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Writer's pictureJessica Ponyrko

10 Times Your Website Let You Down

So you started your own business (wooo!). You got things up and running, you got yourself a website that you think represents your business pretty well, and now you're just sitting back, ready for all the sales and clients to just come rushing in, right?



Well, what happens if all those sales and client's don't come rushing in? There could be a number of reasons for this: maybe your brand needs a strategy or an audit, or maybe you're not leveraging content marketing as much as you could to reach new customers. OR... maybe your website is letting you down.


Not all websites are created equal, and just because it's there doesn't necessarily mean that it's attracting visitors or actively doing its job to convert them to customers or clients. The main purpose of your website should be to help you convert customers. If it's not doing that, it could be that your site is letting you down in one of these ways.


1. It lacked a clear CTA

What good is it to get people over to your website if you aren't then giving them very clear instructions on what to do when they get there?? Your CTA (call to action) should be predominant and pronounced throughout your website, so that no matter where someone lands on your page, it's super quick and easy for them to take action. Think: Buy Now, Schedule a Consult, Learn More!


2. It's focused on what you want to say, and not what your customers want to hear

Budgets are tight when you're starting out on your own - believe me, I get that. And frequently I hear from potential clients who set up their own websites when they were starting out. This is fine! But oftentimes the issue with this is that they were too close to it, and they designed it assuming all the things people needed to hear about how great their product or service is, and that's not usually what makes sales. What you need to sell is a solution to a problem. So understanding your target customers and what their problems are leads to website design and copy focused on solving that issue. I'm sure whatever you're selling is amazing, but people need to be told why they need that amazingness.


3. You didn't use smart keywords

Keywords are one of those things - we all know we need to be using them, but we rarely understand how or why. Proper keyword research involves understanding your ideal clients, getting to know what their intent is when they land on your site, researching what keywords your competition is ranking for, and determining from there which keywords are likely to convert.


4. It isn't properly optimized for SEO

There's really no denying that if your website isn't seeing traffic that it isn't doing the job you want it to do. And one reason why you may not be seeing traffic is because your site isn't optimized for SEO. This means not just putting keywords on your website, but also using them in your meta descriptions and title tags. It means consistently using alt text throughout your page and images. It's having a high domain authority score. It's really understanding how search engines like Google interpret and index your page.


5. It's not optimized for mobile

Did you know that mobile web traffic has consistently accounted for about half of all global web traffic since the beginning of 2017? Probably even higher over the last two years. It's hard to avoid: someone is going to land on your website for the first time while on a mobile device. Is your website optimized for mobile, or are you giving those potential clients an awful first impression?


6. It's not capturing leads

Many of us have heard the basic marketing principle that it takes 7 touches before someone will make an informed purchasing decision. If people are landing on your website and it's not set up to capture their information before they leave, you're missing a golden opportunity to get those 6 additional "touches" with them that might be the differentiating factor in them transitioning from a lead to a customer. Not having a lead magnet on your website to help gather email addresses is a huge miss.


7. Your content isn't engaging

Ok, you got someone to land on your website. Now what? If you're not offering appealing, engaging content that speaks to their problems and needs, they're likely to just turn around and leave. Make sure the value that you're adding to their lives is clearly called out from the moment someone lands on your website.


8. Navigation is leading to a weird user experience

We've all had that experience, where we land on a new website and have to search around for what we're looking for. It takes approximately 2 seconds before most of us get frustrated. Think of your website in the exact same way. Is your site navigation intuitive for your customer journey? Is it easy for them to find what they're looking for? How about to contact you or add something to their cart? It's hard to hold a consumer's attention in this digital age, so be sure your site is optimized to not lose it instantly.


9. There's no social proof

Why do so many small business owners feel so uncomfortable asking for referrals and testimonials? When you're a small business owner, whether you provide a service or a product, YOU are one of the main reasons someone made the decision to purchase. Not only does that mean they're likely more than willing to write something up about how great you are, it also means that others will truly value that feedback. Failing to show social proof of your value on your website means you're missing an opportunity to show people they can trust you.


10. It looks OLD & TIRED!

I hate to say this, but that website you were super proud of when it launched back in 2018 is now looking borderline archaic. Technology moves swiftly these days, and failing to consistently update your website and the experience that users have on it can quickly result in your site coming across as outdated. And, fair or not, that will likely mean people judge your overall ability to meet their modern needs.


The great news is that all of these issues are able to be fixed, even if your website is suffering from a few of these problems. You can likely make incremental progress by addressing these issues one or a few at a time. Or you can assess whether it's time to launch a whole new site. Whatever your decision, having a solid strategy for who you are targeting and working with a professional who will help you look at the whole package can make all the difference.


Interested in getting an audit of your current website to see what you could be doing better? Reach out to me at jessica@anchorwatchmarketing.com or sign up for a free consult here.

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