If you're investing in digital marketing but not seeing the leads roll in, your website might be the reason. And not in a "needs a few tweaks" kind of way. We mean: your website may be actively pushing potential customers away.
At Uncle Jake Media, we work with small businesses, large enterprises, marketing teams, and founders who are passionate about growing their business online. One thing we see all the time? A solid product or service, but a website that confuses, frustrates, or fails to convert.
Here's how to tell if your website is costing you leads and what to do about it.
1. You Have Website Traffic, But Low Conversions
You’re getting decent traffic, but very few people are filling out forms, booking calls, or downloading content. That’s a big red flag that your website isn’t converting.
This usually happens when your site fails to guide visitors through a clear journey. If the next step isn’t obvious, people won’t take it. This is where design, content, and strategy all need to work together.
What are the common signs that your website isn’t converting leads?
- Weak or missing calls-to-action (CTAs):
- A CTA is any prompt that tells users what to do next. Examples include "Book a Call," "Download the Guide," or "Request a Quote." A weak CTA is vague ("Learn More") or buried at the bottom of the page. A missing CTA means users are left wondering, "Now what?"
- Cluttered layout or confusing navigation
- If users can't easily find key information or next steps, they’ll give up quickly.
- Slow page load speed
- If your site takes more than 3 seconds to load, users are more likely to leave before interacting.
- Lack of trust-building elements like testimonials, reviews, or certifications
- Without testimonials, reviews, certifications, or recognizable logos, users may hesitate to take the next step.
↩️ How to turn your website around: Start by identifying your most visited pages in Google Analytics or in your marketing tools performance data (like HubSpot). Are there buttons or images with clear calls-to-action on those pages? Are they visible without scrolling? Are they specific?
✅ Action Plan:
- Add a strong, specific CTA to your homepage and key service pages (e.g., Request a Free Audit or Schedule a Strategy Call).
- Use contrasting button colors and test placement (top, middle, bottom).
- Simplify your navigation so users find what they need in one or two clicks.
- Add testimonials or logos of past clients to establish trust.
2. You’re Website is Not Showing Up in Search
If people can’t find your website through search engines, they can’t become leads.
This is often due to poor or missing SEO. Search engines like Google look for structured content, clear keywords, and consistent updates. Without those, your pages may be buried beneath your competitors.
What are the common signs that your website isn’t showing up in search?
- Your site doesn’t rank for key service or product terms:
- You’re missing out on organic traffic that could bring in high-intent users.
- Pages lack keyword-rich headers and metadata:
- Without optimized titles, descriptions, and headings, search engines won’t understand your content.
- You rarely add new content or update old posts:
- Stale content signals to Google that your site may not be relevant or trustworthy.
↩️ How to turn it around: Having a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy is one of the best things you can do to impact your organic digital lead generation. It ensures that when your ideal customers search for solutions, your business appears.
✅ Action Plan:
- Use Google Search Console to find what keywords your site currently ranks for.
- Identify missing keywords your audience is searching for (long-tail terms work best).
- Add keyword-optimized H1s, meta titles, and internal links to key pages.
- Commit to publishing or updating content at least once per month.
- Check out our comprehensive Technical SEO Website Checklist.
3. Your Website is Not Mobile-Friendly
Over half of your potential leads are visiting your website from a mobile device. If your site doesn’t load quickly or display well on phones, users are likely bouncing before they even read your message.
Mobile issues often include slow performance, awkward layout, tiny buttons, or overlapping text. If users can’t navigate easily with their thumb, they’re not staying long.
What are the common signs that your website is not mobile-friendly?
- Visitors don’t engage with your site content when they are on mobile devices:
- High bounce rates from mobile devices signal a poor user experience.
- Your site fails a mobile-friendly test:
- There are a few website audit tools available, including our free website grader. If you run your website through a website grader and get a bad mobile score, this means your pages aren't optimized for different screen sizes.
- You get feedback that the site is "hard to use" or "clunky":
- Ask your customers or peers what they like and dislike about your website. If they are telling you something’s wrong, listen to them.
↩️ How to turn it around: Mobile-friendliness is no longer optional. It's a baseline expectation and a ranking factor.
✅ Action Plan:
- Use our free website grader to evaluate your site.
- Ensure buttons are large and spaced well apart.
- Use a responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes.
- Compress images to improve page speed on mobile.
- Consider a mobile-first redesign if your site is more than 3 to 5 years old. Modern web tools let you control what content appears on mobile vs. desktop, so you no longer have to compromise design or build separate sites.
4. Your Website Content Doesn’t Answer Questions
Your website should function as a 24/7 guide for your potential customers. If your content is generic, outdated, or too vague, people won’t stick around, and they definitely won’t convert. Effective content answers the real questions your ideal buyers are asking. It builds trust and positions your business as the expert.
