Website SEO: In today’s digital-first world, your website is more than just an online brochure—it’s your 24/7 salesperson, your digital storefront, and often the first impression potential customers have of your brand.
Yet, despite its critical role in driving business growth, countless companies treat their websites with apathy, letting them stagnate, underperform, or worse, actively harm their reputation.
Why does this happen? Many businesses are quick to chase the latest shiny trends—be it AI, TikTok marketing, or the metaverse—while neglecting the foundational elements that keep their digital presence strong. The truth is, maintaining a high-performing website takes time, effort, and investment, and too many companies simply “can’t be bothered” to do it right.
In this article, we’ll explore the Top 10 Things Businesses Can’t Be Bothered to Do when it comes to their websites—and why this negligence is costing them customers, conversions, and credibility. More importantly, we’ll share actionable fixes to help you avoid these pitfalls and turn your website into a powerful growth engine.
1. Updating Outdated Content
First impressions matter, and nothing screams “neglect” louder than a website with outdated content. Whether it’s a “Latest News” section stuck in 2019, a homepage banner advertising a “New Product Launch” that’s no longer new, or a blog that hasn’t been touched in years, stale content erodes trust. Customers want to know you’re active, relevant, and engaged—not stuck in the past.
Why It Hurts: Outdated content signals to visitors (and search engines) that your business is inactive or untrustworthy. It can also hurt your SEO rankings, as Google prioritizes fresh, relevant content.
Fix It: Schedule a quarterly content audit to refresh blogs, update product pages, and ensure all information is current. Use tools like Screaming Frog to crawl your site and identify outdated pages.
2. Optimizing for Mobile
In 2023, over 60% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices, yet countless business websites are still clunky, slow, or downright unusable on smartphones. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re not just frustrating users—you’re losing them to competitors who can be bothered to prioritize mobile optimization.
Why It Hurts: A poor mobile experience leads to higher bounce rates, lower conversions, and frustrated customers. Plus, Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning your mobile site directly impacts your search rankings.
Fix It: Test your website on multiple devices and use tools like Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test to identify issues. Invest in responsive design, optimize images, and streamline navigation for smaller screens.
3. Fixing Broken Links and Errors
Clicking on a “404 Page Not Found” error is the digital equivalent of walking into a store and finding the lights off and the shelves empty. Broken links, missing images, and error messages signal to customers that you don’t care about their experience—or your business.
Why It Hurts: Broken links frustrate users, increase bounce rates, and harm your SEO. Search engines penalize sites with poor user experiences, pushing you further down the rankings.
Fix It: Use tools like Google Search Console or Broken Link Checker to regularly scan your site and fix issues. Set up custom 404 pages to guide users back to working content, and implement redirects for outdated URLs.
4. Prioritizing Speed
Did you know that 53% of mobile users abandon a website if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load? Speed matters, yet so many businesses can’t be bothered to optimize images, reduce server load, or invest in better hosting. A slow website doesn’t just frustrate users—it actively drives them away.
Why It Hurts: Slow load times lead to higher bounce rates, lower conversions, and poor SEO performance. Google’s Core Web Vitals, which measure user experience metrics like load time, are now a key ranking factor.
Fix It: Run your site through Google’s PageSpeed Insights to identify bottlenecks. Compress images, enable browser caching, minify CSS and JavaScript, and consider upgrading to faster hosting or a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
5. Engaging with Analytics
Your website isn’t just a digital brochure—it’s a goldmine of data. Tools like Google Analytics can tell you exactly how visitors are finding you, what they’re looking at, and where they’re dropping off. But too many businesses can’t be bothered to look at the numbers, let alone act on them.
Why It Hurts: Without analytics, you’re flying blind. You could be missing opportunities to optimize high-performing pages, fix underperforming ones, or target new audiences.
Fix It: Set up a monthly review of your analytics to identify trends. Focus on key metrics like bounce rate, conversion rate, and traffic sources. Use this data to inform your content strategy, UX improvements, and marketing campaigns.
