5 Website Mistakes That Are Costing Maine Small Businesses Customers

Kayla Williams
May 6
3 min read

Running a small business in Maine isn’t for the faint of heart. You juggle supply chain issues, seasonal swings, unpredictable weather, and customers who think “I’ll get back to you” means sometime before next winter.

In other words: you’re already working twice as hard.

The last thing you need is your website — your most important salesperson — sitting there like it’s on a permanent coffee break.

But here’s the reality:

A lot of small business websites are quietly losing customers — and most owners have no idea.

If you’re wondering why leads feel slow, or why that phone isn’t ringing like it used to, your website might be the one silently ghosting your customers.

Let’s dig into the five biggest website mistakes I see — and how they could be costing you real money (and no, not just “a couple bucks,” but busy-season kind of money).

You’re Still Rocking a “Mobile-Optional” Website

If your website looks fine on a laptop but turns into a hot mess on a phone, congratulations — you’re basically invisible to 80% of your customers.

In Maine, where half the population is Googling you from a pickup truck with spotty service, your website needs to load faster than a tourist complaining about blackflies.

Bottom line:
If people have to pinch and zoom to find your phone number, they’re already calling your competitor.

Your Website Loads Slower Than Route 26 During Construction Season

Patience is thinner than black ice.

If your site takes more than three seconds to load, your visitors are already gone — and they’re not leaving a thank-you note.

Slow websites happen when you cram in giant photos, outdated code, and enough random plugins to power a small country. It’s like trying to tow a camper with a lawnmower.

Translation:
If your website loads like Route 26 during construction season, you’re losing business — one orange cone at a time.
Your Call-to-Action Is More Confusing Than Maine’s Road Signs

You know the ones:
“Turn Left to Go Right. Proceed Straight to Circle Back.”
Perfectly clear. Thanks, DOT.

If your website doesn’t scream what you want people to do — call, book, buy, contact — they’ll just wander off like tourists without a map.

Rule of thumb:
Make it so obvious even someone driving on a dirt road with one bar of service knows exactly what to do next.
Your Content Is, Well… Kinda Sad

Writing about yourself is harder than explaining what a “bean supper” is to someone from Connecticut.

But if your website sounds like a boring memo (“We sell things. They’re good.”) instead of telling your story, you’re not building trust — you’re boring people into backing out.

Remember:
People don’t buy what you sell. They buy why you sell it. Tell the story. Make them feel something. (Preferably something other than regret.)

It Looks Like It’s Been Abandoned Since the Last Patriots Super Bowl Win

Old websites are like old barns: charming in theory, terrifying in practice.

If your site looks dated — ancient fonts, weird stock photos, copyright 2018 — it screams “We stopped caring!” louder than a seagull spotting French fries.

Moral of the story:
A fresh, fast, Maine-proud website shows customers you’re active, professional, and ready to earn their business — not just waiting for the next tourist season.