It happens so often…
A small business owner commissions the creation of a website, and it looks great.
But nothing happens. No phone calls, no contact form submissions (aside from the usual spam), and you start questioning everything:
Am I just not good with technology?
Does a website even work for my kind of business?
Aren’t websites just for big companies?
In reality, the problem is usually much simpler than that: (a) While it looks good, it wasn’t designed with the end user in mind, and/ or (b) nobody knows about it.
Let’s look at some common issues you may have with your website, and how to fix them:
7 Reasons why your website doesn’t bring you customers
1. Nobody knows about the existence of your website:
If your website isn’t getting visitors, nobody can see what you offer. You personally know the web address of your website, but to everybody else, it’s like a hidden shop in the middle of nowhere.
If nobody sees it…
You get the picture.
Here are a few potential causes:
a. Your website isn’t ranking on Google.
On the one hand, many web designers don’t do any SEO (search engine optimization) on websites they build. They just want to make it look good. Essentially, it is like buying a car without an engine.
On the other hand, if you operate in a very competitive industry like real estate or weight loss, your website could just be drowned out by the sheer volume of competition.
Fix: Let someone with at least some basic understanding of SEO have a look at your website, and the signals it sends to Google about what it is about and what it offers. Ensure you have enough informational content on your website that Google doesn’t perceive it as “thin” or low-value. Ensure that the main keyword phrases you want to be found for are on your home page, in headings and the text content.
b. No localized SEO was done.
If your mechanical workshop is situated in say, Long Island in New York, but your website only states that it is in new York, it will mean that (a) you are competing with everybody else in New York, and more importantly (b) your website won’t show up for a search phrase like “Long Island mechanic”.
Fix: Ensure that not only is your location mentioned, but also your service area. You might be situated near the edge of one suburb or small town, but you also get business from the adjacent suburb or town. List the areas for which you are conveniently located, and/ or the areas you service.
c. No social media presence.
In the old days, people used to visit each other and talk about everything, including where they bought that nice new item in their lounge or wardrobe.
Today, they do that on social media.
Just like optimizing for Google, you can optimize your social profile for on-platform search. Also, creating regular informational content can systematically build you a following over time, giving you a platform to freely promote whatever offers you want to present to your audience.
d. No Google Business profile.
Google’s business listings are crucial for any local business. These listings are mostly displayed above search results, and they are your first chance to be seen, even in competitive markets. When people do localized searches, you need to show up here. Being visible here also – literally – “puts you on the map” – with Google providing directions to your business.
Fix: Claim your business address, and set up a decent, detailed Google Business profile, and add pages for specific services or products/product ranges. There is competition (for attention from Google) among Google Business profiles too, so make yours count.
You can of course also choose to simply use paid advertising. However, if business ever becomes tough, you will still need to pay for your advertising to generate new business. If your website is already visible on Google, Google maps and social media, you can have some organic visitors to your website without constantly spending money.
2. The “wrong people” visit your website:
In the world of business, intent is everything. Without intent to do an initial transaction, a good salesperson might be able to push someone into buying something, but they might not want to come back again.
While some people do browse and come back later to buy something, you never know how long they will wait before making a purchase, so it doesn’t contribute to your immediate cash flow needs.
So, if you write on your home page about “how plumbing works”, most of your visitors will just be curious about the topic. But if your home page says “Long Island plumber”, you will attract people who are looking for a plumber in Long Island.
If the content on your website speaks to the wrong people, it can be as useless as attracting school kids to a performance car workshop. Plenty of interest, but zero commercial value.
Fix: Have a look at the spread of keyword phrases on your website, and what the likely expectations would be from people using those search terms. Then make a list of terms which people would use on Google if they want your help, and work those terms into your content. Instead of going for broad keyword phrases, go after very specific phrases.
Also, for common searches, create service-specific pages with the keyword phrase in the title, the first paragraph and at least one sub-heading. Plus, of course, pay attention to keyword phrases around localized searches.
3. Your website is confusing:
This is much more common than you may think…
Aside from some web designers wanting to “innovate” and move things around, website visitors have become accustomed to a specific layout setup. Navigation menus are at the top, with a clear “home page” link.
Your first block should clearly state what you do, where and for whom.
Then there are other common issues like too much text without breaking it up using headings or graphics, no clear call to action, hard-to-find contact info, no clear services listed, or a design that is so outdated that your website doesn’t display/respond correctly on all modern mobile phones.
Fix: Ensure that everything is logical. Don’t reinvent the wheel. The easier it is to find things on your site, the less friction there is. The less friction, the more buyers. Put your phone number at the top. Ad a call to action button (shop now, contact us, book now, etc.) at the end of the first block on your home page, and again at the end of each page.
