management, explainer videos, video production, Facebook Ads, Google Ads, branding, CRO, app development, content marketing, social media management, email marketing, web hosting, and software development for businesses across the UK.