6. Implementing Strong SEO Practices
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn’t a “set it and forget it” task, yet many businesses can’t be bothered to keep up with best practices. From missing meta tags to ignoring keyword research, neglecting SEO means your website is essentially invisible to potential customers searching for your products or services.
Why It Hurts: Without SEO, you’re losing out on organic traffic—the kind that’s free and highly targeted. Competitors who invest in SEO will outrank you, stealing your market share.
Fix It: Conduct regular keyword research using tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify high-value terms. Optimize on-page elements like title tags, meta descriptions, and headers. Create high-quality, keyword-rich content that answers your audience’s questions.
7. Securing the Website
Cybersecurity is a growing concern, yet many businesses can’t be bothered to secure their websites. From outdated plugins to missing SSL certificates, a lack of security measures puts both your business and your customers at risk.
Why It Hurts: A hacked website can lead to data breaches, loss of customer trust, and even legal liabilities. Google also flags unsecured sites, warning users and tanking your SEO rankings.
Fix It: Install an SSL certificate to enable HTTPS. Regularly update your CMS, plugins, and themes. Use strong passwords, enable two-factor authentication, and consider a website firewall like Cloudflare.
8. Improving User Experience (UX)
A website that’s hard to navigate, visually cluttered, or confusing will drive users away faster than you can say “bounce rate.” Yet, many businesses can’t be bothered to invest in user experience (UX) design, assuming that as long as the site “works,” it’s good enough.
Why It Hurts: Poor UX leads to frustrated users, lower engagement, and missed conversions. A seamless, intuitive experience, on the other hand, keeps visitors on your site longer and encourages them to take action.
Fix It: Conduct user testing to identify pain points. Simplify navigation, use clear calls-to-action (CTAs), and ensure your design is visually appealing and consistent. Tools like Hotjar can help you analyze user behavior and make data-driven improvements.
9. Adding Fresh, Valuable Content
Content is king, but many businesses can’t be bothered to create new blog posts, case studies, or resources. They assume their static “About Us” and “Services” pages are enough to keep visitors engaged. Spoiler alert: they’re not.
Why It Hurts: Fresh content drives traffic, engages users, and boosts SEO. Without it, your site becomes a digital ghost town, and competitors with active content strategies will outshine you.
Fix It: Develop a content calendar and commit to publishing new content regularly—whether it’s blog posts, videos, or downloadable guides. Focus on solving your audience’s problems and answering their questions.
10. Testing and Experimenting
Your website isn’t a static asset—it’s a living, breathing tool that should evolve based on data and feedback. Yet, many businesses can’t be bothered to test new designs, experiment with CTAs, or try A/B testing to optimize conversions.
Why It Hurts: Without testing, you’re guessing what works instead of knowing. Small tweaks—like changing a button color or rewriting a headline—can lead to significant improvements in performance.
Fix It: Use tools like Google Optimize or Optimizely to run A/B tests on key pages. Experiment with headlines, images, CTAs, and layouts to see what resonates with your audience.
Why This Matters
Your website is often the first touchpoint for potential customers, and neglecting it is like leaving your storefront dirty, outdated, or closed half the time. In a competitive market, the businesses that can be bothered to invest in their websites are the ones that win trust, conversions, and loyalty.
The good news? Most of these issues are fixable with a little time, effort, and the right tools. Start by auditing your website today. Is it fast? Is it mobile-friendly? Is the content fresh? If not, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work—or hire someone who will.
Your Next Steps
Here’s my challenge to you: Pick one item from this list and commit to fixing it this week. Whether it’s updating a blog post, running a speed test, or checking for broken links, small actions can lead to big results. Over time, addressing all 10 of these areas will transform your website from a neglected liability into a powerful asset.
What’s one thing your business has been “too busy” to fix on your website? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts and help you brainstorm solutions!
