When I tell people I build websites for a living, a lot of them shrug it off.
“I had a website,” they say, “but it never did anything for me.”
I get it. It’s frustrating when you spend money on a website and get nothing in return.
Here’s the thing:
It doesn’t have to be that way.
Most websites fail because of how they’re built, not just because they exist.
The good news? Almost every problem can be fixed.
Here are three common red flags I see all the time that show why a website isn’t pulling its weight , and what you can do about them.
3 Signs Your Website Is Costing You Customers
1. Pages Are Slower Than a Monday Morning
Isn’t it frustrating when a website takes forever to load?
You just want to buy a product, research a company, or find some info, and the damn thing is taking its sweet ass time to deliver.
If it happens once in a while, you might forgive and forget. But if it keeps happening, you’re probably going to start looking elsewhere.
Here’s the kicker: your potential customers feel the exact same way when your site loads slow.
It doesn’t matter how beautiful your design is or how great your offer sounds, if it takes too long to show up, they’ll hit the back button and move on.
And it’s not just me saying that. Research backs it up:
KissMetrics found that:
- 47% of consumers expect a web page to load in 2 seconds or less.
- 40% abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load.
- 79% of shoppers who are dissatisfied with website performance are less likely to buy from the same site again.
(Source: KissMetrics Loading Time Study)
How To Tell If Your Site Is Loading Slowly
Go to Pingdom.com, type in your website URL, and select the location closest to your main audience.
Check your score:
- Under 1 second – You’re crushing it.
- 1–2 seconds – You’re doing really well.
- 2–3 seconds – There’s room for improvement.
- More than 3 seconds – There’s major room for improvement.
Need help with this? I’m happy to run a free speed test for you. Just get in touch.
How to Improve Site Speed: Quick Wins
Here are a few quick ways to speed up your site:
- Compress images and serve them in performance-friendly formats like .webp.
- Minify your HTML, JavaScript, and CSS code to cut down file sizes.
- Set up caching to store site data temporarily and speed up load times.
I’ll be explaining all of these things in future blog posts. Follow Studio Raconteur on Facebook and be the first to know when I share a new post.
Your Call to Action is Unclear Or Non-Existent
A Call To Action (CTA) is a direct prompt that tells website visitors exactly what you want them to do.
For example, in the image above, you’ll see that the website makes it clear that the site owner wants visitors to contact them and commission a custom-designed fashion outfit.
In your case, it could be:
- Buying a product
- Booking an appointment
- Requesting more information
Or whatever your goal happens to be.
If your CTA isn’t clear and obvious, you’re leaving money on the table because your visitors don’t know what action to take.
How To Tell If Your CTA Needs Improvement
- Can you quickly tell what action a visitor should take on your homepage?
- Is the CTA button easy to find and understand?
If you answered no, there’s work to be done:
How To Improve CTAs: Quick Fix Tips
- Use big, bold buttons with clear action words like “Buy Now,” “Get a Quote,” or “Book Your Spot.”
- Place CTAs above the fold (the part visitors see without scrolling).
- Use contrasting colors so the CTA stands out.
3. You’re Not Showing Up in Search For The Right Terms
A lot of folks get excited when they Google their business name and see it right at the top.
If that’s you, awesome. You’ve nailed what we SEO nerds call branded search visibility.
But here’s the thing:
What are people more likely to search for:
“John’s Barbershop”
or
“barbershops in Hickory, NC”?
It’s probably the second one, right?
And if your business isn’t showing up for those kinds of unbranded, high-intent searches, that’s a problem.
It’s not just Google anymore. People are searching on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, even tools like ChatGPT. If you’re not showing up where your audience is looking, you’re losing opportunities every single day.
How to Check If Your SEO Needs Work:
Go to Google. Imagine you’re a customer who has never heard of your business but wants exactly what you offer.
What would you type in?
Try a few of those phrases.
Does your site show up? Preferably near the top of the first page?
If not, it’s time to roll up your sleeves.
Then repeat the process on social media and other platforms your audience uses.
If you’re invisible there too, that’s a big ol’ flashing red flag.
Summing Up
If your website is loading slower than molasses, has no clear next steps for your visitors, and isn’t showing up in search results for the terms your customers are actually typing , then yeah, it’s probably costing you customers.
The good news? Every single one of those problems is fixable.
Book Your Website Audit Today
If you’re not sure where to start, I offer a Website Performance & SEO Audit Service. ‘ll go through your site, tell you exactly what’s working, what isn’t, and how to fix it.
Shoot me a message and let’s get started.
Stop letting your website work against you. Let’s turn it into something that earns its keep.