Why Your Website Isn’t Converting

Conversion: It’s the latest buzzword you are hearing everywhere. But what does it even mean? Conversions are when visitors complete a primary goal/action on your webpage. So are you struggling to convert website visitors into paying clients? Do you find that despite the amount of traffic to your website, the number of conversions is low?

First off, if your conversation rate is hitting around the 3% mark, you’re doing alright – that’s the average for a landing page. But still, 5% is better and 10% is what you really should be shooting for.

Lots of businesses struggle to turn their website traffic into leads and sales. The key to unlocking the mystery of why your website isn’t converting lies in understanding the process and the key elements behind successful website conversion. By understanding what works and what doesn’t, you can take steps toward improving your website conversion rate and driving more sales.

So why isn’t your website converting? Read on to discover several common mistakes and how to fix them.

If you’re new around here, I’m Hannah—a web designer & branding expert for self-care businesses that want to grow a loyal client base and better communicate their worth. These insights are based on my 10 years of web design experience for both service-based and e-commerce businesses. I offer one-to-one consulting, fully-customizable website templates, and heaps of free guidance to help independent businesses with optimizing their websites. Curious if your website is up to snuff? Grab the free Flawless Website Checklist.

You don’t have a clear goal in mind.

If your website isn’t converting, it could be because you don’t have a clear goal in mind. Every website should have a main action that you want people to take. This could include signing up for a newsletter, buying a product, or scheduling an appointment. It’s important to keep this CTA (call to action) in mind when designing each page of your website, as it will help to ensure that all your web design elements are working together to guide people to the desired outcome.

For example, if you want people to buy a product, you might include a big “buy now” button on each page, or focus on creating a clear path for people to follow to complete their purchase. If you want people to schedule an appointment, make sure you include a prominently placed form that’s easy to find.

Avoid dead-ends at all costs. Make sure that every page guides the user to take action or leads them elsewhere on the site. There is nothing worse than a website that is like a corn maze. If someone hits a dead-end, they will simply leave.

Your website design doesn’t resonate with your ideal client.

When it comes to website design, the goal should always be to create an engaging experience for your ideal client. This means taking into account the needs and wants of your target audience and designing your website accordingly. If your website doesn’t resonate with your ideal client, they will leave before taking any action – meaning lower conversion rates and fewer sales.

Focus on THEM, not you.

So don’t make the mistake of designing your website based on personal preference – you need to make sure it resonates with your target audience. Focus on creating a website that is easy to navigate, looks modern and professional, and provides a great user experience. Include relevant visuals, informative content, and engaging CTAs to draw them in and encourage them to take action. Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal client and ask yourself if your website resonates with them.

Even your messaging should not focus too much on you and instead, more on your client’s experience. Hook your audience in by nailing your intro. The headlines on your home and about page are the most important lines of copy on your site. Let them know immediately what you are providing to help them solve their problem. Can you audit the messaging on your website and try to remove as many “I” statements as possible?

Considering that nearly 40% of consumers said images and color were the visual elements they value most on a company website, your business should prioritize adding images and picking a website color scheme first.

With the right design, you can make sure your website resonates with your ideal client and helps you reach your business goals.

Your website is too complex.

When it comes to website conversion, your website design plays a major role. 84.6% of web designers believe crowded web design is the most common mistake made by small businesses. If your website is too complex, visitors may become overwhelmed, leading to a decrease in conversions. Taking a minimalist approach will help you. Keeping your site organized and free of clutter is key – as it establishes more trust and credibility. Start by decluttering any crowded pages. This can be done by removing any unnecessary elements and focusing on key messages that will help keep visitors engaged.

You should also make sure your website is easy to navigate – that means having a clear and concise navigation bar that can help visitors find what they’re looking for quickly. If there are too many links, people will get lost and not know where they need to go to find the information they need. I suggest keeping your main navigation to six links maximum and highlighting the primary action you want them to take (like a book now button).

Lastly, use visuals to draw attention to important information, rather than relying on long blocks of text. Most people scan websites, they don’t read them like books unless it’s a blog post. Now is not to write a novel or tell your entire life story. People don’t care and it’ll distract them from their goals (and yours)/ By creating a website that is not only visually appealing but also easy to use, you increase the chance of converting visitors into customers.

The mobile site was an afterthought…

In 2022, mobile phones generate 60.66% of website traffic! That’s huge! Billions of people are not looking at your website on their computers anymore. If you haven’t prioritized your mobile experience before, you better start now. 73.1% of web designers believe that a non-responsive design is why visitors leave a website.

Audit your site to ensure that the mobile experience flows well, the buttons are big enough to click with even the most clumsy of thumbs, and everything functions properly.

Now you know how to optimize your website for increased client conversions, I’ve got an article on How to Create the Most Effective Landing Page for you to read next to help with getting more leads.

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