12 Common Website Mistakes Houston Businesses Make (And How to Fix Them)

After reviewing hundreds of Houston business websites, we’ve seen the same mistakes repeated across industries—from law firms to restaurants, contractors to boutiques. These aren’t obscure technical issues. They’re fundamental problems that can reduce engagement and conversions for businesses of all sizes.

Here are the twelve most common mistakes and exactly how to fix them.

1. Burying Contact Information

You’d be shocked how many businesses make visitors hunt for their phone number. The contact page exists, but the number isn’t in the header. The address is missing from the footer. Mobile users can’t tap to call.

The fix: Put your phone number in your header, make it clickable on mobile, and include full contact details in your footer on every page. If you serve specific Houston areas, make that clear immediately.

2. Ignoring Mobile Users

Over 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. Yet countless Houston businesses still run websites designed primarily for desktop. Small text, buttons too close together, forms that are impossible to complete on a phone.

The fix: Test your website on an actual phone, not just desktop preview mode. Navigate your whole site using only your thumb. If anything frustrates you, it’s frustrating your customers. Invest in proper web development with mobile-first design.

3. Slow Loading Times

Every second of load time costs conversions. After 3 seconds, over half of mobile visitors abandon a page. Yet many Houston business sites take 5-10 seconds to load, especially on mobile networks.

Common culprits:

Unoptimized images (the biggest offender)
Too many plugins or scripts
Cheap shared hosting
No caching enabled
Heavy video backgrounds

The fix: Compress images before uploading, minimize plugins, upgrade to quality hosting, and enable browser caching. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to identify specific issues.

4. Vague Service Descriptions

“We provide quality solutions for your needs.” What does that even mean? Generic descriptions fail to tell visitors what you actually do and who you help.

The fix: Be specific. Instead of “We offer comprehensive legal services,” try “We help Houston families with estate planning, wills, and probate. If you need to protect your assets and provide for your children, we guide you through every step.”

Specific beats vague every time.

5. No Clear Call to Action

Visitors land on your page. They’re interested. But what should they do next? Many websites leave this completely unclear, or bury calls to action below the fold.

The fix: Every page needs a clear next step. “Schedule Your Free Estimate,” “Book a Consultation,” “Get Your Quote”—prominent buttons above the fold that tell visitors exactly what to do. Repeat the CTA throughout longer pages.

6. Outdated Design Signaling Outdated Business

Web design trends evolve. A website that looked professional in 2018 now looks dated, and visitors notice. Outdated design creates unconscious doubt—if the website is neglected, what else might be?

Warning signs of dated design:

Slideshow carousels (largely abandoned for good reason)
Tiny body text
Flash elements (now completely unsupported)
Stock photos with obvious watermarks
Heavy drop shadows and 3D effects
Non-responsive layouts

The fix: If your site is more than 4-5 years old and hasn’t been refreshed, it’s time. Modern design emphasizes clean layouts, readable typography, quality imagery, and seamless mobile experience.

7. Missing or Weak Local SEO Signals

Houston is a massive market. Yet many local businesses don’t include their service areas, neighborhoods served, or local relevance anywhere on their website.

The fix: Integrate Houston-specific content naturally throughout your site. Create landing pages for neighborhoods you serve. Reference local landmarks, service areas, and community involvement. Build your SEO foundation with clear local signals.

8. No SSL Certificate (Still!)

Sites without SSL show “Not Secure” warnings in browsers. This warning tanks trust immediately and hurts search rankings. Yet some Houston businesses still haven’t made the switch.

The fix: Install an SSL certificate. Most hosting providers offer free certificates through Let’s Encrypt. At this point, there’s no reason to run an unsecured site.

9. Broken Links and Outdated Content

“Click here for our 2019 promotion!” Nothing says neglected like outdated content and links that lead nowhere.

The fix: Audit your site quarterly. Remove outdated references, update old content, and check all links. Set calendar reminders if you need to. Dead content kills credibility.

10. Stock Photo Overload

Visitors can spot generic stock photos instantly. The handshake in front of the skyline. The diverse team laughing at a laptop. The headset-wearing customer service rep. These images signal inauthenticity.

The fix: Use real photos of your team, your work, your location. Hire a photographer for a half-day shoot—it’s worth the investment. When you must use stock photos, choose natural, documentary-style images over staged corporate shots.

Drop-down menus with 40 options. Nested pages buried four levels deep. Creative navigation labels that confuse instead of clarify.

The fix: Simplify. Most small business sites need only 5-7 main navigation items. Use clear labels (Services, About, Contact) rather than clever ones. Make sure visitors can find anything within 2-3 clicks.

12. No Analytics or Tracking

Many Houston businesses have no idea how their website performs. No Google Analytics. No conversion tracking. No understanding of what’s working and what isn’t.

The fix: At minimum, install Google Analytics and Google Search Console. Set up goal tracking for form submissions and phone clicks. Review reports monthly to understand visitor behavior. Without data, you’re guessing.

The Compound Cost of These Mistakes

Each mistake on this list costs you a percentage of potential customers. Together, they compound. A slow site with buried contact info and no clear CTA might convert at 1% instead of 5%—that gap represents a significant number of potential leads.

For a Houston business getting 1,000 monthly visitors, that’s the difference between 10 leads and 50 leads every single month. Over a year, the lost revenue dwarfs any investment in fixing these issues.

A Quick Website Audit

Pull up your website right now and check:

Count your checks. Eight or more? You’re in decent shape. Fewer than six? These fixable issues may be reducing the leads your site generates.

The Path Forward

Fixing website problems doesn’t have to happen all at once. Prioritize by impact:

Fix immediately: SSL, broken links, missing contact info Fix this month: Mobile issues, load speed, clear CTAs Fix this quarter: Design updates, content improvements, local SEO

The businesses thriving in Houston’s competitive market aren’t just lucky—they’ve invested in digital marketing foundations that convert visitors into customers.

Ready to turn your website into a business asset instead of a liability? Contact our team for a comprehensive website review. We’ll identify exactly what’s holding your site back and create a prioritized plan to fix it.