Lessons From 100+ Web Audits: The Top 5 Things Killing Your Site Performance

Over the past year, we’ve audited 100+ websites across industries, from startups and service businesses to eCommerce brands and local pros. And while every site is unique, the issues holding them back are shockingly common.

At gotcha!, we believe your website should be your hardest-working employee: generating leads, building trust, and moving visitors to action 24/7. But too often, we find sites that look decent on the surface but are leaking conversions, SEO juice, and user trust under the hood.

Here are the top 5 killers of site performance we see again and again, and what to do about them.

1. Slow Load Times (Especially on Mobile)

If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, you’ve already lost up to 53% of your visitors, especially on mobile. And Google’s Core Web Vitals now bake page speed into SEO rankings.

Common culprits:

• Oversized hero images 
• Uncompressed videos and backgrounds 
• Too many third-party scripts (chatbots, pop-ups, trackers) 
• Bloated WordPress themes or outdated builders 

Fix it:

• Use modern compression (WebP, lazy loading) 
• Optimize for mobile-first performance 
• Consider rebuilding with lightweight frameworks (like we do with g!WebDev™) 

2. No Clear Call to Action (Or Too Many)

Too many sites fall into the trap of “visual overload”, sliders, animations, five different buttons, and no clear path for the user. If your visitor has to think too hard, they’ll bounce.

What we often see:

• Competing CTAs (“Book a Call”, “Sign Up”, “Download Guide” all at once) 
• No CTA above the fold 
• Buried or inconsistent contact buttons 

Fix it:

• Define ONE primary action per page 
• Use bold, accessible buttons with action verbs 
• Keep CTAs consistent across the site (especially on mobile) 

3. Thin or Unfocused Content

You can’t just look good, your content needs to deliver value, answer questions, and support SEO. Many sites fall short with shallow copy, vague messaging, or keyword stuffing.

Common content issues:

• Homepages that talk about the company but not the customer 
• No clarity on services, pricing, or results 
• Missing foundational SEO content (like H1 tags, meta descriptions, FAQs) 

Fix it:

• Write customer-first copy that solves problems and communicates value 
• Use structured headings, scannable sections, and SEO-optimized language 
• Use tools like g!Stream™ to generate topic-driven, search-friendly content automatically 

4. Bad Mobile UX

More than 65% of all web traffic is mobile, yet many sites are still built desktop-first, or not optimized at all for smaller screens. Poor tap targets, tiny fonts, and layout issues drive users away fast.

Mobile red flags:

• Menus that don’t collapse or function properly 
• Long load times due to desktop-heavy assets 
• Buttons that are too small to tap easily 
• Forms that don’t auto-adjust for mobile fields 

Fix it:

• Design mobile-first, not just mobile-responsive 
• Use sticky nav, floating CTAs, and streamlined forms 
• Test on multiple devices (not just your iPhone) 

5. No Trust Signals or Social Proof

Visitors won’t convert if they don’t trust you. And trust is built with visual proof, not just words.

What’s missing on most sites:

• Client testimonials 
• Case studies or results 
• Trust badges (Google reviews, security icons, partner logos) 
• Team photos or real imagery 

Fix it:

• Feature real people, real wins, real credibility 
• Show off reviews, industry certifications, press mentions 
• Add video testimonials or before/after examples when possible 

What gotcha! Does Differently

At gotcha!, we don’t just fix websites, we turn them into conversion engines. With tools like:

• g!WebDev™ – lightning-fast, SEO-smart custom sites 
• g!Stream™ – AI-generated, structured content that ranks 
• g!Reviews™ – built-in trust with real-time review feeds 

We help businesses eliminate friction, build authority, and drive action from every visitor. Whether you’re a SaaS company, a service provider, or an eComm brand, your site should be doing more for you.

Want a Free Web Audit?

We’ll run your site through our 40-point performance checklist, no strings attached, and show you exactly what’s working and what’s not.

👉 Request Your Free Audit Now

Let’s turn your website from a digital placeholder into a digital powerhouse.