Common mistakes that kill conversions
No clear call-to-action
When someone visits your website, they need to know exactly what you want them to do next. Many websites bury this information or make visitors hunt for it. Your main call-to-action should be visible immediately, ideally in multiple places on every page.
- Use action words like "Call Now" or "Get a Free Quote"
- Make buttons stand out with contrasting colors
- Place them where visitors naturally look
Poor mobile experience
More than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices. If your site doesn't work well on phones, you're losing potential customers. Common mobile problems include text that's too small to read, buttons too close together, forms that are difficult to fill out, and images that don't load properly. When someone lands on a site that's hard to use, they'll leave and find a competitor instead.
- Text that's too small to read
- Buttons too close together to tap accurately
- Forms that are difficult to fill out
- Images that don't load properly
Slow loading times
If your website takes more than three seconds to load, you're losing customers. People expect instant results. When a page takes too long, they assume something is wrong and click away. Speed matters for both user experience and search engine rankings.
- Large images slow down your site
- Too many plugins add unnecessary load time
- Outdated hosting creates delays
Confusing layout or messaging
Your website should immediately answer three questions. If visitors have to read through paragraphs of text to figure out your main service, they'll get frustrated and leave. Use clear headlines, simple language, and organize information logically.
- What do you do?
- Who do you do it for?
- Why should they choose you?
Missing trust signals
When someone visits your website for the first time, they don't know you. They need reasons to trust you before they'll contact you. Without these signals, visitors assume you might not be trustworthy and move on.
- Customer reviews or testimonials
- Photos of your team or work
- Your physical location
- Years in business
- Professional certifications
No local SEO focus
If you serve a specific geographic area, your website needs to be optimized for local searches. When someone types "plumber near me" or "best restaurant in [your city]," you want to appear in those results.
- Include your location throughout your website
- Create location-specific pages
- Get listed in local directories
- Ensure your business information is consistent everywhere online
Traffic alone doesn't equal success
You might be getting hundreds or thousands of visitors to your website, but if none of them are converting into leads, that traffic is worthless. The goal isn't just to get people to visit—it's to get the right people to visit and then take action. Your website needs to attract the right visitors and then guide them toward contacting you.
What a lead-generating website looks like
Clear headline and purpose
Within three seconds of landing on your homepage, visitors should understand exactly what you do. Your headline should be specific and benefit-focused, not generic. Instead of "Welcome to Our Business," use something like "Expert Plumbing Services in [Your City]—Available 24/7."
One main goal per page
Don't try to do everything on every page. When you have one clear goal per page, it's easier to design the page to achieve that goal.
- Homepage: focus on getting visitors to call or fill out a contact form
- Services page: focus on getting them to request a quote
- About page: focus on building trust
Easy contact options
Make it as simple as possible for visitors to reach you. The easier you make it to contact you, the more people will.
- Include a phone number that's clickable on mobile devices
- Add a contact form that's easy to find and fill out
- Consider options like Facebook Messenger or live chat
- Put contact info in your header, footer, and throughout your pages
Mobile-first design
Your website should be built to work perfectly on phones first, then adapted for larger screens. This makes sense when you consider that most of your visitors are on mobile devices. A mobile-first website loads quickly, displays clearly, and makes it easy to take action—all on a small screen.
Fast, secure hosting
Cheap hosting might save money upfront, but slow servers and frequent downtime cost you customers. Your website needs to load quickly and be available whenever someone tries to visit. Additionally, having an SSL certificate (the padlock icon in the browser) is essential. Without it, browsers warn visitors that your site isn't secure, which destroys trust before they even see your content.
Check your website right now
You can identify many of these issues yourself. If they can't tell you immediately, your messaging needs work.
- Visit your website on your phone—can you easily read everything?
- Can you tap buttons without accidentally hitting something else?
- Does it load quickly?
- Can you find your phone number and contact form easily?
- Ask a friend what your main service is within five seconds
Test your website speed
Use free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check if your site is loading too slowly. Review your homepage and see if you can identify your main call-to-action within three seconds. If not, it needs to be more prominent.
Consider a professional audit
If you've identified problems but aren't sure how to fix them, consider getting a professional website audit. A thorough audit examines all the elements that affect lead generation: design, speed, mobile experience, SEO, trust signals, and conversion optimization. Many web design professionals offer free audits as a way to help business owners understand what's working and what isn't.
Your website can generate leads
Your website is a tool, and like any tool, it needs to be designed and maintained properly to work effectively. The fact that your website isn't generating leads doesn't mean websites don't work for your business—it means your website needs adjustments to work better. With the right approach, your website can become one of your most effective marketing tools, bringing in qualified leads around the clock. Focus on clarity, ease of use, and trust-building, and you'll see your website start working for your business instead of just existing as an online brochure.