Your website should be your hardest-working salesperson — attracting leads, building trust, and closing deals 24/7. But if it’s slow, confusing, or outdated, it’s doing the exact opposite: sending potential customers straight to your competitors.

At Seventynine Digital, we’ve worked with businesses of all sizes — from kasi-born startups to national corporates — and we’ve seen the same costly website mistakes again and again. The good news? They’re all fixable.

Here are the five biggest red flags that your website is underperforming — and exactly how to fix them.


1. It Loads Slower Than a Mzansi Traffic Jam

The Problem:
If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load, most visitors won’t stick around. Slow load speeds can be caused by bloated code, oversized images, cheap hosting, or outdated plugins.

The Fix:

  • Optimise images and compress files.

  • Switch to a reliable, high-performance hosting provider.

  • Keep your CMS, themes, and plugins up to date.

       At Seventynine Digital, we use enterprise-grade hosting and optimisation tools so your site loads fast — even on mobile data.


2. It’s Not Mobile-Friendly

The Problem:
In South Africa, over 70% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site looks messy or is hard to navigate on a phone, you’re losing the majority of your audience.

The Fix:

  • Use a responsive design so your site adapts to any device.

  • Test your site on different screen sizes regularly.

  • Prioritise touch-friendly navigation and clear calls to action.

“In 2025, if your website isn’t mobile-first, it’s not customer-first.” – Seventynine Digital


3. Your Design Looks Like It’s From 2010

The Problem:
An outdated design can make your business look out of touch, even if your products and services are world-class. Modern customers judge your credibility in seconds.

The Fix:

  • Refresh your visuals with a clean, modern layout.

  • Use consistent brand colours, fonts, and imagery.

  • Avoid clutter — every element should serve a purpose.


4. People Can’t Find What They Need

The Problem:
If visitors have to click more than 3–4 times to find key information (like your services, contact details, or pricing), they’ll give up.

The Fix:

  • Simplify your menu structure.

  • Add a clear call-to-action on every page.

  • Use headings, bullet points, and visual cues for easy scanning.


5. You’re Not Tracking Anything

The Problem:
If you don’t know how many people visit your site, where they come from, or what they do once they’re there, you can’t improve.

The Fix:

  • Install analytics tools like Google Analytics or Matomo.

  • Track conversions (form fills, calls, purchases).

  • Use the data to guide improvements, not guesswork.


The Bottom Line

Your website is often the first (and sometimes only) interaction a potential customer has with your business. A slow, outdated, or confusing site doesn’t just hurt your brand — it hurts your bottom line.

At Seventynine Digital, we design and build secure, scalable, and high-performing websites that don’t just look good — they work hard for your business. Whether you need a refresh or a full rebuild, we’ll make sure your site is helping you win customers, not lose them.


Think your website might be costing you customers? Let’s give it a free performance check. Book My Free Website Audit

Share Article

    Seventynine Digital — over a decade of bold, results-driven ICT and creative solutions, built for Mzansi. From startups to national brands, we deliver smart, secure, and purpose-driven digital that works.