Sometimes, your website costs you leads, but how? Just the other day, a client called us frustrated that her site “looks good,” but hasn’t brought in a single new inquiry in months. We hear this all the time, business owners pouring time and money into their websites, spending money on advertising, only to find they’re getting zero traction.
The truth is, a site can look polished and professional, but still quietly chase potential customers away. Sometimes it’s slow load times, sometimes it’s poor mobile design, and others it’s a whole mess of small issues adding up. We call them the Dirty Dozen — 12 common problems that could be turning your website into a lead-repellent zone.
1. A Slow Website Costs You Leads
When was the last time you clicked through your website? Try it now. If it takes more than a couple of seconds to load, most people are already gone. Slow loading times hurt both user experience and search rankings. What can you do? Compress images, minimize plugins, and enable caching. Ideally, your website should load in under 3 seconds. If not, it might be time for a refresh.
2. Not Mobile-Friendly? That’s An Absolute Necessity
This is a big fail in today’s society because more than half of all website traffic comes from mobile devices, either phones or tablets. If your site doesn’t look or function properly on a mobile device, you’re losing leads. Fix it by using responsive design to make sure your website works smoothly on any screen size.
3. Outdated Design Will Lose Trust And Customers
You might love the way your website looks, but if it hasn’t been updated since 2013, it won’t build trust,t and it will cost you leads. Website design continues to evolve, and a simple design that was exciting 10 years ago just won’t cut it. Design is about more than aesthetics; it’s your first impression, so it needs to be a good one. If your website design is ready for a refresh, with strong visuals and readable fonts, it’s also a good time to deal with problems 1 and 2.
4. Visitors Need A Straight Path To Your Business, Or It Will Cost You Leads
Ask someone impartial, like a neighbour or friend, to take a journey through your website. If they’re getting lost in the clutter, you need to make some changes. Confusing menus make it hard for visitors to find what they’re looking for and even harder to finish their sales journey. It’s key to stick to simple, intuitive navigation with clear labels so it doesn’t cost you leads. Your most important pages should never be more than a click or two away.
5. Missing a Call-To-Action Can Cost You Leads
Wow, what an amazing home page! It’s got all the information about you and your products or services, and it looks beautiful – but what comes next? If your website doesn’t tell visitors what to do, they won’t do anything. It’s important to place clear, strategic calls to action throughout your site, like “Book a Consultation,” “Get a Quote,” or “Download the Guide.” No CTA = no leads.
6. Your Content Needs To Connect To Encourage Sales
Your website isn’t meant to be a brag book. If your copy is vague, poorly written, or all about you, visitors won’t stick around. Update your content to speak directly to your ideal customer, address their problems and, how your business can solve them.
7. Nobody Can Find You on Google. Yes, SEO Matters
You’ve heard the acronym a million times, but SEO really is the most essential thing your website needs to be discovered. A beautiful website doesn’t matter if no one can find it because of poor SEO. Optimize your site with relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and internal links. Blog regularly. Build backlinks. And if you don’t know how to do it, work with an agency who does.
8. You’re Not Tracking Anything, So You Don’t Know Where You’re Losing Your Leads
When it comes to websites, a lot of people get confused by the metrics, but if you’re not using analytics, you’re flying blind. You can set up Google Analytics and monitor key metrics like bounce rate, conversion rate, and user flow. Or you can call an agency that will keep track of all those numbers for you and interpret them in a language that you understand, then help you implement a strategy to boost your leads.
9. Want New Leads? Don’t Hide the Pricing
Will pricing scare off your customer? Possibly, but remember that people are on the internet to do their shopping. They want to know what it’s going to cost and what they’ll get for their money before they commit to your business. If they can’t find that info, they might move on to a competitor. It’s okay to be transparent. Even a pricing range or a “starting at” number builds trust.
10. Not Thinking Like Your Customer Will Cost You Valuable Leads
If your website feels cold, generic, or disconnected from your customers’ real-world problems, people won’t stick around or come back. Use language, visuals, and messaging that your audience can relate to and reflect their values and goals. Speak to them like they’re standing right in front of you and show that you understand who they are and what they’re looking for.
11. Your Website Isn’t Secure, So Your Forms Don’t Get Completed
In today’s world, customers are wary of websites that don’t look legit. Filling out a lead form or a transaction online involves a great leap of faith from your site visitors. An unsecured site (no HTTPS) not only costs you leads, but also affects your Google ranking. The quick fix? Get an SSL certificate and display trust signals like secure checkout badges if you’re selling online.
12. You Can’t Update Your Website, So You Don’t Bother
If you had someone design your site a decade ago and you have no idea how to update it, it’s time to let go of that stale website and switch to a user-friendly CMS (like WordPress or Squarespace). If your site is hard to update, you’re less likely to keep content fresh and stale content signals neglect and chases away your leads. When you’re planning a refresh, work with an agency that will build your site, then set it up so that you can make minor changes on your own.
Don’t Let the Dirty Dozen On Your Website Cost You Leads, Call 3SIXTY And Let Us Troubleshoot Them For You.
If you checked off even a few of the issues above, your website may be costing you leads every single day. But the good news? These are fixable.
Whether it’s a quick SEO audit or a full redesign, we can help clean things up and get your website working for you, not against you. At 3SIXTY Marketing Solutions, we’re here to improve your website’s performance, attract more leads, and ultimately boost your business. Give us a call at 647-250-1494 or book your free consultation today.
