Common Website Mistakes: 15 Things Costing You Conversions

You've put in countless hours, effort, and resources into your website, expecting it to be a lead-generating powerhouse. Yet, despite your best efforts, the leads are just not coming in. You might even have some decent traffic, but if none of it’s converting, what’s the point?

The lack of leads means missed opportunities, potential revenue slipping through your fingers, and the unsettling question of what you might be doing wrong.

Unfortunately, we’ve seen many companies with nice looking websites but it’s apparent there wasn’t a clear enough strategy for the site beyond the look and feel. In other words, the way you present your company, the path your customers go through your site, and how that lines up with their pain and how they view your solution is the ticket to more leads. You need to have a clear idea of a potential customer's entire experience from the moment they land on your site, making sure it's both a pleasant and helpful experience.

That involves a lot of different factors, but let's break it down into some of the most common reasons company websites don't get the results they're hoping for.

15 Common Mistakes at a Glance:

1. Confusing or Jargon-Heavy Copy
2. Lack of Clear, Specific Value Proposition
3. No Defined Target Audience (You're Marketing to Everyone)
4. Poorly Defined User Journeys (or None at All)
5. Way Too Much Talk About Features Over Benefits
6. Lack of Credibility Signals
7. Ineffective, Vague, or Buried Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
8. Lack of SEO Best Practices (Google Can't Find It!)
9. Not Addressing User Pain Points, or Being too Vague
10. Ignoring Website Analytics
11. No Follow-up Strategy for Leads
12. Dated Design or Poor User Experience
13. Terrible Mobile Experience
14. Not Showcasing the Expertise or People Behind the Brand
15. No Signs of Your Other Content (YouTube, Podcasts, etc)

1. Confusing or Jargon-Heavy Copy

When it comes to communicating on your website, clarity is key. Don’t fall into the trap of using complex language or industry-specific jargon, which may sound impressive but ends up creating a barrier between you and your potential customers. Note: This is often hard to spot if you’re on the inside because you may forget people don’t know what you know!

This is particularly true if your audience isn’t well-versed in your industry’s terminology. The goal is to make your content easily understandable to anyone who visits your site, so your message is immediately clear.  

As a caveat, it’s fine to have the occasional technical term here and there, such as when you’re explaining something in more depth (usually not on your homepage). A thoughtfully placed term here can help establish basic expertise, as long as your reader either likely knows the term or can figure it out with the context. Don’t send readers on research missions.

How to fix it

• Simplify your language: Review your website content and replace technical terms with simpler, everyday language. If you must use industry jargon, always provide a brief explanation.
• Know your audience: Tailor your content to the understanding level of your average site visitor, and avoid assumptions about their prior knowledge of your industry. Familiarize yourself with your customers by interviewing them, or going where they go online, like forums and social media.
• Use analogies and examples: Where complex concepts are necessary, use analogies and real-world examples to make them relatable and easier to grasp.
• Get feedback from non-experts: Have people outside of your industry review your content. If they find it hard to understand, it’s a sign you need to simplify further.

2. Lack of Clear, Specific Value Proposition

If we had to pinpoint one of the biggest mistakes it would be this one and a poorly defined audience (that one’s up next).

Many websites want to say something clever on the homepage to catch attention, but with how overwhelmed today’s customer is by digital clutter and distraction, we must be crystal clear or they’re going to bounce — or worse, go to someone who IS clear. They’re not going to stop and ask questions, they’re just going to silently leave.

Here are a few common ways people get value props wrong:

• Too vague: “Amplify the sales journey” or “We offer business solutions”
• No clear audience: “Perfect for all businesses of any size or industry” (this might seem like an absurd example of this, but similar value props are way too common)
• Too much jargon: “Leveraging synergistic capabilities to drive paradigm shifts in ecosystems” (Kill me now)
• No evidence: "We are the best widget makers in the industry." (According to what, exactly? And what does “best” even mean here? Get specific!)

