DIY Website Mistakes That Cost Small Businesses Big Time

You wouldn’t cut corners in your business — so why do it with your website?

Let’s start with the honest truth: I get why small business owners DIY their websites. Money’s tight, time’s tighter, and when you’re used to doing everything yourself — from fixing the work truck to managing your books — building your own site just feels like another job to knock out.

So if you’ve built your own site (or paid a cousin $200 to slap something together), this one’s for you. Let’s talk about the most common DIY website mistakes small businesses make — and how to avoid them.

1. No Clear Message (What Do You Even Do?)

This is the #1 issue I see on small business websites: you land on the homepage and there’s no clear answer to these three questions:

• What do you do?

• Where do you do it?

• Who is it for?

If your headline says something vague like “Quality Solutions for All Your Needs” — that’s not helping anyone.

✅ Fix it:

Use a bold, simple headline that tells people exactly what you do.

Example: “Residential & Commercial Landscaping Services — Serving the Salt Lake City Area Since 2006.”

Be direct. No fluff. People don’t want to “explore” your site like a museum — they want answers fast.

2. Treating the Website Like a Brochure Instead of a Tool

Old-school websites often feel like a digital flyer: they list services, a bit about you, and maybe a few photos… and that’s it.

But a good website shouldn’t just sit there. It should:

• Collect leads

• Get found on Google

• Build trust with your customers

✅ Fix it:

Make sure your site has a real call to action — like “Request a Quote” or “Book a Service Call” — and put it everywhere. At the top of every page, the bottom of every page, on your homepage, in your footer. Don’t be shy.

Also, make sure your contact form actually works (you’d be surprised how often they don’t).

3. It Doesn’t Work on Phones

This one’s a killer.

I can’t count how many times I’ve pulled up a small business website on my phone and had to pinch, zoom, squint, and scroll just to find a phone number. Most people won’t even bother.

Fact: Over 60% of local searches happen on mobile devices.

✅ Fix it:

Use a mobile-friendly website platform (like Squarespace) that automatically resizes everything for phones and tablets. Make sure your phone number is clickable. And test your site on your own phone — regularly.

4. Bad Design Choices That Hurt Your Credibility

You don’t need a flashy website. But if it looks homemade, people will assume your work is too.

Common design red flags:

• Way too many fonts

• Low-quality or stretched images

• Weird color combos

✅ Fix it:

Stick with 1–2 fonts, a clean layout, and your brand’s real colors. Use high-quality photos of your actual work. Avoid stock photos of guys in suits shaking hands, unless of course, that matches your business' vibe.

5. No SEO = No One Finds You Online

You could have the best-looking site in town, but if it doesn’t show up on Google when someone searches for your service, it might as well not exist.

DIY sites often skip the basics like:

• Proper page titles and meta descriptions

• Local keywords (like “plumber in Tulsa”)

• Alt text for images

• Submitting the site to Google Search Console

✅ Fix it:

Use tools like Ubersuggest to find local keywords, and make sure every page on your site is optimized around a search phrase. (Or better yet, start with a template that’s already SEO-friendly.)

Final Thoughts: Build It Right, Reap the Rewards

You wouldn’t slap together a house with leftover scraps and call it good. Same goes for your website. It doesn’t have to be custom-coded or cost thousands — but it does need to be built right.

Avoid these common mistakes, and your website can become a tool that:

• Brings in steady leads

• Builds your reputation

• Saves you time and effort

• And makes your business look as good as your work

Ready for a Better Website?

We’ve built Squarespace website templates specifically for small businesses — designed to avoid all these common pitfalls, look clean and professional, and help you launch fast.

✔️ Built-in trust features

✔️ Mobile-friendly

✔️ Easy to update (no tech headaches)

✔️ Step-by-step video tutorials included