You've invested in a website. Maybe you've even invested in SEO or ads to drive traffic. People are visiting your site. But the phone isn't ringing, the contact form sits empty, and you're wondering why.
Here's the truth: traffic without conversions is just an expense. The goal isn't visits: it's leads that become customers.
After helping dozens of local businesses improve their websites, we've identified the most common conversion killers. Here's what might be going wrong with your site, and how to fix it.
The Phone Number Is Hard to Find
This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many business websites bury their contact information. If someone has to scroll or click around to find your phone number, you've already lost some of them.
Most customers use the phone number listed on Google Business Profile panels to contact local businesses. If they can't find your number easily on your website, they'll bounce back to Google and call a competitor instead.
The fix:
- Put your phone number in the header of every page
- Make it click-to-call on mobile (most local searches happen on phones)
- Consider a sticky header or floating call button
- Include your number in the footer too
No Clear Call to Action
Many business websites describe what they do without telling visitors what to do next. If every page doesn't have a clear next step, visitors leave without taking action.
The fix:
- Every page needs a primary call-to-action (CTA)
- Use action-oriented language: "Schedule a Free Consultation" not "Contact"
- Make CTAs visually prominent (contrasting colors, buttons not just links)
- Include multiple CTAs on longer pages
- Match the CTA to the page content (service page leads to booking that service)
Your Site Is Slow
Page speed matters more than ever. Google's research confirms that over half of mobile users abandon a site if it takes longer than 3 seconds to load. And every additional second of delay can decrease conversions by double-digit percentages.
Google also uses page speed as a ranking factor, so slow sites get less traffic in the first place.
The fix:
- Compress images (this is often the biggest issue)
- Use a fast hosting provider
- Minimize plugins and scripts
- Enable browser caching
- Consider a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
- Test your speed at Google PageSpeed Insights
It Doesn't Work Well on Mobile
Mobile devices now account for the majority of website traffic globally. For local healthcare searches, that percentage is even higher. If your site doesn't work flawlessly on a phone, you're losing the majority of your potential customers.
Mobile typically converts at lower rates than desktop on average. But mobile-optimized websites close that gap significantly. The difference between good and bad mobile experiences is enormous.
The fix:
- Use responsive design (not a separate mobile site)
- Test on actual phones, not just browser simulation
- Make buttons and links big enough to tap easily
- Ensure forms are easy to fill out on mobile
- Check that nothing is cut off or overlapping on small screens
Trust Signals Are Missing
Visitors need to trust you before they'll contact you. If your website doesn't establish credibility, people bounce, especially for high-stakes services like healthcare, legal, or home improvements.
What builds trust:
- Reviews and testimonials (with names and photos if possible)
- Industry certifications and credentials
- Years in business
- Professional photos (not just stock images)
- Case studies or before/after examples
- Clear contact information and physical address
- Privacy policy and terms of service
Too Much Jargon, Not Enough Benefits
Business owners often describe their services using industry terminology that customers don't understand or care about. What customers want to know is: how will you solve my problem?
The fix:
- Lead with benefits, not features
- Use language your customers actually use
- Focus on outcomes: "Get your weekends back" vs. "Professional landscaping services"
- Answer the questions customers are actually asking
- Have someone outside your industry read your content
No Clear Next Steps for Different Stages
Not every visitor is ready to call you today. Some are just researching. If your only option is "Contact Us," you'll lose people who aren't ready yet.
The fix:
- Offer lower-commitment CTAs: download a guide, subscribe to tips
- Create content that addresses questions at each stage
- Have clear pages for people comparing options
- Include FAQ sections that address common concerns
- Use retargeting to stay in front of researchers
The Design Looks Dated
Fair or not, people judge your business by your website. An outdated design signals that maybe your services are outdated too. This is especially true for businesses where quality and attention to detail matter.
Signs of an outdated site:
- Small text that's hard to read
- Cluttered layouts with too much on each page
- Stock photos that look like stock photos
- Inconsistent fonts and colors
- Flash elements or auto-playing music (yes, some sites still have this)
There's No Social Proof
People trust other people more than they trust businesses. If your website doesn't show that real people have had good experiences with you, visitors are skeptical.
Types of social proof:
- Customer reviews and testimonials
- Star ratings from Google, Yelp, etc.
- Number of customers served
- Media mentions or awards
- Before/after galleries
- Case study results
Making It Right
A website that doesn't convert is a website that's costing you money. Every visitor who leaves without contacting you is a missed opportunity.
The good news: most conversion issues are fixable. Sometimes it's small changes, like moving a phone number, adding testimonials, or speeding up load time. Sometimes it's a bigger redesign.
Want to know what's holding your website back? Get a free audit and we'll identify exactly what's keeping visitors from becoming customers, and how to fix it.