Here's an uncomfortable truth: most business owners don't know their website is underperforming until someone tells them. You might think your site looks fine because you're used to it — but your potential customers are seeing it with fresh eyes and comparing it to your competitors' sites.
After 18 years building websites for businesses across Belfast and Northern Ireland, we've seen the same problems come up again and again. Here are the 10 biggest signs your website is actively losing you customers.
1. Your site isn't mobile-friendly
Over 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. If your website doesn't work properly on a phone — text too small, buttons too close together, horizontal scrolling required — you're losing more than half your potential customers before they even read a word. Google also uses mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor, so a non-responsive site gets pushed down in search results too.
Quick test: Open your website on your phone right now. Can you read everything without zooming? Can you tap buttons easily? Does it load in under 3 seconds on mobile data?
2. It takes more than 3 seconds to load
Research consistently shows that 53% of mobile users abandon a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Every additional second of load time increases your bounce rate significantly. Slow sites are usually caused by unoptimised images, cheap hosting, bloated code, or too many plugins.
Quick test: Run your site through Google PageSpeed Insights. Aim for a score above 80 on mobile.
3. Visitors can't tell what you do within 5 seconds
When someone lands on your homepage, they should immediately understand what you do, who you do it for, and what action to take next. If your hero section is a vague slogan like "Innovative Solutions for Tomorrow" with no clear explanation, visitors will leave. Your headline should answer: "What does this company do and why should I care?"
4. There's no clear call-to-action
Every page on your website should guide visitors toward a specific action — phone you, fill in a form, book a consultation, request a quote. If your pages don't have prominent, obvious calls-to-action, visitors will browse passively and leave without making contact. You're not being pushy by telling people what to do next — you're being helpful.
5. Your content hasn't been updated in over a year
A copyright date showing "© 2022" in your footer tells visitors your business might not even be active anymore. Outdated content — old team photos, discontinued services, expired promotions — erodes trust. If your website looks abandoned, visitors assume your business is too. Google also favours regularly updated content.
6. You're embarrassed to share the link
This is the most telling sign of all. If you hesitate before including your website URL in an email, if you cringe when handing out business cards, if you find yourself saying "the website's a bit outdated but..." — your website is failing you. Your website is your 24/7 salesperson. If you wouldn't send a scruffy, unprepared employee to a meeting, why are you letting a subpar website represent your business?
7. You have no idea how much traffic you're getting
If you don't have Google Analytics (or any analytics) installed on your website, you're flying blind. You don't know how many people visit, which pages they look at, where they come from, or how many leave immediately. Without data, you can't improve anything. Installing Google Analytics is free and takes 10 minutes.
8. Your site doesn't appear on the first page of Google for your main service
Search for your main service plus your location (e.g., "plumber Belfast" or "accountant Armagh"). If you're not on page one, you're invisible to the vast majority of searchers — less than 1% of people click through to page two. This usually means your website lacks proper SEO: no optimised titles, no local keywords, no structured data, and no content strategy.
9. You're getting traffic but no enquiries
This is arguably worse than getting no traffic at all — people are finding you but deciding not to contact you. The problem is usually one or more of: confusing navigation, weak or generic content that doesn't differentiate you, no social proof (testimonials, reviews, case studies), hidden or complicated contact methods, or a design that looks unprofessional compared to competitors.
10. Your competitors' websites look significantly better than yours
Search for your main competitors online and honestly compare their websites to yours. If their sites look more professional, load faster, have better content, and make it easier to get in touch — you're losing business to them purely on first impressions. In competitive markets like Belfast and Northern Ireland, where customers often compare 3-5 businesses before making contact, your website is your first (and sometimes only) chance to make an impression.
What to do next
If you recognised your website in three or more of these signs, it's time to take action. The good news is that most of these problems are fixable — some with quick updates, others with a proper redesign.
Start by running a free website audit to understand exactly where your site stands. Then prioritise: fix the most damaging issues first (mobile-friendliness, speed, clear messaging) before tackling the rest.
Every day your website underperforms is a day you're sending potential customers to your competitors. The businesses that act on this tend to see measurable improvements within weeks — not months.