After auditing over 100 local businesses in London, Ontario, clear patterns emerge. The same mistakes show up again and again — and they're costing businesses real money. Here are the top 5 we see most often.
1. No Mobile Optimization
This is 2026, and we still find businesses with websites that are essentially unusable on a phone. Text too small to read, buttons too close together, horizontal scrolling — the works.
Over 60% of local searches happen on mobile devices. If your site doesn't work flawlessly on a phone, you're invisible to the majority of your potential customers.
The fix: Responsive design isn't optional. Every page should be tested on real devices, not just resized browser windows.
2. Painfully Slow Load Times
The average attention span for a web page is about 3 seconds. After that, visitors leave. We regularly find London business sites taking 8-12 seconds to load, often because of:
- Unoptimized images (uploading 5MB photos straight from a camera)
- Too many plugins and scripts
- Cheap hosting with slow server response times
- No caching or CDN
The fix: Compress images, minimize scripts, and invest in quality hosting. A fast site isn't a luxury — it's a requirement.
3. Missing or Broken SSL (HTTPS)
When a visitor sees "Not Secure" in their browser bar, trust evaporates instantly. We found that nearly 20% of London businesses either don't have SSL certificates or have expired ones.
Google also uses HTTPS as a ranking signal, so you're hurting your search visibility too.
The fix: SSL certificates are free through Let's Encrypt. Most hosting providers install them with one click. There's zero excuse for not having HTTPS in 2026.
4. Outdated Information
Wrong phone numbers. Old addresses. Services you no longer offer. Hours that don't match reality. This is shockingly common and incredibly damaging.
A customer who calls a disconnected number or drives to a wrong address won't give you a second chance. They'll go to the competitor who has their act together.
The fix: Set a quarterly reminder to review every page of your site. Update your Google Business Profile at the same time.
5. No Clear Call to Action
Many sites we audit are essentially digital brochures with no direction. The visitor reads about the business and then... nothing. No clear next step, no prominent phone number, no booking form.
Every page should answer the question: "What do I want the visitor to do next?" Whether it's call, book online, fill out a form, or visit in person — make it obvious and easy.
The fix: Add a clear, prominent call to action above the fold on every page. Test it on mobile first.
The Good News
Every one of these mistakes is fixable. Most can be addressed in a weekend. The businesses that fix these issues see immediate improvements in customer inquiries and search rankings.
Want to see where your business stands? Check your score in our directory or request a free audit.