Website Mistakes Killing Your Conversions (and How to Fix Them) PART II

In our last blog, titled Website Mistakes Killing Your Conversions (and How to Fix Them), I went through a list of do’s and don’ts and the pay attention to’s as you’re building and rebuilding your website. Perhaps you’re now wondering, or maybe you’re not, but I’m going to cover it anyway, why we’re doing another blog with the exact same title, aside from adding a Part II. 

Because the list goes on!

That’s right, as long as that last blog was, it wasn’t complete, and when I went through my checklist, I decided the ones in this blog couldn’t be left out. At the end of the day, that’s just how important we at eQuil DM believe your website is to your business. Think of it as your digital retail space, a place where your target audience goes to learn more about your products and services so that they can decide for themselves if they should click to buy or schedule an appointment. Ensuring that your website not only reflects your business accurately, but that it also provides enough information to build trust, satiate the user who is looking for more information, establish brand authority, appeal to search engine bots, feed AI, and provide the best UX possible so they keep coming back for more.

Yup, your website needs to do all that, so stop thinking of it as a one-and-done deal, reference both of these blogs at least once a year, and audit your website to make sure it’s actually working for you. Let’s finish going over my checklist that might be killing your conversions.

Is Your Mobile Experience an Afterthought?

When I first started working on websites, I had to constantly be reminded by my team about mobile. When asked, “How does it look on mobile?” I would respond with a “Crap, I forgot to go over it again!” Queue the sticky note on my desktop computer. It took some time to make it a habit, but a habit is what it’s now become. 

In 2025, Statista found that 97.8% of the global population accesses the internet on their smartphones. Enough said, right? So once you’ve completed the latest version of a webpage, make sure you’re going to mobile and optimizing it for UX. 

What are the signs of poor mobile UX?

Poor mobile UX typically manifests in ways that frustrate visitors and cause them to abandon your site quickly. Here are the most common signs to watch for:

Layout & Design Issues

• Tiny tap targets: Buttons, links, or icons are too small to tap comfortably with a finger.

• Horizontal scrolling: Users must swipe side to side to read or navigate, disrupting the flow.

• Overlapping modals or pop-ups: Pop-ups cover key content or are hard to close on smaller screens.

• Font sizes too small: Text under 16px often feels cramped and unreadable on mobile devices.

Navigation & Usability Problems

• Menus are buried in deep layers, making it hard to find important pages.

• “Clever” labels instead of straightforward, simple-language navigation.

• Search is missing, unreliable, or poorly optimized.

Performance & Engagement Red Flags

• Slow load times (especially on cellular networks).

• Layout shifts or jittery interactions (bad CLS/INP scores).

Bottom line? If your mobile visitors have to pinch, zoom, swipe sideways, hunt for content, or wait too long, your UX is hurting conversions.

What quick wins and pro moves can improve mobile conversions?

Now that you can identify some of the signs of poor UX, you’re ready to make some moves to fix them. Start simple, then layer strategic testing and mobile-first design principles for lasting conversion boosts.

Quick Wins

• Use responsive breakpoints: Ensure layouts adapt cleanly across screen sizes.

• Bump up font sizes: A minimum of 16px for body text ensures effortless reading.

• Fix tap targets: Make buttons/links at least 44px tall/wide for thumb-friendly navigation.

• Delay intrusive elements: Don’t show visitors pop-ups immediately; let them view the page first.
  

Pro Moves

• Design mobile-first layouts: Start with the smallest screen and build upward, instead of squeezing desktop designs down.

• Run device-specific A/B tests: Test how CTAs, menus, and forms perform on different screen types (iOS vs. Android, tablet vs. phone).

• Streamline forms with autofill: Reduce keystrokes by enabling one-tap payment, address, and login features

Does Your Navigation Make People Think Too Hard?

Imagine entering an address in Google Maps and instead of guiding you from your location to your destination, it made you guess where to go next, or you had to click every time there was a turn to decide which way to go to reach your destination. Aside from the fact that you can’t be clicking while you’re driving, this would drive anyone to pull out the old road map and find your route the “old-fashioned way.” The navigation bar on your website is no different; people don’t want to have to guess or figure it out on their own.

What navigation mistakes frustrate users most?

Poor navigation isn’t just frustrating, it’s annoying. When it's too hard for a user to find what they’re looking for, they’ll just leave. I know you think it's fun and different to come up with clever or branded navigation labels, but you’re leaving users to decipher what each one means, which forces them to guess where a menu item goes. Another mistake, deep or overly complicated menu structures. Burying important content several clicks away or hiding it behind layers of drop-downs isn’t UX. 

