Your website gets traffic but no sales or enquiries — here's why (and what to do)
You wipe the sweat from your brow. It's done.
A lovely new website that tells the world about the services you offer. You know it's going to be a game changer. People will come in their droves.
You wait. It takes time. You know that. Weeks go by and turn into months. Yes, people are visiting.
Except… they aren't bloody doing anything. Other than leaving.
No bookings. The only message you've had is from an AI bot in Russia selling you Facebook ads.
Don't sweat. It's fixable. Chances are, you've already written what you need. It may just be a bit unclear, in the wrong place, or squirrelled away in chunks of text.
Here are some practical tips for taking your website from tumbleweed central into your badass sales wingman.
1. Know who you're talking to and make it all about them
If you have an ideal client, great.
Not all businesses do and that's fine. But you do need to find what stitches your seemingly unrelated clients together.
It could be the pursuit of something. Prestige, youthful beauty, a peaceful life. Or the desire to stop something. Anxiety, unscrupulous estate agent behaviour, junk eating.
Once you know what it is, frame what you offer around it. Link your product back to the outcome they want.
And when you write, imagine you're speaking to one person. Use 'you' often, ditch 'we'. The most persuasive websites feel like they're talking directly to you.
Ones that give the company's autobiography and bang on about how great they are do not. And that costs enquiries.
2. Spell out your value immediately
I cannot stress this enough. The heading and subheading of your website are for stating who you're for, the problem you solve and how you do it. Nothing else. In other words, your value proposition.
Why? Because you have seconds to grab someone's attention when they land on your homepage. Your customer has a problem and all they care about is whether you can solve it. If it's not clear, they'll leave.
Imagine you want to buy a super special cake for your best friend's birthday. You find these two websites.
Website 1
Delicious Cakes for All Occasions
We make high-quality, handmade cakes using the finest ingredients. Contact us today for a quote.
Website 2
Celebration cakes that steal the show, handmade in Liverpool
Custom cakes for weddings, birthdays and big occasions for the special people who deserve more than a supermarket sponge.
Who would you be most likely to contact?
3. What do they get out of it?
There's an old saying in marketing. Sell a good night's sleep, not a mattress. In other words, sell benefits, not features.
People don't desire an all-in-one accountancy platform with the latest AI software and team workflow modules.
They want to stop forgetting to pay invoices, claw back time and stop arguing with Lara in Marketing about her bad budgeting.
Focus on features and people have no idea how their life will improve after buying from you. You must pin down the emotional benefits and paint them a picture.
You do it with a simple phrase. So what?
Take me. I offer website rewrites. Not very enticing, is it?
So what?
So your website copy is better.
So what?
So it's more tailored to your audience and has a clear message.
So what?
So the right people land on your site and understand what you do
So what?
So instead of clicking away, they get in touch.
So what?
So you win more work without extra effort or marketing.
You with me?
4. Cut, cut, cut
You've probably visited websites with walls of text. Not fun to wade through, is it?
Say what you need to in as few words as possible. Attention spans are limited. People want:
● Easy to scan pages
● Short paragraphs
● Headings to help them navigate
● Key information laid bare
I once had a client tell me he didn't want War and Peace on his landing page. That's the vibe. If your website is cluttered or unclear, it's costing you leads.
5. Show them you're the real deal
You need to give people a reason to trust you. Reviews, testimonials, logos and case studies are how you do it. Feature them prominently.
Think about your own buying behaviour. If you weren't quite convinced yet, how would a big, fat endorsement from a happy customer swing your decision?
Don’t ask people to make a leap of faith. Many won’t.
6. Are you telling them what to do next?
Don't underestimate the power of a good call to action. You might think people know what to do if they like the look of you. But they don't, unless you tell them.
None of us likes uncertainty. It creates friction and hesitation, and these thwart even the best-written webpages.
So, spell it out. What's the next step and what happens after they click the magic button?
A vague "Contact us" says nothing. A clear "Book a free, no-pressure call to see if we're a fit, and I'll be in touch within 24 hours" tells people exactly what to expect.
Take a look at your own website. What are your calls to action? Are they enticing? Do you tell people what's coming? If not, it's costing you sales.
From tumbleweed to leads…
If you need a second pair of eyes, I can help. I'm Kirsty, a copywriter and former journalist, and I write websites so the right people understand how you help and get in touch.
Fancy a no-pressure chat to see if I can help? Drop me a line at hello@kirstypurnell.co.uk or take a look at my website copywriting service.