The main purpose of your company website is to make it easier for customers to find you and help transition a new site visitor to a paying consumer

If your website is not converting then this is hurting your sales funnel and we need to fix that.

Here are some reasons why your website may be costing you new customers  

1. Page speed is slow 

Let’s face it, attention span is low, no one wants to wait for over 15 seconds waiting for your website to load, people are busy, your competition is working and quite frankly, a lot of people see it as a waste of time so they will not be coming back. 

How to fix – use tools like GTMetrix to test your website speed and fix the issues stated. I’ll advise you to download the smush plug-in so you can compress the size of your images before or after uploading. 

Worst things small businesses can do on social media

2. Not seeing information readily 

I was on a skincare website some days back trying to order supplements and I just could not find the link to shop, every-time I clicked on what appears to be the link, I’m redirected somewhere else. It was a turn-off, I eventually got frustrated and left. 

Your contact information and products should be readily accessible to people visiting, this is the reason your website was created. Don’t get carried away with aesthetics, consider the customer’s perspective when designing your website:

• What page(s) do they frequently land on when they first arrive?
• What exactly are they looking for most of the time?
• What language do they use to describe the problem they’re attempting to solve or the need they’re attempting to fill?

Use these phrases in your site’s navigation to assist users to find the information they’re looking for fast.

3. Insider Jargon

Yes, it is good for your website to show you as an authority in your field but this does not mean you should use words that are not easily digestible. 

Use simple words, your audience is looking for an easy fix to their problem, your brand tone should show that you understand that. 

4. Outdated content/Inconsistent content

I get it, it is hard being a small business owner, staying consistent is on top of the list but you need to find a rhythm that works for you.

Visitors may not trust your small company website if they do not believe the content is updated. This includes everything from the copyright date, which is most likely shown in the footer of your website, to event pages, blog entries, and any other content that contains dates. Make your website look as current and up to date as possible:

• Remove publication dates from evergreen content.
• Ensure that your site’s copyright date is updated annually.
• If you cannot keep up with your posting schedule, try reducing the number of posts you share or consider removing your blog from the website and repackaging the information as “resources.”

5. Not found posts, pages 

Customers may quit up right away if they arrive at an error page. As part of your weekly (or even daily) maintenance process, check your website for any broken internal or external links.

If you have a WordPress site, you can install a plugin that will monitor it regularly and notify you if any links are broken. You can use a free service like brokenlinkcheck if your website isn’t a WordPress site.

6. Search Engine optimization 

After doing all of the above, your website needs to be optimized for google and bing so people can find you, having amazing products is one thing, being found is another. 

In the journey of starting and growing a small business, there’s a lot of things you need to do. Thankfully, you do not have to do it alone. 

A little birdie told me that we will be sharing resources on the beginner’s guide to Search engine optimization. Join our Pennee mogul group to be updated about this and connect with other business owners.