You’d be surprised how many websites are quietly working against the businesses they’re meant to support.
They load slowly. They confuse customers. They look outdated. They don’t reflect the brand... and are almost impossible to update without breaking something.
So, is YOUR website helping or hurting your business? Let's find out!
What a Good Website Actually Does
A good website should do a lot of things. But ultimately, a good website:
- Tells people who you are and what you actually do? Clearly?
- Builds trust genuinely
- Gets people to take action. Buy. Book. Contact. Whatever!
- Loads fast and loads well on mobile and tablet
- Doesn't make your life harder every time you want to update something
That is the baseline. Ideally, it also helps your business grow, bring in new leads, and evolves alongside whatever you're building next.
Signs Your Website Might Be The Problem
You know that saying, "It's not me it's you" (or was it the other way around). If you're not totally sure whether your site is helping or hurting your business, here are a few clues it might be the latter:
You're a little embarrassed to send people the link
Honestly, I see this A LOT. If you find yourself saying, "Don't just it"... that's probably a sign. You should feel good about sharing your website. You worked hard to get where you're at and your site should reflect that hard work. Be proud to send clients there!
It doesn't reflect what you actually offer anymore
Businesses change. We evolve, our services shift. I get it! But if your website still lists packages you dropped two years ago, or doesn't mention the thing you're actually trying to sell now.. that's a disconnect.
You're not getting leads
Maybe you're getting traffic, but nobody's filling out your form. Or your contact inbox is a ghost town. This generally means that you aren't actually targeting your ideal audience or client. I worked with a client recently who was getting over 8,000 leads a month to their website, but their conversion rate was less than 1%. That's a huge indicator that you're drawing in the wrong crowd and they leave because you aren't actually providing what you're looking for. Making sure that your messaging reflects your audience is key.
You avoid updating it because it's 'a whole thing'
If making one small change involves logging into four different tools, watching a tutorial, and *praying* nothing breaks (we've all been there), then yeah, we've got a usability problem. I generally see this happen when clients have websites built on tools like WordPress and they don't regularly update the plugins or widgets (I'm screaming on the inside). Fun fact: this is how websites break. Please please please update your website regularly! And if you don't know how, or you can't find the time, then please hire someone to do it for you. You spend so much money getting your site launched, so, it's normal to think you would want to keep taking care of it so it doesn't break down.
You have no idea if it's working
You're not tracking visitors, conversions, bounce rates, etc. Basically, you're flying blind. It doesn't mean you need to use Google Analytics. There are other really great options that are 100% less overwhelming, like Google Search Console for example. But ultimately, you should know what's working and what's not.
What a helpful website feels like
Okay, so what SHOULD it feel like??
It should work hard, so you don't have to. Catchy, I know! But really, It should answer questions your clients have, make it easy for them to take the next steps, and support whatever your business goals are right now.
Here's what that might look like:
It aligns with your current goals
Trying to book more discovery calls? Sell a product? Grow your email list? Your site should guide people toward that action. Not with vague “Learn More” buttons, but with intentional messaging and clear paths forward.
It's easy to keep up
You shouldn’t need to hire someone every time you want to add a new service or swap a testimonial. You don’t have to DIY everything, but you should feel comfortable making small updates without fear.
You have real data to work from
Even if you’re not deep into analytics, you should know things like:
- What pages people are visiting the most
- How many people are clicking your call-to-action
- Where people are dropping off from
If you don't know, you can't improve!
Not sure where you stand? Try this.
If you've made it this far and you're thinking 'yikes', don't panic. You don't have to scrap everything. Start here:
1. Ask a real human for feedback
Not your mom. Not your business partner who helped write the content. Ask someone slightly removed, ideally a current or past customer, to click around and tell you what’s confusing, outdated, or just plain annoying.
2. Run a free audit
Tools likeGoogle PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse can show you if your site’s loading slowly, failing mobile checks, or missing accessibility basics.
Also: open it on your phone. Does it load fast? Can you read everything? Does the layout break? This is not a trick question..
3. Talk to a developer or designer early
Not every site needs a full rebuild. Sometimes it’s small fixes that make a big difference, especially if you’re working with someone who can tell the difference.
If you’re not sure whether you need a refresh, a rebuild, or just a few strategic edits, schedule a quick consultation. (Hint: I do these for free.)
One last thought
websites aren't set-it-and-forget-it
This isn't a refrigerator. It's not something you buy once and then ignore for 10 years. If your business has grown, shifted, or leveled up, your site should reflect that. And if it doesn't that's a good sign it's time to think about a tune up.
Need a second set of eyes?
I offer free website audits (the real kind. not the “enter your email and we’ll spam you forever” kind). I’ll take a look at your site, tell you what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus first.
No pressure. No tech speak. Just helpful feedback so you can make smarter decisions moving forward.