In Episode 66, we shared 5 ways to boost your website traffic, and in Episode 067, we shared 5 ways to keep visitors engaged with your website. Increasing the number of quality visits to your website and keeping your visitors engaged can serve your business in a variety of ways — boosting brand awareness, connecting you with your Ideal Client, and enhancing your Search Engine Optimization. Over the past couple of episodes, we’ve focused on keeping visitors engaged with your website — but what happens if the first impression they have of your website is actually driving visitors away? 

3 Ways Your Website is Driving Visitors Away

Over the long weekend last week, I got to thinking: taking even one day off as a small business owner can be a challenge. On challenging days or in challenging seasons, being the owner of a small business can be overwhelming because of the ownership we have over all of the ins and outs of our businesses. 

For small business owners, taking even one day off means trusting the systems in place will work on behalf of your business: trusting your website is putting your best foot forward as a business, trusting your social media marketing and blogging is furthering your message and brand, trusting any automations or systems you’ve created are allowing your business to run like a professional, polished, and well-oiled machine. 

When I find myself feeling anxious about being away from our business for the weekend or for a holiday, what eases my anxiety is trusting in the foundation we’ve created as a business — trusting our website puts our best foot forward, so no matter who comes upon our website when we’re away, we can confidently and comfortably know we’re connecting with our audience. We can confidently and comfortably know our website is serving and guiding visitors toward the services or products aligned with their goals or needs — and in turn, keeping our business moving forward.

All this to say: There is something really powerful about having a web design aligned with your business, vision, and goals. A well-designed, purpose-driven website can communicate your expertise, convey the value of your services or products, and help your small business to grow. No matter where you are, what you’re doing, or what your business hours are — your website should uplift your small business in every possible way.

So, what are 3 ways your website could be driving people away?

1. The foundational information about your business could be too challenging to find. Even if what you do seems rather clear based upon the content of your website, we strongly recommend including a brief summary of your business above the fold — or within the area of your website before a visitor begins scrolling. This brief summary should include who you are, what you do, who you serve, and if your business is location bound, where you serve. As an example, “ABC Photography is a Chicago-based luxury wedding photography business serving couples in  the Chicagoland area.” Within a brief sentence, a visitor will immediately know whether or not they’ve come upon a business offering the services or products they are seeking. If a visitor remains uncertain of what your business does, who your business is for, or where your business offers services — they may be compelled to continue their search. (As a bonus tip: We recommend including this summary within your website’s footer so no matter what page a visitor comes upon first, they’ll know what your business is all about!)
2. There aren’t any clear calls-to-action. A clear call-to-action should be placed on every page of your web design. In other words, every page of your web design should have a purpose and instruct your visitors about what they should do next. As an example, on your Services page, perhaps each service will include a button that says Book Now or Learn More. Or on the bottom of your Services page, perhaps you’ll include a large banner with a button encouraging your visitors to schedule a consultation call with you. These calls-to-action let visitors know what you’d like them to do next — once they’ve learned all they can from your website. If a visitor isn’t instructed about what to do next, they may click away from your website, unsure of how to ask questions, learn more, or get started.
3. There is too much content to explore. When it comes to web design, less can truly be more. If there is too much content for a visitor to explore, they may become overwhelmed with everything they see. Worse yet, they may examine your services and talk themselves out of pursuing your services for fear they are too complicated. This is why including a foundation of information, and then encouraging visitors to reach out to you, can be so helpful. This can allow you to truly serve your website’s visitors and guide them toward the services best for their needs — and to build a more personal connection with your prospective clients. So, when possible, put yourself in your prospective clients’ shoes, and pare down your content.

About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay

Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, founders and entrepreneurs. Enjoy weekly, actionable episodes to build a successful, sustainable small business from the inside out.