Why Your Website Isn't Converting (and the Fixes That Actually Work)

You're getting visitors, perhaps you're even paying for them, but the phone isn't ringing and the enquiry form is quiet. It's one of the most common frustrations we hear, and the good news is that the causes are usually fixable. Here are the issues we see most often, and what to do about each one.

1. Visitors can't tell what you do in five seconds

The top of your homepage and landing pages should answer three questions instantly: what you offer, who it's for and where you operate. Clever slogans and vague statements like “solutions for tomorrow” make visitors work too hard. Be specific and plain.

2. There's no obvious next step

Every page needs a clear call to action, visible without scrolling: call now, book a survey, get a quote, buy now. Use a contrasting colour for buttons, repeat the call to action further down long pages, and make your phone number clickable on mobile.

3. The site is slow

Every extra second of loading time costs you visitors, especially on mobile data. The usual culprits are oversized images, too many plugins or scripts and cheap hosting. Compress images, remove anything you don't need and test your key pages with Google's PageSpeed Insights.

4. It doesn't work properly on a phone

For most businesses, the majority of visitors now arrive on a mobile. Test your own site on a phone as if you were a customer: are buttons easy to tap, forms easy to fill in and text easy to read without zooming?

5. You're asking for too much, too soon

Long forms put people off. Ask only for what you genuinely need to respond: usually name, contact details and a short message. You can gather the rest once you're talking.

6. There's no proof you're any good

People buy from businesses they trust. Show genuine reviews, star ratings, accreditations, recognisable client logos, before-and-after photos and short case studies. Put them close to your calls to action, where hesitation is highest.

7. Ads send people to the wrong page

If someone searches for “emergency boiler repair” and lands on a generic homepage, they'll often leave. Send each ad group to the most relevant page, ideally one written specifically for that service and audience.

8. You can't see what's going wrong

Without proper tracking, you're guessing. Set up conversion tracking for calls, form submissions and purchases, and consider a heatmap or session recording tool to see where visitors hesitate or drop off.

9. Nobody's testing anything

Small changes to headlines, button text, images and page layout can make a real difference. Make one change at a time, measure the result over a few weeks and keep what works.

Turn traffic into customers

Improving your conversion rate is often the cheapest way to grow, because it makes every pound of marketing work harder. Duncross Media designs and optimises websites that are built to convert. If you'd like a fresh pair of eyes on yours, get in touch.