In this video, we highlight the issues that are holding this small business back. We explain the problems with their web design that not only turn potential customers away but also hurt local SEO and create a poor user experience.

If you own a local business, this video is a must-watch. The mistakes discussed could be costing this business a significant number of new customers and missing out on valuable opportunities.

Video Transcript

My name is Keegan with Mighty Local, and I’m going to tell you why I hate this website. Let me show you why.

When you build a website for a client or are a small business owner putting up a website, the only person you should be thinking about is your consumer. So let’s pretend I want to buy cat food. I have a cat. Here is a local business website that sells cat food. Let me scroll through… Alright, well, that didn’t tell me much. That’s the whole homepage. Not only that, but they don’t have much copy here for search engines, which means they’ve wasted their entire homepage without giving the search engines any content. You’ve got to write stuff about what you do that’s going to be helpful.

They sell quality food, okay, but they just say “Our story,” and then they don’t really tell me anything about themselves. They mention their story but don’t actually provide any details. Then, there are some store hours, which is helpful, but that’s it. That’s the whole homepage. I didn’t learn anything, and I don’t know what to do on this site because there’s no clear call to action. If you remember, a call to action is like telling the visitor, “Here’s what you should do next.” This website doesn’t tell me what to do.

What else is missing? This is a retail store, so where is it? Can somebody tell me where this store is from the homepage? Why is there no location listed when that’s exactly what I need to know as a potential customer? I want to come to your store and buy something. I thought, okay, let’s get past that and check the “Our Brands” section. Is that where I go to find cat food? There’s a picture, but do I scroll through the images to see what you sell? I want to see what you have for sale! You’re a retailer, right? Okay, let’s move on to accessories. What accessories do you have? I click on it, and… nothing links anywhere. So, you’ve just put pictures of logos on your site. Now, all I have to do is go to Google and search for what I want.

Let’s say I want a Kong dog toy. I just go to Google, type in “Kong dog toy near me,” and I instantly get a list of all the Kong dog toys available near me. I can see all the stores around me, where I can pick it up today, and how much it costs. This is much more efficient than browsing your website. It’s even worse because those brand images on your site don’t help at all. If I want to find out what you carry, I have to go elsewhere.

The “Our Brands” section doesn’t tell me what brands you offer, and there’s no mention of your location. There’s no clear way to figure out where your store is located. I guess I’m supposed to figure it out by going to the “Contact Us” section, where I find your address. But then, I need to copy and paste that address into Google Maps.

Whoever built this website wasn’t thinking about the consumer. What’s the first thing a consumer wants when buying pet food? To see the products you offer, check out your inventory, and know your pricing. But on this site, none of that is clear. I tried going back to the homepage, and it’s broken. This is the experience I get after scrolling through your site. There’s no way to figure out what you’re selling.

Next, I tried looking for their services. It says they offer dog food delivery service, but the details are unclear. If you offer same-day delivery, you need to make that crystal clear, especially if orders must be received by 5 PM. But the delivery radius is vague. It says “3 miles,” but does that mean 3 miles west of I-25? Where exactly is your delivery zone? A good website would include a tool to help customers check if their address falls within the delivery zone.

Overall, this site is missing critical information. It has no investment in clear web design and functionality. There’s no clear breakdown of services, just vague claims that are hard to understand. The upcoming events are outdated, showing an event from June 2024. There’s no inventory listed, no helpful product information, and nothing that makes the website stand out.

To make matters worse, their website offers no way to quickly find out what I can buy or where I can buy it from. All I can see is outdated events, vague product listings, and unclear delivery options. The homepage provides no helpful information, and there’s no search engine optimization, so it won’t even show up in relevant searches.

So, why do I hate this website? Because customers hate it. It fails to meet the needs of its visitors and doesn’t make it easy for people to make a purchase.