The Top 5 Website Mistakes Regional Businesses Make (and How to Avoid Them)
When you’re running a regional business, your website has a big job to do.
It needs to attract locals, build trust with new customers, and make it easy for people to support you, whether they’re down the road or hours away.
But if your site is not working as hard as it should, it could be holding you back without you even realising it.
Here are five common website mistakes I see regional businesses make all the time and how to fix them without starting from scratch.
1. It’s Not Instantly Clear What You Do
(And people are clicking away because of it.)
When someone lands on your website, they should know who you are, what you do, and who you help within the first few seconds.
If visitors have to scroll, dig, or guess, they’ll leave. People are busy. Make it easy for them.
How to fix it:
Add a clear, simple headline to your homepage.
Example: "Handmade Leather Goods, Made in Country NSW" or "Family-Owned Café in Tamworth". No jargon. No mystery. Just plain English.
2. Your Website Isn’t Mobile-Friendly
(And most of your visitors are probably on their phones.)
More than half of website visits come from mobile devices now and that number is even higher in rural areas where people are often out and about. If your site looks tiny, slow, or broken on a phone, you’re losing trust and sales.
How to fix it:
Test your site on a phone and tablet.
Make sure text is readable without zooming in, buttons are easy to tap, and pages load fast.
3. You’re Missing Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
(And your visitors don’t know what to do next.)
You can have the best looking website in the world, but if you’re not telling people what to do, they’ll do nothing.
Good CTAs guide people gently through your site: book a service, browse your products, or get in touch.
How to fix it:
Add a clear CTA on every page.
Examples: "Book a Table", "Get a Free Quote", "Shop Now", "Contact Us".
And make sure your buttons actually look clickable!
4. The Website Loads Slowly
(And people won’t wait around.)
Slow websites are a killer, both for visitors and for your Google ranking. Most people will click away if a site takes more than a few seconds to load. This is often a bigger issue for regional businesses using large images or old site builders.
How to fix it:
Compress your images before uploading (tools like TinyPNG are great).
Use a quality website platform that’s optimised for speed.
Keep things simple: less clutter means faster load times.
5. Your Contact Details Are Hard to Find
(And people give up instead of getting in touch.)
If someone has to hunt around your site to find your phone number, email, or address, they’ll bounce. Especially in country towns where people might want to call and check opening hours or ask a quick question.
How to fix it:
Put your phone number, email and/or shop address in your website footer.
Add a dedicated "Contact" page that’s easy to find from your main menu.
Bonus: link your Google Map location if you have a shopfront.
Final Thoughts
A strong website is one of the best investments a regional business can make but it does not have to be complicated. Most of the time, even small tweaks can make a big difference.
If you spotted one or two of these mistakes on your own site, no stress. You’re not alone, and it’s very fixable.
Need a hand?
At Prairie Studio, I help rural and regional businesses build websites that not only look good but actually work.
Check out my Website Design Services or Book a Free Discovery Call to see how I can help you grow online.