Eight Common Website Problems We Find During Audits
When business owners come to us for help with their marketing, one of the first things we do is review their website. It's a clear‑eyed audit of what's already there.
Almost every time, we find the same issues quietly holding back their online presence performance.
A website audit isn't about nitpicking pixels or obsessing over one broken link; it's about identifying the structural, strategic, and technical problems that affect how real people, and increasingly, AI‑driven search engines, experience your brand.
Below are eight issues we uncover often during our audits, why they matter, and what they say about your digital foundation.
Slow Load Times That Drive Visitors Away
Site speed is one of the biggest culprits behind poor user experience. When a page takes too long to load, visitors leave. Worse, search engines now penalize slow websites and push them lower in ranking (which can ultimately make-or-break businesses that rely solely on online search).
What causes website load times to lag? Below are a few of the most common culprits.
- Oversized images
- Bloated plugins
- Unoptimized code
- Cheap hosting that can't handle peak traffic
According to SiteBuildeReport, "47% of people expect an average site to load in under 2 seconds, and 53% of people leave a page if it takes longer than three seconds to load on their mobile device."
This means that even shaving off one second can make a meaningful difference in conversion rates. A fast site isn't just a luxury anymore: it's a necessary component for any online presence strategy.
A Confusing, Overcomplicated Navigation Menu
If your navigation makes people think even a little, they won't stick around.
One of the most common issues in website audits is a menu that's grown organically over time with extra pages added, old pages never removed, or dropdowns nested inside dropdowns.
This leaves visitors guessing where to click, and when they can't find what they need, they bounce.
Straightforward navigation should be a priority on every business's website, and continual assessment is crucial, especially as you grow.
- Prioritize the information customers look for most
- Use intuitive, straightforward naming
- Avoid overwhelming choices
- Reflect your actual service structure
- Never go beyond two nested menus
Cleaner navigation nearly always results in longer visit times and more page views, because visitors (and thus potential customers) can easily find the information they are looking for.
Weak or Missing Calls‑to‑Action (CTAs)
Getting visitors to your website is only half the battle. The other half? Converting them into a prospect by having them connect with your sales team.
In many audits, we find websites that don't make it easy for potential clients to share their information, whether by filling out a form or clicking a call button.
- CTAs are buried at the bottom of pages, or missing altogether
- Buttons with vague text like "click here" (click here for what?)
- No clear next step for the user to take
A strong CTA should be prominent, straightforward, and easy to take action on.
- Be visible
- Be direct
- Move the visitor toward a goal (contact, quote, download, subscribe)
If a website doesn't guide users to their ultimate goal, they won't take action (even if they were ready to), and they will simply move on to another business whose website will.
Outdated, Thin, or Unhelpful Content
Most businesses underestimate how quickly their content becomes outdated. And in the age of AI‑driven search, quality matters more than ever.
During content audits, we often find that websites either haven't been updated in quite some time or were built with poor, weak content to begin with.
- Service pages that don't reflect current offerings
- Blogs written for "keywords," not humans
- Pages with too little information to build authority
- Duplicate content is hurting rankings
The goal isn't simply more content: it's better content. Content that answers real questions, builds trust, and reflects your expertise.
Poor Mobile Experience
More than half of web traffic now comes from mobile devices, yet many business websites still feel like they were built for desktop in 2014.
Common mobile issues stem from developers and businesses simply not taking mobile design into account.
- Buttons too small to tap
- Text running off the screen
- Elements overlapping
- Images cropped incorrectly
- Menus that don't open or collapse
A mobile‑friendly site directly influences search rankings and conversions.
Technical SEO Problems Behind the Scenes
Small businesses are often shocked to learn how many search-engine-related issues lie beneath the surface.
During technical audits, we frequently uncover simple yet critical mistakes that, while tedious to clean up, make a world of difference when corrected and optimized.
- Broken links
- Missing meta descriptions
- No H1 structure
- Pages without alt text
- Unsubmitted sitemaps
- Blocking rules that prevent search engines from indexing pages
None of these problems is visible to the average visitor, but all of them influence how easily potential customers find you online.
Out‑of‑Date Plugins, Themes, or Security Settings
Security is both an IT issue and a marketing issue. When your website feels unsafe, users won't trust your brand.
Audits often reveal sites that not only look outdated but are built on outdated components that are in desperate need of updating.
- Plugins have not been updated in years
- Themes no longer supported by their developers
- Sites missing SSL certificates
- Forms that don't secure user submissions
An outdated or insecure website puts both you and your customers at risk—and undermines your credibility.
Analytics That Aren't Set Up Correctly (or at All)
A website without data is like throwing darts at a board blindfolded: while you may make a correct assumption once in a while, your overall strategy is going to fall flat.
We regularly find that business owners have no clue how their website is performing.
- Missing Google Analytics or GA4 setup
- No conversion tracking
- Heatmap tools not installed
- Traffic sources are not labeled correctly
Without accurate analytics, it's impossible to know what's working, what needs improvement, where leads are coming from, where users are getting stuck, and what the next step should be, from a strategy perspective.
Proper tracking is the foundation of intelligent marketing decisions.
Work With Cole-Dalton Marketing Services
The truth is, most website problems aren't dramatic; they're subtle. Quiet. Easy to overlook when you're busy running a business. But each one chips away at your visibility, your credibility, and your ability to turn clicks into customers.
A strong website audit brings those issues to light so you can fix what matters most.
At Cole‑Dalton Marketing Services, we help small businesses uncover these hidden obstacles and turn their websites into reliable, lead‑generating assets. If you're ready to understand what's holding your site back, and what to do about it, we're here to help.
We've guided small to medium-sized businesses through building trustworthy online presences and creating lasting marketing strategies.
Contact us today to get started!
