“My website isn’t bringing in clients.” If you’ve reached this point, I understand the urge to change everything: swap out the photos, choose a different color, add an animation. But before you tweak the design, I’d take a look at the journey of someone who visits your site hoping to hire you.
Can they understand what you do? Do they know if you meet their needs? Can they easily request a quote?
I like beautiful websites. I work in design and development, so it would be strange to say otherwise. But the design needs to support those answers. When it hinders readability or hides the contact information, something needs to be revised.
First: Is anyone actually visiting your website?
A website with few visitors and a website that gets visitors but doesn’t generate leads have different problems. It seems obvious, but this difference changes what you should tackle first.
If almost no one is visiting, you can’t yet conclude that the layout is driving customers away. You need to look at how people find the company: Google searches, social media, referrals, ads. Just having a published URL doesn’t mean people are actually finding it.
If there’s traffic, I’d look at which pages are getting those visits and where they’re coming from. Someone who visited to read a tip might be in a very different situation than someone who searched for a service to hire.
I’d also check whether contact information is being captured. A WhatsApp click, a message sent, and a quote requested are all different things. Measuring just the click can give a misleading impression of the result.
Does the top of the page explain anything?
Imagine opening a company’s website and seeing: “Innovative solutions to transform your future.” It’s written there. But what does this company actually sell?
Now imagine reading: “Interior design projects for small apartments in São Luís.” You already know the service, the type of project, and the region. You can decide whether it makes sense to continue.
This is a hypothetical example, but it illustrates an important difference. A nice-sounding phrase can take the place of the information the customer actually needed.
I’d start with an introduction that explains what you do, for whom, and—when it matters—where you serve clients. Then come the details. You don’t need to include the company’s entire history on the first screen.
Does the website answer the questions of potential clients?
Those who know their own business well sometimes forget how much the client still doesn’t know. What’s included? How does it start? Do they need to schedule a call? Is the service remote? Are there any conditions for hiring?
If all of this is left to WhatsApp, the page may be requiring a conversation before providing enough information to make the person want to talk.
This doesn’t mean publishing a fixed price for a project that depends on its scope. You can explain what factors affect the quote and what information you need to receive. This is already much more helpful than just leaving a button that says “Learn More.”
I’d also include examples of your work. A real project, with a brief explanation of what was done, helps visitors understand what you deliver. If you have testimonials, use only genuine and authorized ones.
Open the site on a cell phone and try requesting a quote
Go through the entire process, from the first visit to submitting the request. Does the button appear? Does the text fit on the screen? Does the menu close properly? Does the form confirm when it was submitted successfully?
Test WhatsApp as well. Check the number, the pre-filled message, and whether the link opens correctly. It’s too small a detail to stand between you and a potential client.
Check to see if anything is covering the content: a cookie notice, a promotional pop-up, a chat window, or a floating button. Individually, each feature may seem useful. Together, they can leave little room for reading.
If there’s a video, effect, or animation, check how the page behaves on a mobile connection. I like these features when they add something to the experience. The customer still needs to be able to navigate smoothly.
What happens after someone gets in touch?
It’s worth paying just as much attention to this part. Does the person find the same terms and conditions in customer service that they saw on the website? Do they receive a response that follows up on their request? Do they have to explain everything all over again?
Sometimes the website is doing its job, but the connection is lost afterward. Redesigning the entire site wouldn’t solve this specific issue.
That’s why I’d avoid changing everything all at once. First, confirm that the communication channels are working. Then, review how the service is presented, any unanswered questions, and the points where navigation becomes complicated.
What I’d review before redesigning the website
- Where visitors are coming from and which pages they’re viewing.
- Whether the landing page clearly explains the service.
- Whether there are real-world examples and information to help visitors make a decision.
- Whether the contact form works well on mobile devices.
- Whether the customer service lives up to what the site promised.
This makes it easier to distinguish between what just needs a tweak and what actually requires a complete overhaul. You don’t always have to start from scratch.
If you want to review your company’s website, you can send me the URL and let me know what isn’t working right now. You can find my projects and contact information at sabrinamesquita.dev.