In today’s digital landscape, having a professional website is non-negotiable for businesses of all sizes. With the rise of DIY website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress, many entrepreneurs are taking website creation into their own hands. While this approach can save money initially, it often leads to common mistakes that can harm your brand and business growth. Let’s explore the top five DIY website mistakes and provide actionable solutions to fix them in under a week.
1. Poor Mobile Responsiveness
With over 54% of global website traffic now coming from mobile devices, having a mobile-responsive website isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential. Yet many DIY websites fall short in this critical area.
Common Mobile Responsiveness Issues
• Text that’s too small to read without zooming
• Buttons and navigation elements that are difficult to tap
• Images that don’t resize properly for smaller screens
• Horizontal scrolling required to view content
• Slow loading times on mobile networks
How to Fix Mobile Responsiveness in Under a Week
Run Mobile-Friendly Tests
• Use Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to identify specific issues
• Test your site on actual mobile devices (not just by resizing your browser)
• Check your site on both iOS and Android platforms
Make Quick Adjustments
• Increase button sizes to at least 44×44 pixels for easy tapping
• Ensure text is readable without zooming (minimum 16px font size)
• Simplify navigation for mobile users
• Optimize images for faster loading
• Implement responsive design templates if your current theme isn’t mobile-friendly
Mobile optimization doesn’t require a complete redesign. Most DIY platforms offer mobile preview modes and responsive templates. Spend a day adjusting your most important pages, and you’ll see immediate improvements in user experience and engagement metrics.
“Nearly 8 in 10 customers would stop engaging with content that doesn’t display well on their device.”
– Adobe
2. Neglecting Page Speed Optimization
Website visitors expect pages to load quickly—47% expect a page to load in 2 seconds or less, and 40% will abandon a site that takes more than 3 seconds to load. DIY websites often come with bloated code, unoptimized images, and unnecessary plugins that dramatically slow down performance.
Speed Optimization Solutions
Image Optimization
• Compress all images using tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh
• Resize images to the actual dimensions needed on your page
• Consider implementing lazy loading for images below the fold
• Convert appropriate images to next-gen formats like WebP
Technical Optimizations
• Remove unnecessary plugins and widgets
• Enable browser caching
• Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
• Consider a Content Delivery Network (CDN) for global audiences
Most DIY platforms now offer built-in speed optimization tools or plugins. For WordPress users, plugins like WP Rocket or Autoptimize can make a significant difference with minimal technical knowledge required. Set aside an afternoon to optimize your media library and implement these changes—the performance improvements will be noticeable immediately.
“A 1-second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversions.”
– Kissmetrics
3. Unclear Navigation and Poor User Experience
Many DIY websites suffer from confusing navigation structures, making it difficult for visitors to find what they’re looking for. A well-designed navigation system is critical for user engagement and conversion.
Navigation Issues to Address
• Too many menu items (cognitive overload)
• Inconsistent navigation across pages
• Missing search functionality
• Unclear labeling of navigation items
• Poor information hierarchy
One-Week Navigation Fixes
Streamline Your Menu
• Limit primary navigation to 5-7 items
• Use descriptive, concise labels for menu items
• Implement logical dropdown menus for subcategories
• Ensure your logo links back to the homepage
Improve User Pathing
• Add a search function if your platform allows
• Include clear calls-to-action on every page
• Implement breadcrumbs for complex sites
• Create a sitemap for both users and search engines
Spend a day reorganizing your navigation menu and adding clear calls-to-action to your most important pages. Then, ask a few friends or family members to complete specific tasks on your website and note where they struggle. These quick usability tests can reveal navigation issues you might have missed.
“88% of online consumers are less likely to return to a site after a bad experience.”
– Amazon Web Services
4. Ignoring SEO Fundamentals
Many DIY website builders focus on design while neglecting search engine optimization (SEO). Without proper SEO, your beautiful website might remain invisible to potential customers searching for your products or services.
