Having a website is step one. Having a website that actually works for your business is step two — and most businesses skip it. Here are seven mistakes I see on Rwandan business websites constantly.
1. It takes forever to load
53% of mobile visitors leave a page that takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Three seconds. If your website has uncompressed images, heavy animations, or cheap hosting, you’re losing more than half your visitors before they see a single word.
Test your site speed at PageSpeed Insights (free, by Google). If your score is below 50, you have a problem.
2. No mobile version
Over 80% of internet traffic in Rwanda comes from mobile phones. If your website looks great on a laptop but terrible on a phone, you’ve just lost 80% of your audience. Check your website on your own phone right now. Can you read the text without zooming? Can you tap the buttons easily? If not, that’s your first fix.
3. Missing or buried contact info
I’ve seen business websites where finding the phone number requires three clicks and a scroll. Your contact information should be visible on every page — ideally in the header or footer. Phone number. WhatsApp. Email. Location. Don’t make people hunt for how to give you money.
4. No clear call to action
A visitor lands on your homepage. It’s beautiful. Great photos. Nice design. But what should they do? Book a table? Request a quote? Call you? If the answer isn’t obvious within 5 seconds, they’re leaving.
Every page needs one clear action: “Book Now,” “Get a Quote,” “WhatsApp Us.” Make it big. Make it obvious.
5. Outdated information
Your menu still shows 2024 prices. Your “coming soon” section has been coming soon for two years. Your team page features someone who left six months ago. Outdated information tells visitors you don’t care about your online presence — and if you don’t care, why should they?
6. Stock photos everywhere
Generic handshake photos. Smiling people in suits who are clearly not from Kigali. Stock images scream “this business couldn’t be bothered to take real photos.” Use your phone. Take photos of your actual space, your actual team, your actual products. Authenticity beats polish every time.
7. No HTTPS (the padlock)
If your website shows “Not Secure” in the browser bar, many visitors will leave immediately. Google Chrome actively warns users about non-HTTPS sites. It also hurts your Google ranking. SSL certificates are free through Let’s Encrypt — there’s no excuse for not having one.
None of these are expensive fixes. Most are free. The expensive part is doing nothing — every day these mistakes persist, potential customers are bouncing off your website and going to someone whose site actually works.
If you’re not sure where to start, services like Kisimenti handle all of these by default — mobile-optimised, fast-loading, HTTPS-secured, with clear calls to action built in.