Other points of frustration for a user: 

• A lack of visible search functionality (or a search tool that doesn’t deliver relevant results), especially on large sites. Search menus can be invaluable, but not if they don’t work or take you to the wrong page. 

• Inconsistent navigation across different pages breaks user trust, as people have to re-learn how to move through the site. 

• Mobile-specific issues like menus that are too small to tap, or navigation that isn’t optimized for smaller screens, can quickly drive users away. 

In short, navigation that confuses, hides, or complicates instead of guiding will almost always result in higher bounce rates and lost conversions.

What are some quick wins and pro moves to improve navigation on your website?

If your navigation is too confusing, users will get lost and won’t take the time to find their way back to where they started their clicking journey. Sending a visitor down a rabbit hole is the last thing you want, so taking the time to make navigation seamless and simple can make or break how long they decide to stay on your site and ultimately convert. 

Quick Wins

• Use plain-language labels: Replace clever or branded jargon with simple, descriptive menu labels.

• Prioritize top tasks: Bring the most common user goals (like “Shop,” “Contact,” “Pricing”) to the surface.

• Simplify menus: Reduce deep, multi-layered menus that bury important content.

• Add visible search: Provide a clear site search bar, especially for large or complex sites.

• Ensure consistent navigation: Keep menus and labels consistent across pages so users don’t have to relearn.

Pro Moves

• Search with autocomplete & synonyms: Help users find what they want, even if they type variations or misspellings.

• Sticky or mobile-first navigation: Keep menus accessible at all times on any device.

• Personalized navigation: Show recommended links or categories based on user behaviour or preferences.

Are Pop-Ups and Banners Hijacking the User Experience?

Yes, yes they are. When was the last time you went to a website and were like, “Yay! A pop-up!” If it was yesterday, then you are in the minority on this one. Pop-ups have their place, but when someone lands on your site and that’s the first thing that flashes in their face, they’re not just x-ing out of the page but your entire site; I know I can’t hit that back button fast enough.

What makes a pop-up or banner intrusive?

A pop-up or banner is a major turn-off when it disrupts the user’s experience instead of making it better or easier to accomplish their intent for visiting your site. What to avoid includes appearing the instant a visitor lands on your page (before they can read any content), blocking key information or navigation, being difficult to dismiss, or showing up too frequently as users move through your site. 

A good rule of thumb: if a pop-up interrupts rather than supports the user journey, get rid of it.

How do bad pop-ups hurt SEO and conversions?

Bad pop-ups hurt SEO and conversions because they interrupt both the user experience and how search engines assess your site. 

From a conversion standpoint, intrusive or poorly timed pop-ups frustrate visitors, making them abandon pages before engaging with content or completing a purchase. If a pop-up appears too soon, covers key information, or is hard to dismiss, especially on mobile, users are more likely to bounce, which signals to search engines that your site isn’t meeting expectations. 

On the SEO side, Google penalizes “aggressive interstitials” (large, intrusive pop-ups that block content) because they degrade usability, particularly on mobile devices. This can lower your rankings, reducing organic traffic and long-term conversion opportunities. In short, bad pop-ups don’t just annoy users; they undermine trust, hurt visibility in search, and cut into your bottom line.

Quick wins and pro moves to improve pop-ups for UX

At the end of the day, the best pop-ups don’t interrupt; they support the user's journey by offering the right value at the right moment, without being a nuisance.

Quick Wins

• Delay timing: Don’t trigger a pop-up the second someone lands. Wait until they’ve scrolled or spent 20–30 seconds on the page.

• Exit-intent targeting: Show pop-ups when a visitor is about to leave, not while they’re still exploring.

• Limit frequency: Cap how often the same user sees your pop-up so it feels helpful, not pushy.

• Simplify dismissal: Ensure a clear, easy-to-use “X” or close button.

Pro Moves

• Segment offers: Show personalized pop-ups based on visitor behaviour (e.g., returning users vs. first-timers, product browsers vs. blog readers).

• Contextual relevance: Trigger pop-ups tied to page content (like a guide download on a blog topic the user is reading).

• A/B testing variations: Experiment with placement (corner slide-ins vs. center modals), timing, and copy to balance UX and conversions.

Stop Letting Simple Mistakes Kill Your Conversions

Even the best-designed websites can lose leads and sales when small details get overlooked. From clunky mobile UX to confusing navigation and intrusive pop-ups, these mistakes quietly drain your conversions every single day.

If you’re not sure whether your site is guilty of them, now’s the time to find out.

Book a website audit today and uncover what’s holding back your growth. Together, we’ll fix the hidden mistakes, streamline your UX, and make your site work harder for your business.

At eQuil Digital Media, we offer customized digital media solutions tailored to your business needs. Together, we will help elevate your digital brand and boost your online presence to drive tangible results.

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