It’s a truth universally acknowledged that most businesses are stuck with dumpster fire websites that are painful to look at and even worse to manage.
These websites are high-maintenance, time-consuming, and drag you away from the things you actually enjoy doing. Most website issues have easy fixes, but when you've been dealing with a digital disaster for so long, it’s hard to see the light.
Your website is the front door of your business. It’s likely the first (and maybe last) impression a potential client gets of you. That alone should be enough to make you take it seriously.
Think about it: what’s the first thing anyone does when they hear about a business? They hit up Google. Boom – there’s all the reason you need to get that website sorted!
Red Flag #1: You don’t have access to your own website.
People go months, sometimes YEARS without updating their website, not because they don’t care but because they can’t. Why? They don’t have access. Yeah, seriously.
That usually traces back to whoever designed it.
A lot of businesses cheap out on their web design (bad move), and education is the first thing to get cut. Then, clients are left with no clue how to access their site. But even when they’ve forked over a truckload of cash, some designers keep clients locked out like a prison warden afraid of a breakout.
Not always malicious, though. Some designers don’t trust their clients with access because, well, they think the client will wreck their hard work.
Either way, it’s a dysfunctional relationship full of distrust. Can anything good come out of a dynamic like that? (Spoiler alert: No.)
The fix: Fire your current web designer faster than a match to gasoline and find someone who respects, educates, and builds a trusting relationship with you.
It’s like building a house, right? Imagine you spent hundreds of thousands hiring a contractor. But when you want to hang a picture or paint the walls, you find out you have to pay them $200/hour to do it. Ridiculous, right? Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening when you can’t access your own website.
Red Flag #2: Your website is so complicated you can’t edit it.
Does your website feel like a living, breathing entity whose sole mission is to ruin your day?
Maybe you finally get your site looking good, then an update rolls through and – poof – it’s all gone. Or maybe you’re trying to publish a simple blog post, but it feels like disarming a bomb.
More often than not, this mess comes from content management systems (CMS) that are a hot pile of junk. WordPress, for example, is an absolute nightmare to manage.
If someone told you, “You need WordPress for a professional website,” here’s why:
- They told you this years ago – the web’s changed since then.
- They’re trying to sell you a WordPress website.
- You genuinely do need it – but that’s rare.
WordPress is like a clown slapping on layers of makeup without ever wiping it off – over time, it turns into a terrifying mess. Sure, web designers patch it up, but those patches need patches, and it becomes a digital Frankenstein.
The fix: Ditch the chaos and switch to a modern, easy-to-use website builder that works with you, not against you. Other systems, like HubSpot, exist so you can spend time growing your business, not fixing your website.
Red Flag #3: Your website got hacked, or you’re scared it will.
If you’re worried about getting hacked, you’re not wrong. It’s a legitimate concern.
Hacking is a nightmare – one minute your website’s fine, and the next, your traffic is redirected to some sketchy malware site, or worse, your website’s just gone.
WordPress is notorious for being vulnerable. It’s a hacker’s playground because the code has more holes than Swiss cheese.
The fix: Secure your website, back it up, and have a plan. HTTPS, daily backups, and a backup plan are non-negotiable.
The Bottom Line:
Don’t let your website become your biggest regret. If it’s a nightmare, there are so many better options out there now. If you need help escaping from a bad website situation, Pyromaniac Digital’s here to rescue you from the ashes and build something that works.
Because nobody deserves to be in a bad relationship – with their website or otherwise.
