How to Avoid the 7 Deadly Website Sins
A website should be your hardest-working sales tool. Yet, many entrepreneurs make costly mistakes that drive visitors away instead of converting them into customers. Are you guilty of any of these 7 deadly website sins?
Here’s how to fix them and create a site that grows your business.
Sin #1: The Sin of Invisibility – Hiding Key Information
The Fix: Keep Key Information Above the Fold
Visitors decide in seconds whether to stay or leave. Your most important takeaways should be visible as soon as someone lands on your site (the area called “above the fold”).
Must-haves:
Clear Headline + Subhead: Summarize what you do and the problem you solve concisely.
Strong CTA: Direct visitors to take action—“Shop Now,” “Book a Consultation,” or “Learn More.”
Highlight what makes you unique—if visitors only read this, they should know why to choose you.
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Sin #2: Misdirection - Overcomplicating Navigation
The Fix: Simplify Your Navigation Bar
A cluttered or confusing navigation menu frustrates visitors. Help them find what they need with intuitive and direct categories. Limit menu options, use drop downs for subcategories, and add extra links in your footer.
Essential navigation links:
Homepage (your logo should link here)
Products/Services
About
Blog/Resources (if applicable)
Contact / Book Appointment / Learn More CTA (call to action) to capture emails.
Sin #3: Proposing Too Soon - Assuming Everyone Is Ready To Buy
The Fix: Offer Multiple Ways to Engage
Not every visitor is ready to buy immediately. You’ll want to let prospects interact with you on their terms, or lose them as future customers. By providing multiple engagement paths, you keep potential customers in your ecosystem instead of losing them entirely.
Ways to engage different visitors:
For those ready to buy: Make purchasing effortless with a clear “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” button.
For those still deciding: Provide options like “Learn More,” “Book a Free Consultation,” or “Subscribe to Our Newsletter.”
Capture emails for future sales: Offer valuable content like a free guide, webinar, or special discount and send periodic emails to stay top of mind.
Sin #4: Vanity - Overloading Your Site with Unstructured Product Showcases
Your homepage needs to clearly present your products and value without endless scrolling. People are more likely to see your wares when you present useful information in a single glance.
How to make your products pop:
Use side-by-side layouts: Instead of stacking products or services in a long vertical list so visitors can scan and engage.
Include a CTA with each item: “Buy Now,” “Schedule a Consultation,” or “Learn More.”
Use vibrant images & brief descriptions: An enticing image paired with a short description (1-2 sentences) helps communicate value quickly.
Sin #5: Shadiness - Not Proving Credibility & Trust
The Fix: Build credibility with external accolades. People won’t buy if they don’t trust you.
Ways to build trust:
Certifications & licenses (if applicable)
Logos of notable clients or partners
5-star Google Business reviews
Testimonials from happy customers
Press mentions & awards
Sin #6: Obfuscation - Making It Hard For People To Work With You
The Fix: Make It Easy to Connect
Your contact section, webforms, and footer should make it easier to work with you, not harder. Provide essential details at a glance, and use your footer to highlight important links that don’t directly drive sales.
What to include:
Simple contact form (with minimal fields - each requirement leads to drop-off)
Google Maps link (if applicable) for custom door-to-door directions
Footer links to social media, policies, and FAQs
Sin #7: Endless Scroll - Overloading Visitors With Too Much Information
The Fix: Present Important Information Clearly and Concisely
Visitors won’t dig through an over-long, repetitive homepage to understand what you sell and they should buy from you (vs. a competitor). Focus your home page to keep potential customers engaged. A great website isn’t about having the most pages or the most text—it’s about making it easy for visitors to understand the value of your services and take action. By avoiding these 7 deadly sins and focusing on clarity, value, and strong calls to action, you’ll turn your website into a deadly sales tool.
Priorities for your home page:
Convey 3-5 key points – what you sell and what makes you different. Brevity will make the important stuff pop
Move long-winded “About” sections to a dedicated page to keep your homepage clean.
Avoid unnecessary repetition—it leads to endless scrolling and frustrates visitors.
