Why is my website not generating leads? Expert answer
September 29, 2024
Years ago, I was working with a local business owner, Emma, who ran a boutique selling handmade accessories.
She had put her heart and soul into her website, expecting a flood of customers once it went live.
But months passed, and her website wasn’t generating any leads.
She called me, confused and frustrated, asking the one question many business owners face: Why isn’t my website converting visitors into leads?
I’ve encountered this problem more times than I can count over the past two decades.
It’s frustrating, but the good news is that it’s almost always fixable.
Today, I’ll share some of the most common reasons your website might not be generating leads and how you can turn things around.
Lesson 1: You’re Not Speaking to Your Target Audience
One of the first things I noticed when I looked at Emma’s website was that it wasn’t tailored to her ideal customer.
The design was beautiful, but the content was generic.
She hadn’t clearly defined who she was speaking to.
This is a common mistake—your website can’t be everything to everyone.
Finding Emma’s Audience
We sat down and talked about who her ideal customers were.
It turned out most of her buyers were women aged 25-40 who were looking for unique, handmade items as gifts.
So, we adjusted her website copy to speak directly to this audience, using language and imagery that appealed to them.
Once we tailored her content to her audience, visitors started sticking around longer, and more importantly, they started converting into leads.
Lesson 2: Your Call-to-Action (CTA) is Weak or Nonexistent
One of the biggest problems I see when websites aren’t generating leads is that the call-to-action (CTA) is either weak or missing entirely.
It’s surprising how often businesses forget to guide visitors on what to do next.
When I first looked at Emma’s website, I realized she didn’t have any clear CTAs.
There was no “Shop Now” button, no “Get in Touch,” nothing guiding her visitors toward the next step.
Adding Clear CTAs
We added prominent, action-oriented CTAs throughout her site.
On the homepage, we placed a “Shop Handmade Accessories” button right at the top.
On her product pages, we included “Buy Now” buttons to make it easy for visitors to take action.
The moment we made it clear what we wanted visitors to do, Emma’s lead generation picked up almost instantly.
You can have the most amazing website in the world, but if you don’t tell your visitors what action to take, they’ll leave without doing anything.
Lesson 3: Your Website Lacks Trust Signals
Early in my career, I didn’t realize how important trust was for converting visitors into leads.
People don’t just hand over their personal information to any website—they need to feel secure and confident in your business first.
Emma’s website, for example, didn’t have any reviews or testimonials.
Visitors had no idea whether her products were high-quality or if other people were happy with their purchases.
Building Trust
We added customer testimonials, product reviews, and even a “Secure Checkout” badge to build trust with potential buyers.
I also encouraged Emma to include a money-back guarantee to reduce any hesitation her visitors might have.
The result? More people started signing up for her email list and making purchases because they felt reassured by the trust signals.
Lesson 4: Your Forms Are Too Complicated
One thing that can immediately turn off potential leads is a complicated form.
I’ve seen websites that ask for way too much information upfront—visitors get frustrated and leave before completing the form.
Emma’s website had this exact problem.
She was asking for too much information—name, address, phone number, email, how they heard about her, and more—on her contact form.
Visitors were overwhelmed, and as a result, they weren’t filling it out.
Simplifying Forms
We simplified her contact forms, reducing the number of required fields to just two: name and email.
We made it easy for visitors to get in touch without feeling like they were being interrogated.
The lead conversion rate shot up almost immediately after simplifying the form.
Remember, the fewer barriers you place between visitors and the action you want them to take, the more likely they are to convert.
Lesson 5: Your Website Is Slow
One of the most overlooked reasons a website fails to generate leads is speed.
I learned this firsthand while working with a fitness coach who had a fantastic website but wasn’t getting any leads.
When I investigated, I realized the site took forever to load, especially on mobile devices.
Site speed matters. In today’s fast-paced world, people won’t wait more than a few seconds for a website to load.
If your site is slow, visitors will leave before they even see your content, and you’ll lose the opportunity to convert them into leads.
Improving Speed
For the fitness coach, we optimized his images, reduced unnecessary plugins, and moved his site to a faster hosting provider.
As soon as we sped up the site, visitors started sticking around longer, and leads started to trickle in.
Fast loading times are crucial for both user experience and SEO.
A faster site keeps visitors engaged and increases your chances of converting them into leads.
Lesson 6: You’re Not Offering Enough Value
Sometimes, visitors come to your website, browse around, and leave because they don’t see enough value in staying.
They might like what they see, but there’s nothing incentivizing them to take the next step.
Emma’s website had this issue.
While her products were great, she wasn’t offering any reason for visitors to sign up for her email list or make a purchase.
We needed to offer something valuable in exchange for their information.
Adding Value
We introduced a limited-time discount for new subscribers and added a free guide on “How to Choose the Perfect Handmade Gift” for anyone who signed up.
These simple changes made a huge difference in generating leads because visitors now had a reason to engage with her brand.
By offering something of value, you make visitors feel like they’re getting more out of the experience.
Whether it’s a discount, a free guide, or an exclusive offer, value encourages visitors to take the next step.
Lesson 7: Your Website Isn’t Mobile-Friendly
One of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make is ignoring mobile optimization.
In the early 2000s, most of us didn’t have to think about mobile, but today, mobile traffic makes up the majority of web traffic.
When I looked at Emma’s website, I saw it wasn’t optimized for mobile users.
The text was too small, the buttons were hard to click, and the images didn’t load correctly.
Mobile visitors were bouncing off her site without converting into leads.
Going Mobile
We redesigned her website with a mobile-first approach, making sure it was responsive and easy to navigate on all devices.
After the redesign, Emma saw a significant uptick in leads coming from mobile visitors.
If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of potential leads.
A mobile-optimized site ensures that visitors can easily browse and take action no matter what device they’re using.
Conclusion: Finding the Missing Puzzle Piece
Over the past 20 years, I’ve seen countless businesses struggle with websites that don’t generate leads.
But the good news is, there’s almost always a reason why—and once you identify the problem, you can fix it.
From tailoring your message to your audience and adding clear CTAs, to simplifying forms and speeding up your site, each piece of the puzzle plays a role in turning visitors into leads.
The key is to evaluate your website from the perspective of your potential customers.
What’s stopping them from converting?
Once Emma made these changes, her boutique started seeing a steady flow of leads—and the same can happen for you.
If your website isn’t generating leads, don’t get discouraged. Look for the weak spots, make adjustments, and you’ll see the results you’re after.
