Just Because You Build It, Doesn’t Mean They’ll Come

As a freelancer or agency, your website is your hub. Your online presence should always focus on getting potential clients to your website. All the information they need to know about you, your trade, and your costs, are present on your website. Once your target audience visits your website, you hope it converts to sales.

But what if your traffic is failing to convert to client inquiries? Your website might be suffering from one of the 5 common website errors.

Lack of Traffic

If you want your website to bring you business, you need to drum up traffic first. Your website’s focus should be on luring in your target audience. Those who are most likely to need your services. Appeal to them, first, on every page of your website. But simply having a website won’t generate traffic.

You’re going to need to put your name out there through social media. The most important ones right now are LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. On top of this, your website needs to be top notch. Consistent traffic comes from good SEO. Next, you’ll want an online presence that goes beyond your website. Use Google Analytics to keep track of your progress and gauge which tactics work and why.

The point is, if there’s no traffic on your website, there will be no conversion. Period.

Unclear CTAs

The goal of every page on your website is to guide your visitors to your CTA or Call To Action. When your CTAs aren’t clear, you’re rendering your website useless. Make sure that the way your website is set up focuses on leading your visitors to where you want them to go. They might be having trouble finding your contact information. You need to be sure you’re making it as easy as possible for visitors to reach you. Maybe the wall of text you placed on a page makes them lose interest before they’re ready for the next step.

Use Google Analytics to discover where your website’s pain points are. Streamline the experience for your visitors. An unguided site is dangerous to your career, so get it right.

Passive Copy with Unclear Value

The copy on your website puts your personality on display. So you make sure it caters to your target audience. But copy still needs to follow rules to be effective.

Your copy should avoid using neutral nomenclature, while explaining the value you provide. This includes both long form and microcopy. Use active language to keep visitors moving forward towards CTA. The target audience visiting your website has very specific concerns, fears, and problems. You know what those are, so you can address them in your copy. You want potential clients to say, “I need this” after reading your site.

Lack of Trust Indicators

Nobody will convert through your website unless there’s already a baseline of trust. Why inquire about a possible collaboration if the website seems untrustworthy? Build and display your trust indicators to avoid looking unprofessional.

This means you need to get the basics straight first: spell check everything. Nothing turns clients off more than a website with bad spelling and grammar.

But the key elements to nurturing trust are your testimonials, your references, your previous projects, your social proof and presence, your About Me page, your headshot. These are all trust indicators that make potential clients feel safe in contacting you.

Being Passive with Clients

This goes a little beyond keeping away from using neutral copy on your website. Your entire attitude towards clients should avoid becoming a passive affair. From the very beginning, you should be courting them. Waylay their worries, address their pain points, and entice them to begin a relationship with your right away. Offer them freebies, consultancies, or other no-obligation tasters.

If they’re already conversing with you, a conversion will be a lot more likely. Don’t be afraid to chase them, to a point. Your website should be assertive, not wallpaper.

Try and Try Again

If your website has solid traffic yet fails to convert to client inquiries, there is something wrong. The traffic you’re building isn’t your target audience. Or you’ve fallen victim to the 5 errors we went over. It doesn’t hurt to give yourself a self-evaluation.

It’s a bummer to work hard and not hit your goals, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it work. Fix up, look sharp, and turn your website into a conversion goldmine by patching up the problems and changing what doesn’t work.