Avoid These Online Mistakes. Discover the top 10 mistakes most beginners make when building an online presence—and how to avoid them for faster growth.
And how to avoid wasting time, energy, and momentum.
Building an online presence in today’s world is like stepping onto a crowded stage — you’ve only got a few seconds to show the audience why they should pay attention.
And if you’re anything like the folks I work with, you’re juggling a lot: blog posts, email lists, social platforms, product ideas — all while wondering, Am I doing any of this right?
Well, here’s some good news: you don’t have to figure it all out the hard way.
Over the years, I’ve seen the same common traps trip people up. Not because they’re lazy or inexperienced — but because no one told them how to avoid these online mistakes.
So today, I’ll do that for you.
Let’s walk through the 10 biggest mistakes I see new (and even experienced) entrepreneurs make when building their online presence — and how you can steer clear of them.
A strong brand isn’t just a pretty logo or fancy fonts. It’s the personality your business shows up with online — the tone, the look, and the message that makes people feel something when they land on your page.
If your brand identity is all over the place, people won’t know what you stand for — or worse, they won’t remember you at all.
Your brand is how people recognise you when you're not in the room.
✅ What to do:
Look, your website doesn’t need to win design awards.
But it does need to be fast, clear, and mobile-friendly.
People make snap judgments — if your site loads slowly or looks outdated, you’ll lose them before they even read the first line.
✅ What to do:
And always have a clear next step — a CTA (Call To Action) that tells the visitor exactly what to do next.
Here’s the deal: you can create the most amazing content in the world, but if nobody can find it, it might as well be invisible.
SEO isn’t just about keywords — it’s about making your site easy to find, understand, and trust.
✅ What to do:
SEO is a long game — but every little improvement builds momentum.
You don’t have to post daily. You don’t have to be on every platform.
But if you vanish for weeks (or months) at a time, your audience starts to forget you.
Inconsistency doesn’t just kill reach. It erodes trust.
✅ What to do:
The goal is to stay top of mind — without burning out.
Engagement isn’t a vanity metric. It’s a trust signal.
If you’re not talking with your audience, you’re just talking at them.
✅ What to do:
Remember, people don’t follow brands. They follow people they feel seen by.
I’ve seen businesses crumble overnight because they put everything into one platform — and then the algorithm changed, or the account got flagged.
Don’t build your entire online presence on borrowed land.
✅ What to do:
Own your audience. Don’t just rent them.
If you’re not looking at your numbers, you’re flying blind.
And in today’s digital world, data is your best feedback loop.
✅ What to do:
You don’t need spreadsheets and dashboards. Just look at what’s working — and do more of it and avoid these online mistakes.
Social media is noisy. SEO is slow. Ads cost money.
Email? It’s your direct line to your warmest leads.
But many people either don’t start a list… or send one awkward email every six months and wonder why nobody clicks.
✅ What to do:
If your list isn’t growing, neither is your business.
People are skeptical — and for good reason.
They’ve been burned by empty promises and too-good-to-be-true offers.
That’s why proof sells more than pitches.
✅ What to do:
Let others do the talking — it builds trust faster than anything else.
The online world doesn’t sit still.
What worked in 2020 doesn’t always work now.
And what feels comfortable might be what’s keeping you stuck.
✅ What to do:
Growth requires motion — even imperfect motion.
Here’s the thing: every creator, coach, and business owner I’ve ever met — including me — has made at least a few of these mistakes.
But what separates those who succeed is this:
They keep going. They keep learning. And they keep showing up.
Your online presence is a living thing. It doesn’t need to be perfect — just consistent, authentic, and yours.
So take what you’ve learned here and make some smart moves.
Tidy up your site. Send the email. Hit publish on the post you’ve been sitting on.
Because your audience is out there — waiting for someone just like you.
Let’s avoid these online mistakes and build it together.
— Max Lockhart
If you’re serious about building an online presence that actually earns — especially in uncertain times — you’ll want to grab a copy of my free guide:
The Side Hustle Starter Kit.
You don’t need to have it all figured out to start something amazing.
In this free guide, you’ll discover:
This isn’t a get-rich-quick gimmick. It’s your realistic, motivating starting point.
👉 Enter your name and e-mail address in the box below to get it free.