If visitors are leaving your website without taking action, it might not be your product or service that’s the issue—it could be your user experience (UX). Bad UX is one of the biggest reasons businesses lose customers online. It creates friction, confusion, and frustration. And in a world where users expect speed, clarity, and ease, even minor issues can cost you big.
So what is bad UX exactly? And more importantly, how can you fix it?
In this post, we’ll break down common UX mistakes and walk you through practical steps to improve your site so that more visitors become customers.
What is User Experience (UX), and Why Does It Matter?
UX refers to the overall experience a person has when interacting with your website or app. It includes everything from how fast your site loads, to how easy it is to navigate, to whether users can quickly find what they came for.
Good UX makes it easy for users to:
- Understand what your business offers
- Navigate your website without effort
- Complete actions like filling out a form or making a purchase
Bad UX, on the other hand, leads to confusion, hesitation, and ultimately, lost customers.
Signs Your Website Has a UX Problem
Before you can fix your user experience, you need to recognize the red flags. Here are some telltale signs:
1) High Bounce Rate
If visitors are leaving your site after viewing just one page, something likely caused them to give up quickly.
2) Low Conversion Rates
If people are visiting but not calling, buying, or filling out your form, your site might be hard to use or unclear.
3) Complaints from Users
Pay attention to customer feedback. If people say your site is “confusing” or “hard to use,” that’s a UX issue.
4) Users Not Completing Tasks
Whether it’s signing up for a service or checking out, if users abandon the process midway, your flow might be broken or too complex.
5) Poor Mobile Experience
If your site doesn’t work well on phones and tablets, you’re losing a massive portion of your audience.
Common Bad UX Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Let’s break down the issues we see most often when businesses come to us at Graticle Design:
1) Slow Page Load Times
No one wants to wait. If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, users are gone.
Fix it:
- Optimize image sizes
- Use caching and content delivery networks (CDNs)
- Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
- Consider better hosting
2) Poor Navigation
Too many menus, confusing labels, or hidden pages make visitors give up.
Fix it:
- Stick to a simple, clear menu
- Use familiar terms (e.g., “Contact” instead of “Reach Out”)
- Keep the number of clicks to a minimum
3) Unclear Calls to Action (CTAs)
If users don’t know what you want them to do, they won’t do it.
Fix it:
- Use bold, clear CTAs (e.g., “Request a Quote,” “Book Now”)
- Make CTAs stand out visually
- Put them where users expect them
4) Cluttered Layouts
Too much happening on one page overwhelms users.
Fix it:
- Use white space
- Stick to one main idea per page
- Limit the number of fonts and colors
5) Hard-to-Read Content
Small fonts, poor contrast, and long blocks of text drive people away.
Fix it:
- Use a legible font size (at least 16px)
- Break content into short paragraphs
- Use subheadings and bullet points
6) Mobile Responsiveness Issues
A site that doesn’t adapt to phones is a non-starter in 2025.
Fix it:
- Test on multiple devices
- Use responsive frameworks
- Ensure buttons are big enough for touch
7) Inconsistent Design
Inconsistent visuals make your site feel unprofessional.
Fix it:
- Use a consistent color scheme
- Stick with one or two fonts
- Align layout across all pages
How to Improve UX Step-by-Step
Improving your UX doesn’t mean redesigning everything from scratch. Here’s a phased approach:
Step 1: Audit Your Current Site
Use tools like Google Analytics, Hotjar, or Microsoft Clarity to see where users drop off or get confused.
Look at:
- Bounce rates
- Heatmaps
- Click patterns
- Session recordings
Step 2: Get Feedback from Real Users
Ask your customers what they think about the site. What was confusing? What did they like?
Consider usability testing with 5-10 real people. Watch them interact with your site and ask them to talk out loud.
Step 3: Fix the Major Pain Points First
Start with the big problems like slow load speed, poor mobile experience, or broken forms.
Step 4: Improve Layout and Navigation
Restructure pages for clarity. Simplify navigation. Make your CTAs pop.
Step 5: Test, Tweak, and Repeat
UX isn’t a one-and-done task. Keep checking how users behave and make improvements over time.
Tools That Can Help You
Here are some tools that make the process easier:
- Google PageSpeed Insights: Helps identify load time issues
- Hotjar / Microsoft Clarity: Heatmaps, click tracking, session recordings
- BrowserStack / Responsinator: Test mobile responsiveness
- WAVE Accessibility Tool: Catch usability and accessibility errors
- Google Analytics: See where people drop off or exit
Why UX Affects SEO (And Your Bottom Line)
Google ranks sites higher when users engage with them. A poor experience increases bounce rates and reduces time-on-site, both of which hurt your rankings.
More importantly, good UX directly impacts:
- Conversion rates
- Customer satisfaction
- Trust and credibility
If you’re running paid ads or doing SEO, sending users to a poorly designed site is like pouring water into a leaky bucket.
Additional UX Areas to Review
Accessibility
Accessibility isn’t just about compliance. It’s about inclusivity. Your website should be usable for everyone, including users with visual or motor impairments.
What to check:
- Can the site be navigated with a keyboard?
- Are alt tags present and descriptive for images?
- Is there enough color contrast?
Content Strategy
Clear, concise, and well-structured content is a major part of good UX.
Tips:
- Use headings to guide readers
- Break long text into digestible sections
- Make sure content aligns with user intent
Trust Signals
Users want to feel confident in doing business with you.
Add:
- Customer reviews or testimonials
- Case studies
- Security badges
- Clear privacy policies and contact info
Form Design
Bad forms can tank conversion rates.
Best practices:
- Only ask for what’s necessary
- Group related fields
- Provide clear error messages
- Use autofill where possible
UX for eCommerce Sites
For eCommerce businesses, UX directly impacts sales.
Focus on:
- Product search functionality
- Clean, zoomable product photos
- Easy-to-navigate categories
- Clear shipping and return info
- Guest checkout options
Cart abandonment is often caused by poor UX at checkout. Optimize this flow with fewer steps, visible trust badges, and clear CTAs.
UX Testing on a Budget
You don’t need a giant budget to improve UX.
Try:
- Asking a friend to use your site while you watch
- Creating a simple feedback form
- Running a poll on your homepage
- Using free trials of tools like Hotjar
Simple tests can reveal valuable insights that you’d never notice on your own.
The Bottom Line
User experience can make or break your business online. The best product or service in the world won’t matter if people can’t figure out how to buy it, contact you, or navigate your website.
The good news? Most UX problems can be fixed with small, intentional changes.
If your site isn’t converting or customers are slipping through the cracks, it’s time to take UX seriously.
At Graticle Design, we help businesses across Longview, Kelso, and the entire Pacific Northwest create websites that actually work. Need a UX audit or want to talk about upgrades? Let’s chat and stop losing customers for good.