Common DIY SEO Mistakes
• Missing or poorly optimized title tags and meta descriptions
• No header tag hierarchy (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
• Generic content that doesn’t target relevant keywords
• Missing alt text for images
• Neglecting local SEO elements
Quick SEO Fixes
On-Page SEO Checklist
• Ensure every page has a unique, keyword-rich title tag
• Write compelling meta descriptions for your most important pages
• Use a logical header structure with a single H1 per page
• Add alt text to all images
• Update your content to include relevant keywords naturally
Technical SEO Basics
• Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console
• Ensure your site is set to allow search engine indexing
• Fix any broken links
• Implement schema markup for your business information
• Create or claim your Google Business Profile for local SEO
Most DIY platforms offer SEO plugins or built-in tools that make these optimizations relatively straightforward. Dedicate two days to implementing these fundamental SEO elements, focusing first on your homepage and most important service/product pages.
“75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.”
– HubSpot
5. Weak or Missing Calls-to-Action
Perhaps the most costly mistake on DIY websites is the lack of clear, compelling calls-to-action (CTAs). Without effective CTAs, visitors may appreciate your content but leave without taking the desired action—whether that’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you.
Call-to-Action Issues
• Generic CTAs (“Click Here” or “Learn More”)
• CTAs that blend in with the page design
• Too many competing CTAs on a single page
• CTAs placed in non-intuitive locations
• Missing CTAs entirely
CTA Improvement Strategy
Design Effective Buttons
• Use action-oriented, specific language (“Start Your Free Trial” vs. “Submit”)
• Create visual contrast between your CTA and the surrounding elements
• Size buttons appropriately (not too small, not overwhelmingly large)
• Add white space around CTAs to make them stand out
• Consider adding a secondary CTA for users who aren’t ready to commit
Strategic Placement
• Position primary CTAs above the fold when possible
• Add CTAs at natural decision points throughout content
• Include CTAs at the end of blog posts and informational pages
• Implement exit-intent CTAs to capture leaving visitors
• Test different positions to see what works best
Start by identifying the single most important action you want visitors to take on each page. Design a prominent primary CTA for that action, and consider adding a secondary CTA as an alternative. You can implement these changes across your site in a single day, potentially seeing conversion improvements immediately.
“Personalized CTAs convert 202% better than default versions.”
– HubSpot
Putting It All Together: Your 7-Day Website Improvement Plan
Now that we’ve identified the top DIY website mistakes, let’s create a practical plan to address them all within a week:
Day 1: Audit and Planning
• Run mobile-friendly tests and page speed analyses
• Identify navigation issues and missing CTAs
• Create a prioritized list of improvements
Day 2-3: Mobile Optimization and Page Speed
• Optimize images across your site
• Implement responsive design adjustments
• Remove unnecessary plugins and scripts
• Enable caching and minification
Day 4: Navigation Improvements
• Streamline your main navigation menu
• Improve labeling and information hierarchy
• Add search functionality if missing
• Implement breadcrumbs and internal linking
Day 5-6: SEO Foundation
• Optimize title tags and meta descriptions
• Implement proper header structures
• Add alt text to images
• Create or update your XML sitemap
• Set up Google Search Console and Analytics
Day 7: CTA Implementation and Testing
• Design and implement primary CTAs for key pages
• Add secondary CTAs where appropriate
• Test all forms and conversion points
• Get feedback from a few test users
Remember, you don’t need to achieve perfection in a week. Focus on the highest-impact improvements first, and continue refining your website over time. The goal is to eliminate the most critical issues that could be costing you visitors and customers right now.
By addressing these five common DIY website mistakes, you’ll create a more professional, effective online presence that better serves your business goals—without needing to hire an expensive agency or completely rebuild your site from scratch.
ABOUT TRIPSIXDESIGN
Tripsix Design is a creative agency based in Fort Collins, Colorado and Manchester, England. We specialize in branding, digital design, and product strategy – combining creativity with data-driven insight to deliver tailored, high-impact solutions. Small by design, agile by nature, we’re dedicated to producing thoughtful, high-quality work that drives results.
If you like what you’ve read here and would like to know more, or want to know how we can support your business growth, then connect with us here.
SOURCES
Google Research on Mobile Page Speed
HubSpot: User Experience Statistics
Neil Patel: Impact of Loading Time on Website Performance
