Your website looks great, gets decent traffic, but visitors aren't turning into customers. This frustrating scenario plays out daily for countless businesses. After analyzing over 100 small business websites, we've identified the core issues that kill conversions and, more importantly, how to fix them.
Users decide whether to stay or leave your site within three seconds. Our heat mapping studies show that if visitors can't immediately understand what you offer and how it helps them, they're gone.
The fix? Your homepage needs three crystal-clear elements above the fold:
Instead of "Welcome to Our Website," lead with "Antwerp's Fastest Phone Repair - Fixed in 30 Minutes or It's Free." Notice the difference? The second version immediately tells visitors what (phone repair), who (Antwerp's residents), and why (quick service guarantee).
"Learn More" buttons don't convert. Neither does "Submit" or "Click Here." These vague CTAs create uncertainty, and uncertainty kills conversions.
Our A/B testing shows specific CTAs outperform generic ones by 127%. Replace "Learn More" with "Get Your Free Quote" or "Book Your Repair Now." Each button should complete the sentence "I want to..."
Ever gone on a first date with someone who immediately asked you to marry them? That's what your website does when it pushes for a sale before building trust.
Create a value ladder:
A photography website that immediately pushes €2,000 wedding packages will fail. But one that offers a free "Wedding Photography Checklist," then a mini-engagement shoot, then wedding packages? That's a conversion path that works.
"Our website works on mobile" isn't enough anymore. 71% of our clients' traffic comes from mobile devices, yet their desktop-first designs frustrate mobile users.
Common mobile conversion killers:
Test your site on multiple phones. If you can't easily complete a purchase one-handed while standing in line for coffee, your mobile experience needs work.
Every field you add to a form reduces conversions by 4%. Yet we keep seeing contact forms asking for life stories.
The highest-converting forms we've tested ask for:
Save detailed questions for follow-up conversations. Your form's job isn't to collect information – it's to start conversations.
89% of consumers read reviews before buying. But randomly plastering "5 stars!" everywhere isn't effective social proof.
Effective social proof:
Instead of "Great service!" use "Sarah saved €300 on her energy bill after our home audit last month."
Every second your website takes to load costs you 7% in conversions. Yet many businesses ignore speed for aesthetics.
Quick wins for speed:
You're tracking pageviews and bounce rates, but are you measuring what matters? Set up conversion tracking for:
Each of these micro-conversions helps you understand where visitors drop off and why.
Visitors need to trust you before they'll buy. Modern trust signals include:
Place these strategically near conversion points, not hidden in your footer.
Day 1: Install heat mapping softwareDay 2: Rewrite your above-the-fold contentDay 3: Audit and update all CTAsDay 4: Simplify your formsDay 5: Optimize your mobile experienceDay 6: Add strategic social proofDay 7: Set up proper conversion tracking
Need help implementing these changes? At methean.pro, we specialize in turning underperforming websites into conversion machines. Book a free website audit to discover your site's specific conversion killers.