A clear value proposition succinctly communicates to your visitors what your company offers, how it stands out from the competition, and why this matters to them. It aligns with your target audience's needs and clearly states how your products or services solve their problems or improve their lives.

How to fix it

• Identify your target audience's core needs: Understand the primary challenges, desires, and motivations of your target audience, so you can develop a clearer idea of your ideal buyer personas. This understanding forms the foundation of your value proposition.
• It should be understood within 2-3 seconds: As with the rest of your site, use simple, jargon-free language. The value proposition should be easily understood at a glance, even when the reader’s attention is divided between your website, a Zoom call, and calming their barking dog.
• Position it prominently on your website: Place your value proposition prominently on your homepage and other key landing pages. It should be one of the first things visitors see.
• Test and refine: Use A/B testing to try out different versions of your value proposition. Pay attention to how changes affect user engagement and conversion rates.
• Use supporting elements: Enhance your value proposition with testimonials, case studies, or statistics that provide proof and build trust in your claims.
• Align with your brand's voice: Ensure that your value proposition reflects your brand’s personality and ethos. Consistency in tone and style helps in building a coherent brand image.

3. No Defined Target Audience (You’re Marketing to Everyone)

One of the key mistakes many B2B websites make is trying to cast too wide a net, attempting to appeal to a universal audience. This is a recipe for disaster — if you’re trying to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one.  

Many companies try to copy what big brands like Microsoft or IBM might do — but these companies are well established and still spend billions of dollars helping us understand what they can do.

So unless you have that type of budget (which we’re guessing you don’t), you need to cater to a specific niche or audience if you want your website to drive results.

This may be a fundamental business challenge, so in some cases it’s worth revisiting your business strategy here. Keep in mind: clarity of value and resonance with a target audience will convert more than wide nets with clever sayings, every single time.

A well-defined target audience is about understanding who your ideal clients are, what challenges they face, and how your services or products provide solutions specific to their needs.

How to fix it

• Identify your ideal customer: Start by creating a detailed customer profile. What industry are they in? What are their primary challenges and needs? Understanding these elements will help tailor your website's messaging. As mentioned above, consider creating “buyer personas” to help define this (you can use this buyer persona template)
• Research and understand pain points: Conduct market research, surveys, or interviews to gather insights about your target audience's specific pain points and expectations.
• Turn these pain points into copy for your site: You can even use customers’ own words. For instance, we found many of our clients were saying things like “my HubSpot is broken” or “we need to fix this,” which helped inform a lot of the copy for our “Fix My HubSpot” service.
• Segment your audience: If you serve multiple industries or customer types, consider segmenting your audience and creating dedicated content for each segment on your website.
• Talk like your audience: Customize your website’s content, tone, and language to speak directly to your defined audience. Use industry-specific jargon only if it resonates with your target customers.
• Highlight relevant solutions: Clearly showcase how your products or services solve the specific problems or fulfill the unique needs of your target audience.
• Use testimonials that the audience needs to read/watch: Include testimonials and case studies that reflect the experiences of your ideal customers. Seeing similar companies benefit from your services builds credibility and relevance.

4. Poorly Defined User Journeys (or None at All)

The concept of a user journey governs all effective websites. It’s the path someone takes from entry to conversion. For example, if someone lands on your homepage and they have problem X, they should immediately find relevant information or a solution that addresses this issue.

This could be through a prominently displayed product that solves problem X, an informative blog post, or a direct call-to-action leading them to a service page. The key is to create a seamless and intuitive path that guides the user from recognizing their problem to finding and choosing the solution your website offers.

However, if this journey is poorly defined or convoluted, potential leads may feel lost or overwhelmed, leading them to exit your site without engaging further. Most people don’t take the time to study how their customers move through their site, or they’re making assumptions without actually talking to the customer. This leads to misaligned user journeys and hinders effective visitor conversion.