To test if your website is confusing or not, ask yourself this: If someone with no knowledge of your business or industry comes to your site, will they be able to find what they need in 5 seconds? If not, it’s not simple enough.
4. Your website doesn’t seem trustworthy:
If you sell mostly to younger people, and you sell low-priced products, you might be able to get past this. For everybody else, the “trust signals” from your website can make or break a deal.
So, how do people decide whether they can trust you or not?
They look at things like reviews, testimonials, actual pictures of your staff, your physical location, an email address at your domain name (not Gmail), and – where applicable – accreditations and certifications.
Fix: Even if you don’t have all of the potential trust signals in place, present everything you can – like a phone number, physical address, photos of staff (even if it’s just you), any applicable certifications or accreditations, and set up an email address at your business domain. Once your are able to gather real testimonials, add them, and once people leave reviews, link to them.
5. Your website is not mobile-friendly:
Fact 1: In general, more than 70% of all website visitors on the internet visit using their phones. It’s a big deal.
Fact 2: Google prioritizes mobile-friendly websites in its search results. If your website represents a poor experience for mobile users, expect your Google ranking to be lowered accordingly.
Simply having a website that re-shapes itself to the size of your screen isn’t always enough though.
Phone visitors come with specific needs:
Is the layout still logical on phones? What looks good on desktop doesn’t always work as well on mobile.
Is everything still easy to find? Do they have to scroll endlessly to get to where they need to be? Or are they faced with a wall of text?
Is the contrast good enough to enable them to navigate your site if light falls across their phone’s screen?
Does your website load quickly? Most phones don’t have the computing capability of your desktop, and depending on where you are located, internet speed may be less than ideal.
Is the font clear enough, and large enough to read on a phone, especially if your clientele include people aged 50 and over?
Fix: Keep the layout as simple as possible, and avoid adding scripts or heavy graphics that can slow down the website. Visit your website using your own phone, and be critical about your experience. Adjust as needed.
6. You are not following up:
Most visitors to small business websites – or much bigger ones, for that matter – don’t buy during their initial visit. Most of these visitors are just browsing, and they will move through their buyer journey at a later stage.
But if they visited and left…
They are more likely to complete their buyer journey on another website.
So, do you have a way to either follow up with them, or use retargeting ads that “follow” them across other websites they visit, or even just a way of tracking where everybody comes from?
Do you have a way to capture email addresses, even if just by using a contact form, or a WhatsApp group they can join?
Fix: Ensure you have Google Analytics installed – if nothing else, it will tell you where most of your visitors come from, which pages they visit and for how long, and from that you can deduce what their intent is, and how you need to adapt your website- or social media content. Identify what works, and adjust accordingly. Then, make it easy for people to connect with you, giving you a way to follow up with them.
7. Unrealistic expectations:
We see this one often. People watch Kevin Kostner’s Field of Dreams movie, and they expect that, just like the movie, “if they build it people will come”.
On the internet, it’s not quite as simple as that:
a. It takes time – and usually some additional effort – to get the SEO on your website just right, and for Google to acknowledge it. Also, Google waits a while to see if you are “just a flash in the pan”. Google sees millions of websites come and go, most of them “going” quite quickly.
b. Building trust takes time. People need to get to know you, and see that you show up consistently, in order to earn trust from your target customers. There are many, many con artists on the internet, and your website visitors need to know you are not one of them.
c. Building a social media presence takes time. In the beginning it is agonizingly slow. Eventually it starts picking up, and then it gathers momentum. But depending on your target market, that could take anything from three months to a year.
Just like a new shop doesn’t become busy – and remain busy – overnight, your website needs time before people will arrive at it on a regular basis.
Your suggested plan of action:
a. Check – or create – your Google Business profile. Improve it if possible.
b. Make your contact info and calls to action clearly visible.
c. If you can, add three testimonials to your home page.
d. Visit your own site using your mobile phone, and see if anything needs to be fixed.
e. Create just one locally-focused service page on your website.
In conclusion:
If your website isn’t working as it should, it’s not impossible to fix. However, you will need to look at it critically – not just from “a pleasant appearance” angle, but in terms of practicality and usability.
The main keys to website success are:
a. Strategy – know what you need to do.
b. Visibility – whether in Google, social media or paid ads.
c. Clarity – can your visitor easily navigate your site?.
d. Trust – what are your trust signals saying about you?
Just keep working on these four items, and the results will speak for themselves.
If your website doesn’t make you money, don’t give up on it. Just fix what needs to be fixed.