Full Transcript
[0:00]
Welcome to the 805 Web Minute and today we're talking about why you're perfectly good website might actually be pushing customers away before they ever see what you offer. We're going to get into a six of the most common and honestly pretty invisible website flaws that stop local businesses, you know, right here in Essela County from showing up in Google. Yeah, and it's this quiet kind of harsh reality for so many small business owners, isn't it? It really is you invest in a site you've got your digital storefront up, but then when someone actually searches for what you do say best auto repair and pass a rubles or landscaper near Pismo B exactly Google is the one who decides who gets that call. And the painful truth is if your site has any of these technical flaws we're about to cover, Google's probably going to send that business to your competitor and that one decision. It has massive financial implications. So let's just look at the stakes here for a second when someone searches the position you get me that determines your entire flow of new customers. The number one result on Google gets almost 40% of all the clicks 39.8% to be exact. It's huge. It's basically half the market just handed to that top listing. It's really a winner take all environment. It is. And you know contrast that 40% with the bottom of the first page. By the time you get down to position 10, the click rate just permits. It's a measly 2.5%. And page two, forget about it. So yeah, if you're on page two only a tiny fraction of a percent 0.63% of users ever even click there. People just don't look past the first few results, especially for a local service. And here's the statistic that should really grab your attention. According to the research 96.5% of all web pages get zero traffic from Google zero zero. So our mission today is to find those common fixable flaws that are putting you the local business owner in that invisible 96%. Exactly. So we've sort of organized this around the customer journey starting with that very first moment they land on your site.
[2:01]
Okay, let's do it. Warning sign number one. Your website takes forever to load. This is your first impression. And it's often a terrible one. It really is. I want to challenge you right now as you're listening. Pull out your phone, go to your site and just count one, two, three. Is it fully loaded? If you're still waiting, you've already got a problem. And if the answer is no, you are actively pushing away customers. We know from the data that 53% of mobile users more than half will just leave a page if it takes more than three seconds. Think about that. Someone in a taskadero needs a roof repair. They click your link. They wait and they're gone. They never even saw your number. And it gets worse so fast. Google's own data shows if that load time inches up to just five seconds, 90% of your visitors will bounce. 90% they just hit the back button, go to the next result. And what's really fascinating is how Google sees this. When a user clicks your link and immediately goes back, Google calls that pogo sticking. It's a huge signal that your site didn't deliver good experience. Even if the information was perfect, even then, and over time, that behavior just pushes your rankings further and further down the page. So, okay, I'm not a developer. What's the jargon free cause here? Well, it's usually one of three things. And they're all fixable. First, it's those big beautiful photos you uploaded right from your fancy camera. Oh, yeah. Those images, they look great, but they are absolutely killing your load time. They have to be optimized for the web. Okay, that makes sense. I want my work to look good, but not at that cost. What's number two? Second, it could just be a slow web host. You know, you go with the cheapest option and they cram hundreds of sites onto one server and everyone's site slows down. And the third third is just a site built with too much stuff, too many unnecessary plugins or fancy sliders that just add technical weight. The bottom line is Google reward speed because users demand it. Speaking of users, that leads right into warning sign number two.
[4:02]
Your site looks broken on phones. This is so critical. Mobile devices are now what 60% of all web traffic and here on the central coast with tourists searching for places to eat or shop. I bet it's even higher for a lot of businesses. Oh, for sure. So more than half your potential customers and Grover Beach or San Luis of Dispo are on a screen that fits in their hand. And if they have to pinch and zoom to read your text, you're losing them. We've all been there, right? Trying to tap a tiny contact us button and you accidentally hit the Facebook icon instead. Yes. That immediate frustration sends them straight to your competitor whose site actually works on a phone. And Google sees this. Google enforces this. They use what's called mobile first indexing. It basically means Google is grading your website based on the mobile experience only. Even if my desktop site looks perfect. Even then, a bad phone experience means bad rankings. Period. So checking your site on your phone isn't just a suggestion. It's mandatory. Can someone tap to call you right away? Can they find your address easily? If not, you have a huge problem that is holding you back. Let's move on from that immediate experience and talk about something a little more hidden, which is trust. Okay, let's talk trust warning sign number three. You don't have HTTPS. You're missing that little padlock icon in the browser bar. Yeah, pull up your site again. Look at the address. Does it start with HTTPS or just HTTP? That little S stands for secure. And if it's missing, browsers like Chrome will actually put up a big warning sign. A huge warning. It literally says not secure. It's like having a flashing red sign in your shop window that says, enter at your own risk. I hear this a lot though. Business owners say, but I don't sell anything online. Why do I need it? What's the answer to that? That's a great question. And maybe 10 years ago, it was a valid point. But today, it's not about selling things. It's purely about trust. You mean for a contact form? Exactly. Who is going to fill out a contact form with their name and email on a site that their browser is actively warning them about?
