It's a common struggle. Staring at your website analytics with that sinking feeling in your stomach. The traffic numbers could always be better, bounce rates seem way too high, but the enquiries? The sales? They're nowhere to be found.
It's like opening a shop on the high street, watching people peer through your window all day, but never stepping inside to buy. More often than not, it's not the wrong type of traffic and they're not all too early in the customer journey. It's about making a better first impression and giving them less options. Everything should be geared towards making it easier for users to interact and commit to some level with your business or action you want them to take on every page.
I see it all the time. Small business owners who've invested good money in a website that looks professional but somehow fails to deliver actual business results. The worst part is most are told they need to scrap everything and start again. New design. New platform maybe. New investment.
Or the ferris wheel of design changes becomes the main distraction. "Let's do another rebrand!" "We should add more animations - they look so cool!" No, let's not, you may have done that already and it isn't moving the needle, or worse, it might be moving it the other way.
Most underperforming websites don't need a complete rebuild. They need strategic fixes in specific areas that are silently killing your conversions. Let me show you what they are and how to sort them.
Your Website Loads Like It's 1999
Picture this: A potential customer hears about your business. They're interested. They grab their phone and search for you. Your website begins to load... and load... and load.
They're gone.
It might seem dramatic, but studies consistently show that for every additional second your website takes to load, conversion rates drop by an average of 4.42%. Let that sink in. A few seconds could cut your potential business in two.
The best part about this? Speed issues are often among the easiest to fix without redesigning your entire site.
Start by running your website through Google's PageSpeed Insights. It's free, takes seconds, and will highlight your biggest performance issues. Don't be alarmed if your score is shocking - I've seen successful businesses operating with scores in the red for years without realising. Mobile will be worse for a number of reasons, but don't be too alarmed.
For immediate improvement:
A client of mine implemented just these three changes and saw their loading time drop instantly and bounce rate decrease dramatically compared with the previous month. No redesign required.
You're Hiding What Visitors Actually Want
When someone lands on your website, they're looking for specific information. The problem is that many small business websites bury the very things visitors are searching for under complicated menus, distracting elements, or simply too much content.
Think about the last time you visited a website and couldn't find what you needed. How long did you stick around? Probably not long. You know there are always other options (competitors) waiting in line.
Most visitors expect to find what they're looking for within three clicks. Any more than that, and frustration sets in. This is especially true for small business websites, where customers often want straightforward information like services, pricing, or contact details.
Common problems include:
The solution isn't a complete redesign but rather a thoughtful restructuring. Start by asking yourself what the top three things most visitors want from your website are. Then ensure these are immediately accessible from your homepage and main navigation.
Most website platforms make these adjustments relatively simple, allowing you to reorder navigation items or add prominent call-to-action buttons without touching code.
Your Call-to-Action is Playing Hide and Seek
Having a beautiful website doesn't matter if visitors don't know what to do next. This is where your call-to-action (CTA) comes in, and it's astonishing how many modern-looking sites get this wrong.
Too small, too vague, too many, or sometimes none at all. Each of these problems creates friction that prevents conversions.
Effective CTAs are:
The fix is often just a matter of reviewing your key pages and ensuring each has a single, prominent action you want visitors to take. Make the button larger, use contrasting colours that align with your brand, and use action-oriented language.
Why Visitors Don't Trust Your Website (This Kills Sales)
Obviously people don't buy from businesses they don't trust. Online, where they can't see you or your products in person, trust becomes even more critical.
Your website might be triggering subtle trust issues without you realising it. Visitors make snap judgments about credibility within seconds of landing on your site.
Missing trust elements include:
Adding these elements doesn't require rebuilding your site. Most can be incorporated into your existing design with minimal effort. Most web builder software makes adding testimonial sections or trust badges particularly straightforward with component-based approaches and drag and drop options and widgets.
The Mobile Experience That's Costing You Customers
More than half of web traffic now comes from mobile devices. Yet many businesses still haven't made any mobile-first changes to their websites over the years and it's a major credibility issue.
The issue isn't always obvious if you're mostly checking your site on a desktop computer. But potential customers trying to navigate your site on a smartphone might be having a completely different experience.
Common mobile issues include:
Test your website on various devices or use Google's free Mobile-Friendly Test to identify specific issues. Then prioritise fixing the problems on your most important pages first.
The 80/20 Rule: Highest-Impact Fixes You Can Make Today
Not all website improvements are created equal. Some changes will dramatically increase your conversions, while others might barely move the needle.
Following the 80/20 principle (where roughly 80% of effects come from 20% of causes), focus your efforts on these high-impact changes:
Measuring Success: Simple Ways to Track Your Improvements
Making changes without keeping an eye on any metrics can cause you to miss certain weaknesses and have you spinning your wheels. You need to know what's working and what isn't.
Set up basic analytics if you haven't already. Google Analytics is free and provides essential information about how visitors interact with your site.
Key metrics to watch after implementing changes:
Watch these numbers for at least a few weeks after making changes to get meaningful data.
Conclusion
Your small business website doesn't need a complete rebuild to start converting better. Strategic improvements to speed, navigation, trust signals, CTAs, and mobile experience can transform your results without the cost and hassle of starting from scratch.
Begin by identifying the most pressing issues on your site, prioritise the highest-impact fixes, and measure your results. You might be surprised at how significantly these targeted changes improve your conversion rates.
And if you'd like some help identifying exactly which improvements would make the biggest difference for your specific website, I offer a comprehensive website audit that pinpoints your highest-priority fixes. Download it for free below!
