5 Reasons you have a terrible conversion rate (and how to fix it)

website conversion rate

“My website isn’t converting!”

Are you happy with your conversion rate?

According to our digital agency, The digital revolution has improved business significantly. More and more people are connecting with businesses and brands they love, however, to stay ahead of the competition, you have to market your business properly. This is why one of the goals of any business is increasing conversion rates. 

But what if your website is not converting? How can you stop traffic from slipping through the cracks and disappearing – maybe even heading to your competition!

This is a legit question for a business owner, and the answer you get can either make or break your business.

If you are searching for answers to why your website has conversion rate problems, or you’re simply looking for new ways to increase your website’s conversion rate; you are in the right place.

Here are 6 reasons why you have poor conversion rates (and how to fix them).

Why is your website not converting?

Conversions are the lifeblood of your business.

Let’s look at 2 possible reasons your conversions are poor.

Scenario One: You have just built a new website.

You should be relieved to know that a new website takes time to convert. In other words, a new website will not convert immediately, and there is a good reason for this.

For a site to convert, it must have high rankings on Google. And to rank on Google requires:

  • helpful content
  • proper and accurate keyword targeting
  • high-quality backlinks
  • and most crucially, time


There are no new websites that rank immediately, which means instant conversions are very rare.

Even so, there are few things one can do to ensure the website is on the right track towards better ranking and conversion rate. Proper SEO is one thing you should work on to improve your rankings on Google, and your conversion rates too.

Scenario Two: Your website has poor conversion optimisation tactics in place

If you have had a website for long and still it is not converting, then the situation is a little bit complicated…

You’ve got huge holes in your conversion strategy!

If you’ve had a website for more than one year and you’re still struggling to turn traffic into leads, here are 6 reasons why.

1. Not taking advantage of SEO properly

If you build a website and expect it to rank well in Google’s search engine results page, then you’ll need an SEO campaign.

93% of online experiences start with a search engine. So if you’re not appearing on Google, your business is invisible.

SEO can be defined as a process of improving a website and content delivery to achieve the best rank among others in a search engine results page. Without search engine optimisation, your website is nothing but a point on a map with no helpful instructions to get there.

So get started with SEO. Even a little beats none. 

Looking to implement some SEO and boost conversions? Explore DIY SEO here.

2. You do not have CTAs

CTA, or call-to-action, is the way you convince someone to take the next step on your site.

This could be to:

  • Download a guide
  • Make a call
  • Book an appointment

Your CTAs encourage users to take specific steps or actions.

It matters less what style of CTA your industry needs, as long as you have SOME incentive for people to take action.

Without CTAs your site visitors may not find a clear way to move forward, which will become an issue when it comes to conversions.

Bonus Tip: There is NO high-converting colour for your CTA text or buttons. Instead, try and find a colour that contrasts your landing page. The stronger the contrast, the more likely this button will stand out.

3. You give users too many choices

Giving site users too many choices on a page may be the reason why your website is not converting.

It is always important to have a focal point on your page for your CTA. But too many options will cause friction that slows down your conversions. By simplifying your navigation and UX, users will have limited action, which increases conversion.

Giving users too many options, menus, and buttons could make them experience what is known as ‘analysis paralysis’. What this means is that giving users too many options makes them overwhelmed to a point where they become paralysed and don’t make any choice at all.

Go through all your pages and ensure they have one clear call to action, suggests beautician Connie Di Camillo. She explains “having more than one is fine, but too many options is bad for a page designed to drive sales. We learned that the hard way offering so many services and trying to push them all. In the end, by simplifying our banner design and reducing the number of clickable buttons, we actually got more bookings!”

4. Not showing the value of your products

Potential customers want to be sure of the product or service you are offering before they actually commit to a purchase.

They want to be sure it provides them with value. Therefore, to make the buying process easy for your customers, consider offering them value from the start.

For example, let’s say you are trying to sell paints.

Talk about the quality and value of your paints.

Does it dry quick?

Is it smooth?

Is it safe for kids?

Is it odourless?

Is it safe for pets?

Without offering this type of information, the chances are no one is going to buy your product.

The only way to tackle this issue is by finding a unique selling point (USP) for your products.

Make it unique and attractive and watch your conversions increase.

5. Your Website Is Not Mobile-Friendly

According to Google, over half of the world’s population use their mobile phones to access the web and purchase products.

What does this mean to you?

It means the world’s largest traffic comes from mobile phones. This also means that if you are looking to convert, your website must be compatible on mobiles and offer a smooth mobile experience.

This was a lesson learned the hard way by Karl Ammoun of Air Care. When asked about the importance of mobile friendly sites he had this to say. “You think it doesn’t matter, but you have NO idea how many people are looking you up on mobiles in 2020. Especially in my field where I provide services on the go. Only by getting my site mobile friendly did I see how many leads were actually coming in.”

You should work on your website’s mobile elements like:

  • Images
  • Menus
  • Responsive forms

The solution to this problem is working with a website designed to ensure your website is mobile compatible as well.

Our Gold Coast Web Design team helps business thrive online by taking a holistic view of their digital footprint.

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