I’ve reviewed hundreds of business websites over the years — from restaurants on O Street to contractors out in Waverly — and the same handful of mistakes keep showing up. Not design trends or font choices. I’m talking about the structural problems that quietly send potential customers to your competitor before you ever get a chance to earn their business.
Here’s the thing: most business owners in Lincoln don’t realize their website is underperforming because the problems aren’t obvious. The site looks fine. But looking fine and actually converting visitors into calls, form submissions, and sales are two very different things.
Let’s walk through the five biggest ones I see — and exactly how to fix each one.
1. Your Website Takes Too Long to Load
This is the silent killer. Google’s own research shows that 53% of mobile visitors leave a site that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Three seconds. That’s it.
Most Lincoln business owners I talk to have never tested their site speed. When we run the numbers, it’s common to see 6-8 second load times — especially on sites built with heavy page builders or loaded with uncompressed images.
How to fix it:
- Compress your images. A single unoptimized hero photo can be 3-5MB. Tools like ShortPixel or Imagify can cut that by 80% with zero visible quality loss.
- Enable caching. If you’re on WordPress, a plugin like WP Rocket makes this straightforward.
- Reduce plugin bloat. Every plugin adds code. If you have 30+ plugins, you probably have 10 you don’t need.
- Test with Google PageSpeed Insights — it’s free and tells you exactly what’s slowing things down.
2. No Clear Call to Action Above the Fold
When someone lands on your homepage, they should know within 5 seconds: what you do, who you do it for, and what to do next.
I see so many local business sites where the homepage is a big photo, a vague tagline like “Welcome to Our Company,” and nothing actionable until you scroll. That’s a conversion killer. People don’t scroll to find out if you’re worth their time — they bounce.
What works instead:
- A clear headline that states what you do: “Custom Web Design for Lincoln Businesses That Want to Grow Online”
- A visible button or form right there — “Get a Free Quote,” “Schedule a Call,” “See Our Work”
- Social proof near the top: a Google rating, client count, or a one-line testimonial
Think of your homepage like a storefront on 48th & O. If someone walks by and can’t tell what you sell, they keep walking.
3. Your Site Isn’t Built for Mobile
Over 60% of all web traffic in 2025 comes from mobile devices. Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it judges your site based on the mobile version — not desktop. If your mobile experience is clunky, your rankings suffer everywhere.
Common mobile issues I find on Lincoln business sites:
- Text that’s too small to read without zooming
- Buttons too close together (especially on contact forms)
- Images that overflow the screen or load at desktop sizes
- Pop-ups that cover the entire screen on mobile — Google literally penalizes this
The fix:
Pull out your phone right now and visit your own website. Try to complete the most important action — whether that’s calling you, filling out a form, or finding your hours. If it feels awkward or frustrating, your customers feel that too.
A proper responsive design adapts to every screen size. If your site was built more than 3-4 years ago, there’s a good chance the mobile experience needs a refresh.
4. Missing or Broken Contact Paths
You’d be surprised how often I find business websites where the contact form doesn’t work. Or the phone number isn’t clickable on mobile. Or there’s no contact info in the footer at all.
Every page on your site should make it easy to take the next step. Here’s what I recommend:
- Clickable phone number on every page (use
tel:links) - Contact form that actually gets delivered — test it yourself monthly
- Multiple contact options: phone, email, and form at minimum
- Your address in the footer with a link to Google Maps — this also helps local SEO
For service businesses here in Lincoln — plumbers, lawyers, landscapers — a broken contact form can mean thousands in lost revenue every month. If someone’s ready to hire you and can’t reach you, they’re calling the next result on Google.
5. No SEO Foundation
A beautiful website that nobody can find is just an expensive business card. Too many sites I audit have:
- No meta descriptions — so Google writes its own (poorly)
- No heading structure — H1 tags missing or used multiple times
- No local signals — your city, neighborhood, and service area aren’t mentioned anywhere
- No Google Business Profile connection — your site and GBP should reinforce each other
Start with the basics:
- Every page needs a unique title tag and meta description
- Use one H1 per page that includes your primary keyword
- Mention Lincoln, NE (and surrounding areas you serve) naturally in your content
- Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile
- Add LocalBusiness schema markup to your site — this helps search engines understand exactly what your business is and where it’s located
These aren’t advanced tactics. They’re the baseline. Without them, you’re competing with one hand tied behind your back.
Bonus: Your Content Sounds Like Everyone Else’s
AI-generated blog content has flooded the internet in the last two years. If your blog reads like it could belong to any business in any city, search engines — and your potential customers — will treat it that way.
The businesses winning online right now are the ones publishing content that’s specific, experienced, and genuinely useful. Mention your real clients (with permission), reference local events, share actual project results. That kind of content builds trust and ranks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my website is costing me customers?
Check your Google Analytics for high bounce rates (above 70%), low time on page (under 30 seconds), and declining organic traffic. If your site gets visitors but few calls or form submissions, there’s a conversion problem. A professional website audit can pinpoint exactly where visitors are dropping off.
How much does it cost to fix these website issues?
It depends on the scope. Simple fixes like compressing images, adding meta descriptions, or fixing a contact form can often be done in a few hours. A full redesign with proper SEO foundations typically ranges from $3,000–$10,000 for a small business site. The ROI is usually significant — even one or two extra leads per month can pay for the investment.
How often should I update my business website?
At minimum, review your site quarterly. Check that all forms work, content is current, and your Google Business Profile matches. A more thorough redesign every 3-5 years keeps you aligned with current design standards, SEO practices, and user expectations.
Does my Lincoln business really need a website if I have social media?
Yes. Social media is great for awareness, but you don’t own those platforms. A website is your digital home base — it’s where people go to verify you’re legitimate, learn about your services, and take action. For local search in Lincoln, a well-optimized website is what gets you into Google’s local pack results.
Your website should be your hardest-working employee — generating leads 24/7, building trust before the first conversation, and showing up when Lincoln customers search for what you do.
If any of these mistakes sound familiar, we can help. At Kevin Brown Design, we build websites for Lincoln businesses that look great and actually perform. Get in touch for a free review of your site.