[6:04]
Almost nobody. And the stats back that up. Yeah. 84% of users will just avoid a website if it doesn't have that secure connection. They won't fill out the form. They won't call. They just leave. And beyond that trust factor, Google made this an official ranking factor way back in 2014. So it's not new. Not at all. Today, over 95% of top ranking sites use HTTPS. If you don't have that padlock, you're competing with one hand tied behind your back. Speaking of technical standards, that brings us to what might be the most frustrating one warning sign number four. You're failing Google's core web vitals. I know. I know. Core web vitals sounds super technical like something only developer in your story about. Yeah. It's a mouthful. But let's break it down. Think of it as Google's way of measuring how pleasant and stable it is to use your site. It's like their quality control check. Okay. So what are they actually measuring? It's basically three things. First, how fast your main content loads. Second, how quickly you can actually click on buttons. And third, and this is the one that drives me crazy. The jumping layout. Yes. The layout stability. You go to tap a link and then an ad loads and pushes everything down and you click something completely different. Oh, that is the worst. Google knows that frustration means you're hitting the back button. And here's the kicker. 75% of mobile sites fail these tests. Most owners in SLO county have no idea this is even happening. And passing gives you an advantage. A huge one. Research shows that sites that pass core web vitals rank on average 28% higher on Google. Wow. 28%. So Google is actively rewarding sites that are fast, stable and easy to use. Okay. So what's the actionable tip here? What can a business owner do? You can check it yourself for free. Just search for Google's page speed insights tool. You put your website address in and it gives you a report card. Pass or fail? It's the first step to getting that 28% edge. Okay. So we've covered the technical foundation speed, mobile security.
[8:05]
Let's switch gears to what you're actually saying on your site. Yeah, this brings us to warning sign number five. Your content is outdated or just thin. When was the last time you updated your website? I mean, really, if your latest news section is from 2022, Google sees that. They want to show people fresh, accurate information. But even more common is the thin content problem. Your page for, say, residential painting services is just one short paragraph. So Google has nothing to work with. Exactly. How can it possibly match you to a specific search like exterior house painter who works in the shell beach area? And if your service page is all used the same generic jargon, there's nothing that tells Google why you stand out from the other five painters in town. Right. You don't have to write a novel, but every important service page needs some substance. We usually recommend at least three solid paragraphs. What should be in those paragraphs? Well, first, just to find the problem you solve. Second, explain who you help. Be specific. Mention the local areas you serve. And third, what makes you different? Faster service, a special guarantee. Use real words, not marketing fluff. That gives Google something to actually work with, which brings us to the final and maybe most painful warning sign. Number six, you can't find yourself when you search. This is the ultimate gut check. This is where it all comes together. Yeah. So try this right now. Open a private or incognito browser window. So your search history doesn't affect the results. And first, search for your exact business name. Do you show up right away? Number one, if not, that's that's a catastrophic problem. It might mean Google doesn't even know you exist. Then you do the local search test. This is what brings in the money. Search for what you do plus your city. So electricians, San Luis Obispo, or pet grooming, Maro Bay. And if you're not on the first page, or even the second, it means your site is failing on all the things we just talked about. The speed, the mobile friendliness, the thin content. They all compound. It all creates this negative feedback loop that leads
[10:08]
straight to that invisibility right when a local customer is looking for you. That's the quick tip for today. If you want a professional website without the agency price tag or the DIY headache, here is the better way. At Ugrow.Pro, we build it, we manage it, and we handle every update forever all for just $79 a month. There is zero setup fee, no contract, and it is strictly month to month, so there is zero risk. We're local here in AG and we can have you live in days, not months. Want to see what your site could look like? Go to Ugrow.Pro right now, and we'll design three custom mockups for your business, completely free, no strings attached. Thanks for listening and keep growing.