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Most of us have had these frustrating online experiences before, whether trying to shop, place a grocery pickup order, or search for a new pair of jeans. A customer’s patience doesn’t last long in this age of hyper-speed technology. In fact, the average adult has a screen attention span of 47 seconds.1 That means that your website has less than a minute to keep your customer’s attention before they move on to something else.
As business owners, we rely heavily on our websites to showcase our stationery products and services in the best light possible. If our main vehicle for sales isn’t working, it’s going to cost us those potential sales and future customers. And if you’re not bringing in the sales that you need, it’s time to start digging. Our guess? It’s not you, it’s your website.
Here are the top eight stationery business website mistakes that could keep your stationery business from growing:
1. Confusing navigation
Most websites have a menu button or toggle. But when you click on it, does it work? When you click the “About” button, does it take you to the correct page? These may seem like no-brainers, but when you’re creating your stationery business website, it can be easy to create with blinders on. And often, we go live with so much excitement that we forget to view our own site through the eyes of a potential customer.
Do a simple audit on your own website. When you open your website’s homepage, does your navigation make sense? Do your pages work? Are they linked properly? Making sure everything makes sense will go a long way in helping your customers navigate your website.
2. Slow loading speeds
With so much of our lives happening online these days, a slow loading speed can make or break your future sales. Remember, adults have a screen attention span of 47 seconds. So, if your pages are taking close to or longer than that to load, you’re going to be missing a lot of business. Sure, you may have some loyal customers who are willing to give your website some grace, but for a brand-new customer, that won’t be the case.
If your pages are slow loading, it’s time to “get under the hood” and optimize your site. Images that are too large can often be a major culprit of slow load speeds. By optimizing and compressing them, you’ll save more space, and your site could load more easily. Another culprit could be where you’ve chosen to host your website. If you’re utilizing a shared hosting service, you might want to start researching better options.
3. Poor mobile responsiveness
It’s no surprise that the time people spend online is through their mobile devices. In fact, over 59% of purchases in 2026 were made on mobile devices.2 So if you have a website that just isn’t mobile-responsive, you’re going to be missing out on a lot of sales. If you don’t have a mobile-optimized site, your customers’ shopping experience will likely be pretty rough.
The good news? Most website builders have a mobile-responsive feature that allows you to see your website design on both mobile and desktop. Check the back end of your website hosting platform to make sure your site is built for mobile and desktop.
4. Weak product pages
Remember, customers eat what they see. So, you need to show them your stationery in a way that gives them something to chew on. Product photography can either make or break your stationery product pages. A good product page displays your stationery in the best light, shows texture, accurate colors, and other intricate details through beautiful photography. Then, the rest of your product listing page shares everything they need to know about what you’re selling.
For example, if you’re selling a quarterly subscription of seasonal greeting cards, your future customer needs to see that information front and center. Share the details of what it means to purchase through a subscription with your shop and what to expect. Share the details of the seasonal designs... do they get to choose, or is it a mystery box? Clarity is kindness, especially when helping your future stationery clients make a purchase from your shop. The better service you give up front, the more likely they’ll be returning customers in the future.
5. Missing calls to action
One of the easiest ways to lose business within minutes is by creating too many barriers to shop. Make sure you have clear calls to action on every single page of your online shop. Let’s say your customer finds you through an ad on Instagram. That’s great! She clicks over to your store to find the cutest thank you card set... but there’s no “add to cart” button in her immediate view. She gives it one scroll and decides she’ll come back to it later. Chances are, she’s not going to come back.
Creating a “next step” on each page, front and center, is the key to helping your customer get to the checkout page without any barriers. As you’re looking at your shop, think about what action you want them to take. Don’t make your customers search for an “Add to Cart” button. You want it to be front and center, easily seen and differentiated from other content, and easily accessible. You should have a few CTAs on each page, making sure your customers know exactly what their next step is when they come to your shop for stationery.
6. Lack of SEO optimization
SEO is short for search engine optimization. And these days, SEO isn’t the only optimization we need. There’s also Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). SEO focuses on helping your site get ranked higher when people are searching for stationery on sites like Google. AEO is all about helping AI use your content in its AI Overview sections on search. And GEO means being chosen as a credible source for those overviews as well. If you’re new to this (and it’s okay if you are), it all boils down to how easily someone can find your stationery when they’re searching for “custom wedding stationery.”
Many website builders have SEO optimization built into their sites, which can be extremely helpful for solo entrepreneurs who don’t have too much time to dive in. Just make sure that you didn’t skip that section when setting up your site. You’ll be happy you didn’t!
7. Inconsistent branding
Your brand consists of your logo, your name, your fonts, colors, voice, and products. Branding is extremely important because it helps set your stationery apart from all the other brands out there. For instance, you are a stationery designer who only uses watercolor florals in your designs. That design style sets you apart from other designers and can be a huge help in creating your brand style. But if your signature design style doesn’t match up with your branding, it can be confusing for the customer as they shop your page. Watercolor gives off a soft vibe, so matching it with a font that’s all caps and extremely bold doesn’t make sense.
Branding is also important because it gives your customers a seamless experience as they navigate your site. Are you using different fonts, colors, graphics, logos, and other images? If so, it’s time to streamline. Choose a main font style and keep it consistent throughout your website. Make sure your logo is easily visible and matches the name on the rest of your website too. And remember…white space is your friend. (Just because there’s space doesn’t mean you have to fill it.)
8. Difficult checkout experiences
Out of every page on your website, the checkout page is the most important! If it’s not loading or if you’re asking your customers to jump through too many hoops to purchase your stationery, then they may decide it’s not worth the time spent trying to make the purchase. Making sure your checkout process is as smooth as possible will help your sales and ensure that your customers have a great user experience in your shop at the same time.
Want to Work Together?
Now that you know what stationery business website mistakes you need to avoid, it’s time to do an audit. Download our free Stationery Website Check-up to help you figure out how to serve your customers even better.
And if you’ve tackled your website and are ready to start gaining more time back in your busy days, maybe it’s time to find a printing partner! We’ve been partnering with stationers all over the country for over thirty years, bringing their beautiful ideas and designs to life. And we want to help you too! If you want to get your time back and stop burning the midnight oil so you can focus on the rest of your business, let’s work together. Fill out an application here and let’s get started!