Websites are never truly finished. They evolve as your organization grows, your messaging sharpens, and technology changes. Updates and iterations are expected. But while your site may always be a work in progress, certain missteps can seriously compromise your growth. They hurt credibility, reduce visibility, and make it harder for visitors to trust you or take action. If you want your website to move your organization forward, here are eight major mistakes to avoid.
1. Publish junk AI content.
AI tools can help brainstorm ideas, draft outlines, and speed up production. Used well, they’re a powerful assistant. Used poorly, they flood your website with generic, surface-level content that sounds polished but says very little.
Search engines and AI-driven discovery tools are increasingly good at identifying low-value content. More importantly, your audience can tell when something feels disconnected from real expertise. Avoid:
- Publishing long-form content with no original insight.
- Generating pages just to target keywords.
- Using AI copy without editing, fact-checking, or refining the message.
AI should support your thinking, not replace it. If your content doesn’t add value, it doesn’t belong on your site.
2. Ignore mobile performance.
For most industries today, the mobile website experience is the primary experience. Slow load times, oversized images, clunky menus, or poorly formatted content immediately erode trust. Google evaluates your site based on mobile performance, and we know users will abandon slow sites in seconds. Prioritizing and optimizing your mobile website performance is critical.
3. Make it all about you.
Visitors arrive to your site with questions: Is this relevant to me? Can you solve my problem? What’s the next step?
If your homepage is a company history timeline or a carousel of five competing messages, expect to lose people. Strong websites focus on the user first and how they can meet their needs.
4. Neglect accessibility.
Accessibility is not optional. Beyond legal considerations, accessibility improves usability for everyone. Clear contrast, readable typography, alt text, structured headings, and keyboard navigation all contribute to a better user experience. Prioritizing accessibility signals professionalism and inclusivity.
5. Collect data without transparency.
Privacy expectations have increased. Visitors are more aware of cookies, tracking, and data usage. If you collect emails, use forms, or track behavior, your policies should be clear. Transparency builds confidence.
6. Force auto-playing videos or audio.
Just when I think we’ve conquered this one, I stumble across a website with automatically playing videos. Autoplaying content is just plain annoying. If someone wants to watch your video, they’ll click play. If they want to be listening to music, they’re probably playing their own. Respect user control because accessibility and usability matter more than flashy effects.
7. Leave pages “under construction” or “coming soon.”
If a page isn’t ready, don’t put it up. A page with no content only frustrates visitors and makes your website look neglected, which leaves visitors wondering if your organization or customers are treated the same way.
8. Launch it and ignore it.
After putting hours and and likely quite a few dollars into launching your website, it’s tempting to want some “alone time” away from your site.
But don’t ignore it for too long. Websites should be frequently expanded, updated and optimized — not left stagnant like an online brochure. You should be regularly adding and refreshing content, in the form of blog posts, news, new products and services, staff changes, etc.
Search engines and AI-driven tools prioritize sites that demonstrate ongoing relevance and expertise. Fresh content signals that your organization is active, credible, and invested in serving its audience. A neglected site loses visibility and authority over time.
Protect Your Website’s Potential
Your website plays a central role in how users perceive you and whether they trust you. Avoiding these common website mistakes will strengthen your credibility, user experience, and long-term growth. If you need help building a website that supports your growth instead of holding it back, explore our custom website services.