How to fix it

• Map out user paths: Start by mapping out typical paths you expect different user personas to take on your website. This can be something as simple as a whiteboard drawing or a Lucidchart. Identify their goals, pain points, and what information they need before they're ready to convert.
• Simplify navigation: Ensure your website's navigation is intuitive. Use clear, descriptive menu labels and a logical structure that guides visitors deeper into your site.
• Use clear visual hierarchy: Employ visual cues and content that direct users to the next step. This can include strategic placement of buttons, links, and calls-to-action. These elements work together to draw the user's attention to key information and actions, making the website more intuitive and navigable.
• Start simple, and build: Avoid overwhelming users with too much information at once. Start with the most important info and then reveal more detailed content as they delve deeper into your site.
• Optimize landing pages: Ensure each landing page is focused and aligned with the specific interests of the target audience it's intended to attract. Each page should have a clear call-to-action (CTA).
• Personalize user experiences: If possible, use personalization techniques to tailor the user journey based on the visitor’s previous interactions with your site.
  

5. Way Too Much Talk About Features Over Benefits

There's a subtle yet significant difference between features and benefits. While features are the characteristics or specifications of your product or service, benefits are the outcomes or advantages that those features deliver to the client.

When people buy something, they’re looking to solve their problem, but they’re really looking for what life is like on the other side. One of the most famous examples here is that people don’t want a drill. They don’t even want a hole in the wall. They want to be reminded of the love for their family by viewing their family photo that gets hung on the wall as a result of the drill.

Now that’s quite the haul, but with the 10,000+ products on the market today for example just in the marketing technology space, you can’t afford to do feature comparison. Every tool has AI. That’s not a feature. But if you showcase the benefit (like the tool Sybill.ai does) you can show that it’s not about getting a meeting recording and notes. The benefit is you can spend more time on sales calls paying attention because the tool will actually listen and watch for buying intent and then summarize that for you in the end.

How to fix it

• Identify key benefits: Start by listing the features of your product or service. For each feature, ask, “What does this mean for the client?” Transform this into a clear benefit statement. For instance, if your software has a feature for automated data entry, the benefit could be saving time and reducing human error for the client.
• Use client-centric language: Frame your content using language that speaks directly to the client’s interests and needs.
• Highlight emotional benefits: Don't just focus on practical benefits. Emphasize the emotional payoff that your clients will get (which is arguably the problem they’re actually trying to solve). For example, if your service streamlines business processes, talk about the peace of mind or the sense of control it brings.
• Paint a picture for the customer: Use graphics, charts, or infographics to visually demonstrate the benefits. This can be particularly effective in simplifying complex features and illustrating their impact in a clear, engaging manner.

6. Lack of Credibility Signals

Credibility signals are powerful elements that showcase your expertise, experience, and the satisfaction of your past clients. It helps answer the question in the mind of the prospective customer: “Who are you and can I trust you to solve my problem?”

Establishing trust with potential clients is crucial, especially in the B2B sector where the resource cost for a purchase tends to go beyond the transaction itself (e.g. training or platform switching costs).  

Without client testimonials, detailed case studies, or clear evidence of your expertise and accomplishments, your website may struggle to build the necessary trust with visitors. Remember, in the world of professional services, your reputation and the tangible results you've delivered are your strongest selling points.

How to fix it

• Incorporate testimonials: Add genuine testimonials from past clients that highlight specific benefits they've experienced from your services. Ensure these are easily visible on your website.
• Showcase case studies: Develop comprehensive case studies that demonstrate how you have addressed client challenges and delivered measurable results. Use a storytelling approach to make them compelling and relatable. Then add them to relevant pages of your site, like this.
• Highlight expertise: Feature awards, certifications, or recognitions that your company has received. Include articles, whitepapers, or blog posts that exhibit thought leadership in your field.
• Display trust badges: If you're affiliated with reputable industry bodies or have been featured in notable media outlets, display these badges prominently on your site. You’ll notice our HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner badge display on some of our landing pages, for instance — consider what kinds of similar trust symbols you have in your industry.