If you’re a small business, chances are you have a website. You’ve probably printed business cards with your URL on them. Maybe you’ve even spent money on online advertising. Now you sit back and wait for the new customers to start rolling in.
Silence.
Google Analytics tells you traffic is coming to your site but nobody is contacting you. If your website isn’t bringing in a consistent stream of leads, something may be wrong. Thankfully, a few easy fixes can get your site back on track and bringing in customers.
Here are seven ways your website is losing you customers and easy ways to fix them.
1. No call to action
One of the most common mistakes we see website owners make is not including a clear call to action. A call to action, better known as a CTA, is usually a statement and a button compelling visitors to take action.
Examples of CTAs include:
- Sign Up
- Get a Quote
- Buy Now
The Easy Fix:
Begin by figuring out exactly what you want visitors to do on your site. Try to zero in on the one specific action that, if taken, will have the most benefit for your business.
Next, you’ll want to make sure everything on your site is funneling towards that action. You’ll want to update headlines, text, photos and make sure to include your CTA button on every page.
2. Your website is all about you
Another common mistake is making your website all about you. When people come to your website they want to know how you can help them. By making your content all about you, you’re missing the opportunity to tell visitors what you can to do for them.
The Easy Fix:
Begin by identifying which specific problems, or pain points, your customers are experiencing. Next, focus your content on how your offering helps them solve their problem. Reframe your features as benefits and you’ll connect with your audience like never before.
3.Lack of trust
Another way your website may be losing your customers is a lack of trust. People tend to avoid risk and the rise of online scammers have made people more risk-averse than ever. That’s why social proof such as testimonials have become a staple on many websites.
The Easy Fix:
Reach out to your best customers and ask them to write a brief testimonial for you. Consider asking right after you complete a service or deliver a product. This is when your customers are happiest and likely to write a positive testimonial.
People tend to trust testimonials more when accompanied by photos of real people. If possible, include a photo of your customer with the testimonial.
4. Complicated forms
Another common mistake is overcomplicating forms. People often feel overwhelmed when presented with too many questions. By reducing the number of fields on your forms, you’re much less likely to overwhelm your visitors.
The Easy Fix:
Limit your form fields to the essentials only. For instance, if a customer’s phone number or home address aren’t needed at this step, don’t ask for it.
Another simple fix is combining similar fields. For example, instead of ‘first name’ and ‘last name’ consider ‘full name’.
5. Too much industry jargon
Jargon is unique terminology used in your industry. While these terms may be clear or obvious to you, they may not be clear to your customers. Using too much industry jargon can leave your customers confused, frustrated or bored.
The Easy Fix:
Use clear language that your customers are more likely to understand. Try writing for a more general audience and when possible, use the words and phrases they would use. If you find a case where you can’t avoid industry terminology, use an example to provide context.
6. Too many distractions
Whether you’re selling products or generating leads, your goal is for customers to take action. Distractions are elements that slow or prevent your customers from taking action. If you’re bombarding visitors with pop-ups, sign-ups and unnecessary text, it’s time for a change.
The Easy Fix:
Optimize your content to flow towards your call-to-action. Make sure that every element is persuasive, helpful and funnels visitors to your CTA. If an element interrupts your flow, move it to a more appropriate home or consider removing it altogether.
7. Bad or outdated design
The final way your website may be losing you customers is bad or outdated design. A bad design can look unprofessional and even lose customers to your competition. Further, if your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re missing out on over half your audience.
The Easy Fix:
The fix for bad design is to hire a designer or agency that can take your website to the next level. You’ll want to look for a partner who understands design as well as strategy to help you meet your goals.
If you’re looking for a partner to help with your next project, we’d love to work with you.
