Blog>Trade>Marketing>Common website mistakes for businesses to avoid
Last updated: 7 January 2025
Common website mistakes for businesses to avoid
How your trade business appears online can make a big difference with how people see you. Get ahead of the game and avoid these common website mistakes.
Why your business should be online
Whether you are just starting out in business or looking to grow, the internet is an important tool.
These days, everyone is online. According to data from Statista*, the UK has one of the most active populations of internet users in the world. It is estimated that around 98% of people living in the UK regularly use the internet.*
People are being more careful than ever with their money and doing their research before choosing a tradesperson. By and large, when looking for tradespeople your customers will be checking online.
If your website looks outdated or isn’t easy to use, customers will look elsewhere. Your business should be online, and there are common website mistakes that your business can avoid.
Web design mistakes to avoid
As a tradesperson, you may not be expecting to build a website yourself. However, knowing the basics about common website mistakes can help drive your conversations with a developer.
If your website is not clear about what you do or sell, it is not going to succeed. Having vague content is one of the most common website issues. Especially among tradespeople.
You might think listing your products and services is an obvious choice, but it is crucial to more success online.
Here is a list of what we think are the top 10 mistakes in web design:
1. Difficult navigation
Like a shop that makes it difficult to find things, if it isn’t easy to get around your website, people will just leave. Clear top navigation, dropdowns and search function will make it simple to navigate.
2. Too much text on a page
The phrase ‘less is more’ is good advice when it comes to your website. People don’t want to be reading paragraphs of text when they’re looking for a trade, they need quick and easy information.
3. Too many colours
Like with your content, it can also put people off if there is too much going on visually. Picking a simple colour scheme, and sticking to it, ties together the look of your business and shows a more professional approach.
4. Unreadable fonts
Interesting fonts like Comic Sans may have been fashionable in the 1990s, but now people expect websites that are much cleaner. Options like Source Sans Pro were specifically designed to be more readable on the web.
5. Accessibility
One of the most common website issues relates to how well it can be accessed by people of all abilities. Guidance from WCAG surrounds text, fonts and colours that can be used by all. These are expected to come into UK law by 2025.
6. GIFs and animation
Not only will features like these slow your website down, they can make your business look unprofessional. You may think that staggered loading looks good, but it can often just prove frustrating to people looking at your site.
7. No calls to action
Do you want people to phone you? Do you want them to ask for a quote? Do you want them to visit your showroom? Why not create a handy button to help them do that! A call to action (or CTA) is essential for any website and helps guide someone's journey with you.
8. Contact details are hard to find
Having a page called ‘Contact’ is fundamental for all good websites. But it is also important to make your phone number and email address visible throughout the site. You want people to call, so don’t make it hard!
9. Footer
Although it is at the bottom of every page, by and large websites ignore the footer design. Issues include cramming in too much information and using font colours that don't contrast with the background.
10. Not enough photos
If you're proud of your work, you should show it more. Many tradespeople tend to rely on supplier images, stock, or just using text on their websites. Using more photos of work is why a Checkatrade profile really succeeds for our members. People tend to trust what they can see.
Want to maximise your website's potential?
Join Checkatrade to boost your visibility
How a Checkatrade membership can help
Part of our membership includes getting a profile pageon the Checkatrade website. With over 22 million job searches coming through Checkatrade in 2024**, it is useful for tradespeople looking to get more work.
With a well-established website, Checkatrade is trusted by both Google and the consumer to show only approved tradespeople. It is why in local searches, you will often see our site show up.
Removing the stress of creating a website for your trade business, your new Checkatrade profile will quickly rank online too. Customers do their research online, so being listed in more than one place helps build that trust.
Having a listing with Checkatrade, combined with your own website and social media, will only increase a person’s confidence in your business. A member profile will generate leads, show off reviews, and can show off photos of your work for prospects as well.
Why your website needs SEO
There is no point having a beautifully designed website if no one can find it. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is the work carried out on your website so that tools such as Google will show your website in relevant searches.
For small businesses, SEO is vital. As a smaller business, you’ll tend to cover small areas such as a city, radius or region. That means you need to appeal locally, not try and show up nationally.
That is why understanding SEO is key to a good website, as well as design. There is no point trying to cover the whole country if you can’t service any leads that come through.
Through relevant keywords and local references, it is easier to rank locally for trades businesses.
Why your website should be mobile friendly
Nearly all of UK internet users now access the web through their smartphones. So if your website is not optimised for mobile use, you could also be losing out.
If people find it difficult to use your website on their smartphone, they will quickly leave and try another tradesperson.
Algorithms that affect search engines mean that websites that aren’t mobile friendly will appear much lower in search results. Loading speed, images, text size and links are just some of the criteria that they use.
At the time, a blog post from Google said that the update “users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices”.
What other website features should you consider?
As well as the mandatory ‘Cookie Bar’, you may also think about using popups. These overlay key information for people, such as a sale or short term offer.
How popups are displayed and how quickly they show up can affect mobile users more than desktop. Popups take up the majority of the screen on mobile, so could put people off if not used correctly.
Marketing across different platforms is crucial for success. Social media, website and PPC all tie together due to the way that data tracking works. Using remarketing campaigns will help you reach the right people on mobile.
Don't miss out on potential customers in your area
Help homeowners that are looking for your services
* https://www.statista.com/topics/3246/internet-usage-in-the-uk/#topicOverview (Date of last access: January 2025)
** Internal search data from users of the Checkatrade.com website between 1st January and 31st December 2024
