6 Reasons Your Website Isn’t Getting You Enough Leads or Sales (And How to Fix It)

A website that just looks pretty doesn’t cut it anymore. Whether you’re in the service industry or e-commerce world, you need your website to help you grow your business. But what do you do if you’re only hearing crickets in your inbox?

It’s a common and frustrating problem for many business owners. When the only people spending time on your website are your BFF that you asked to proofread it, and your mum’s book club that she shared it with, there are some fundamental issues at play.

Let’s explore the reasons why your website isn’t getting sales, and provide actionable solutions to fix them.

1) Win Your Customers Over BEFORE Selling

Problem:
One of the most off-putting experiences is landing on a website and being immediately hit with a product photo and a “buy now” button. This approach is pushy and can make potential customers feel pressured, leading to high bounce rates.

Solution:
Focus on letting your personality shine through your website’s content. Remember, often a lead or a sale won’t come from the customer’s first visit. So by building a genuine connection, they are more likely to interact with your website, and remember you when they are ready to buy or inquire.

Try this:
Review your website’s homepage and identify areas where you can introduce more of your brand personality. Replace the product image or aggressive sales pitch in the first section of your homepage with a beautiful image of your product in action or a glimpse of the team behind the service.

2) Ditch the Details, Highlight Your Value

Problem:
Delving straight into the technical aspects of what you offer can be overwhelming AND boring for customers in the early stages of their buying journey. Not a good mix.

Solution:
Clearly articulate what sets your business apart and highlight the problems your products or services solve for your customers. Focus on how you will make their lives better. Use compelling copy that speaks directly to the needs and desires of your target audience.

Try this:
Rewrite the text on your website’s key pages to focus on the value you bring to your customers. Ensure that the benefits of your products or services are clear and relatable. If you do have technical specs, include them further down the page or deeper into the website.

3) Invest in Professional Photography ASAP

Problem:
Low-quality, fuzzy photos can significantly damage the first impression your website makes. It’s a saying for a reason: a picture is worth 1000 words. And a photo taken on your 5-year-old iPhone on your dining table late at night makes your business look unprofessional and untrustworthy.

Solution:
Professional photography and high-quality, original images can make a significant difference in how visitors perceive your website and brand. If a professional photographer is not within your budget, ensure that your photos have good lighting, are not pixelated, and show your service or product in action.

Try this:
Replace any fuzzy photos on your website with images that represent your brand and products clearly. You can use high-quality stock images (like from Pexels and Unsplash) to fill in the gaps, but don’t overdo it.

4) Show Off Stellar Reviews and How Legit You Are

Problem:
Without testimonials or reviews on your homepage, you best believe potential customers are skeptical about the quality of your products or services.

Solution:
Time for some social proof. Screenshots of glowing reviews or automated feeds from review platforms (like Google My Business) look more trustworthy than copy-pasted text. And it’s okay if your overall rating isn’t a 5-star: research shows that consumers think they are too good to be true, and actually trust a 4 – 4.7 star rating more than a perfect score.

Try this:
Gather testimonials from your satisfied customers and add them to key pages. Consider incentivising customers to leave a review by offering something in return (like a freebie or discount), and build this step into your sales or off-boarding process.

5) Give Something to Your Website Visitors

Problem:
Visitors need a reason to engage with your brand, otherwise they might leave your website without taking any action. Not taking the chance to grab their email is a missed opportunity to convert visitors into leads or customers.

Solution:
Offer something irresistible right off the bat in exchange for an email address. This could be a discount code, a free digital eBook, or more in-depth learning such as vlogs, blogs, and how-to guides.

Try this:
Create a valuable resource or discount code that you can offer to your website visitors. Promote it on your homepage and on social media, and collect email addresses in exchange for the offer.

6) Back Up Your Website with Consistent Marketing

Problem:
You expect your website to do all of this work without actually sharing it with the world. A well-designed website is only effective if people know it exists.

Solution:
To truly leverage your website’s potential, you need to back it up with a consistent marketing strategy. This includes using social media platforms to share engaging content that drives traffic to your site, implementing email marketing campaigns to keep your audience informed, and leveraging paid advertising to reach a broader audience.

Try this:
Create a marketing plan that outlines your marketing strategies. Make a commitment to consistently promote your website, including adding your URL to your social media and Google My Business profiles, linking it in your stories on Instagram, and sharing posts and updates with the call-to-action of visiting your website.

Recommended reading – The Ultimate Guide: How to Plan Social Media Content

Conclusion

Improving your website’s ability to generate leads and sales involves making strategic changes that enhance user experience and build trust with your audience. Here’s a summary of the tasks you should focus on:

• Warm your audience up before you sell: Introduce more of your brand’s story and personality on your homepage.
• Focus on your value, not the details: Rewrite your website’s copy to focus on the outcome of using your products or services.
• Upgrade your images: Replace low-quality photos with high-resolution, professional images.
• Prove that you’re trustworthy: Add testimonials and reviews to your homepage.
• Offer a freebie: Engage visitors and collect email addresses.
• Share your website with the world: Promote your website with a consistent marketing plan.

By implementing these changes, you’ll be well on your way to turning your website into a powerful tool that attracts and converts visitors into loyal customers.