With the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s AI overviews, your content also needs to be structured in a way that generative engines can understand, summarize, and recommend. This is where Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) comes into play and works alongside your SEO efforts. Optimizing your website content to answer important questions can help your site stay relevant and visible in AI-powered search results.
What are the common signs that your website content isn’t engaging users?
- High bounce rate on blogs or service pages:
- Visitors aren’t finding the answers they’re looking for and are leaving quickly.
- Visitors aren’t clicking to learn more or take action:
- Your content isn’t giving them a reason to stay or engage.
- Your site lacks in-depth resources or FAQs:
- Without detailed, helpful information, your site won’t be seen as a trusted resource by users or search engines.
↩️ How to turn it around: People use search engines to solve problems. If your content solves them better than your competitors’ content, Google and AI generative content engines will reward you, and so will your leads.
✅ Action Plan:
- Use Google Search Console to identify question-based queries.
- Write or update content that answers those exact questions.
- Add internal links to related content, tools, or service pages.
- Format content for readability by using headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs.
- Include CTAs (Calls to Action) that align with the topic (e.g., checklist download, schedule a free consult).
5. You’re Not Capturing Emails on Website Forms
Driving traffic is great, but if you have no way to capture and nurture leads, your website becomes a revolving door. You need to collect contact information to continue the conversation.
What are the common signs that your website isn’t capturing email addresses?
- No email sign-up forms on your site:
- You’re missing the opportunity to follow up with visitors.
- You’re not offering anything of value in exchange for an email:
- People won’t give their info unless there’s a clear benefit. Provide valuable resources in exchange for their email address (e.g., helpful checklist, in-depth ebook, comparison chart).
- Your forms are buried, too long, or hard to use:
- Friction in the form process can kill conversions. Make sure the information you request in a form matches the value the user will receive after submitting the form. For example, you might only want to ask for an email address for a digital newsletter, but for an in-depth guide or ebook, you could also ask for their name, company, and/or job title.
↩️ How to turn it around: Lead generation doesn’t happen without intentional design. Think of your website as your first handshake. A simple, useful offer can turn a visitor into a contact within your CRM.
✅ Action Plan:
- Create a free resource (e.g., guide, checklist, template) that solves a specific problem that your ideal customer has.
- Add a short, clear form to your homepage, blog, or services page, allowing the visitor to submit the form to receive your free resource.
- Connect the form to your CRM or email marketing platform to start lead nurturing automatically.
- Make sure your form is mobile-optimized and doesn’t require too many fields.
6. Your Messaging Is Inconsistent or Outdated
When your website messaging doesn’t reflect what your company actually offers today, or uses language that no longer connects with your audience, it creates confusion and mistrust.
What are the common signs that your website is outdated?
- Your homepage headline is unclear or vague:
- Visitors can’t quickly figure out what you do or why you do it.
- Services listed aren’t up to date:
- You may be attracting the wrong audience or underselling your value.
- Your tone or design doesn’t match your current brand personality:
- A mismatch between who you are and how you present can lose trust. If your business has evolved but your website has stayed the same, then you might be missing out on leads that only see your older branding.
↩️ How to turn it around: Your messaging should clearly communicate who you help, what problems you solve, and why someone should choose you over the competition.
✅ Action Plan:
- Audit your homepage, about page, and top service/product pages.
- Update copy to reflect current offerings, voice, and tone.
- Use language your ideal customer would actually use.
- Add testimonials or case studies to reinforce the story you’re telling.
- Maintain accurate FAQs and keep them up to date with questions from real users and customers.
7. No Follow-Up or Lead Nurturing Strategy
Generating a lead is only the first step. If you’re not following up in a timely, helpful way, you’re losing sales.
What are the common signs that your website is missing a lead nurturing strategy?
- You collect emails but don’t send anything:
- Leads go cold without any follow-up.
- You’re not segmenting your email outreach by interest or behavior:
- You’re sending one-size-fits-all emails that don’t resonate. Personalized messaging performs better than generic messaging.
- You’re not using any automation tools to stay in touch with your leads:
↩️ How to turn it around: Digital lead generation is more than just getting contacts, it’s about building relationships.
✅ Action Plan:
- Use a CRM like HubSpot to manage contacts and track behavior.
- Segment your contact lists based on where the lead came from (e.g., checklist download vs. price comparison guide)
- Set up a simple automated email sequence that thanks new leads for downloading a free resource from your website and provides additional helpful content.
- Include links to relevant content, case studies, or testimonials in your follow-ups
Get a Second Set of Eyes On Your Website Design
It can be challenging to identify issues when you're so closely involved with your business. That’s why we offer a free website audit to help uncover what’s working and what might be turning visitors away.
Ready to stop leaving leads on the table?
Your website should work as hard as you do. Let’s make sure it’s pulling its weight.
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