7 Typical Website Mistakes by Craft Businesses – And How They Cost Customers

Confusing Design and Poor Navigation

An overloaded or chaotic design is the most common reason visitors immediately leave a website. If potential customers can't find the information they're looking for within a few clicks, they'll find another provider. Overly striking color combinations, illegible fonts, or cluttered layouts convey an impression of lacking professionalism. The solution: A clear, uncluttered design with intuitive menu navigation and well-structured information that builds trust and guides visitors directly to their goal.

Missing Mobile Optimization

More than 70% of all visitors now access websites via smartphones. If the craftsman's website doesn't work properly on mobile devices – shifted layouts, text that's too small, or unusable forms – the business loses a large portion of its potential customers. Many interested parties search for craftsmen on the go, such as on the train or directly on-site. A responsive design that works flawlessly on all devices is therefore essential today.

Hidden or Missing Contact Information

A classic mistake: the phone number is only in the imprint, and contact details are hard to find. When a customer wants to hire you, they must be able to reach you within seconds. Hidden contact information signals poor accessibility and costs potential contracts daily. The phone number and email address should be prominently visible on every page, ideally in the header area. Additional contact channels like WhatsApp or a well-structured contact form with selection fields relieve both customers and the office.

Poor or Missing Images

Craftsmanship thrives on quality and trust – yet many websites show blurry phone photos, outdated images, or no examples of their own work at all. Stock photos that have nothing to do with the business appear untrustworthy. People make visual decisions, and without authentic, high-quality photos of real projects, the team, and the workshop, the most important basis of trust is missing. Investments in professional photos pay off through significantly higher inquiry rates.

No or Inadequate Search Engine Optimization

Many craftsman websites simply aren't found because no keyword research was conducted. Texts without specific technical terms and regional keywords like "heating installation Zurich" or "painter Geneva" mean the website doesn't appear in Google. Many businesses only have a homepage, an "About us" page, and contact details – too little content for good placement. With clear text structures, local keywords, optimized page titles, and structured service pages, visibility can be significantly improved.

Slow Loading Times

Nothing frustrates users more than a website that takes forever to load. Many craftsman websites haven't optimized loading times, causing visitors to leave before the page even fully loads. Google also considers loading speed an important ranking factor. Compressed images, lean code, and a good hosting provider are crucial to avoid losing visitors to faster competitors.

Outdated or Missing Content

Websites that are created once and never updated fall back in search engine rankings. Search engines prefer current content, and outdated information conveys the impression of an inactive business. Boring or meaningless content without concrete service descriptions costs trust and visibility. Regular updates with new projects, blog posts, or current offers keep the website alive and improve both ranking and conversion rate.