Website Mistakes Killing Your Conversions (and How to Fix Them)

If I hear “We need more leads” one more time, I might just….read this blog a few times over, take some deep breaths, and then take action.

Let’s face it, no matter how hard we try to get ahead of the digital business game, something goes awry, and we find ourselves wondering, “Where did the conversions go?” People seem to be spending money; we see them in the stores and the Amazon packages being delivered, salons and spas have people coming and going, and drive-thru lines and restaurants are still serving up their signature dishes.

So why aren’t I getting any leads? Where have my customers gone? What happened to our sales?

The slump is real; you’re not alone. Regardless of what’s happening in the market or the economy, there are some simple digital changes you can make to increase your conversions, gain some quick wins, implement professional fixes, and then measure the impact of your efforts.

Common Conversion Killers and What You Can Do

At eQuild DM, we work primarily with small businesses, guiding them through the digital landscape of marketing, SEO, website optimization, organic search, AI integration, and really any other issue they may come across when it comes to their business’s online presence. 

One of the first things we try to do is to get an overall picture of where the business sits in the digital realm; then we ask, “Are there any issues we can spot quickly that would offer a quick win which we can then turn into a pro move?” The answer is always yes. From site speed to mobile UX, there’s always an area that could use a facelift. Although the change may seem minor, the small fixes will add up for both short-term and long-term wins.

Mistake #1: Slow Site Speed

A prospective customer lands on your site, excited to see what you have to offer, but 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 4 seconds…oh wait, you’ve lost them already. Anything greater than a 3-second load time will cause your page to feel laggy and, especially on mobile, will cause that prospective client to bounce over to your competitor.

People are impatient; they don’t want to wait. Right or wrong, we live in a time where immediacy is expected, and unfortunately, when your site speed is slow, it’s equated to being less trustworthy and therefore not worth the wait.

So what can you do about it?

Quick win

• Compress images

• Remove unused apps and plugins 

Pro move

• Implement a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to distribute your site's content across multiple servers worldwide

• Defer non-critical JavaScript

Use free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom to analyze your site’s performance for mobile and for desktop.

Don’t wait; go check your site speed and make this a monthly habit at the very least.

Mistake #2: Weak Above-the-Fold Message

Be honest, do you even know what above-the-fold means? Or where it is? When I started working in digital marketing, I didn’t have the slightest clue, but I learned fast because it’s literally the first thing a person sees when they land on your site and click from page to page. 

Rather than me explaining, take a look at this screenshot:

Above-the-fold is the area a person sees at the top of the page when they land there; it’s the first panel under your header. Trust me when I tell you, this matters. Be mindful of the information you put in here. Is it specific? Readable? Sending a clear message?

If visitors don’t know what you do or why you’re different, they won’t stick around for long. Your above-the-fold content should resonate with your target audience so they clearly understand what it is you do and why they should keep scrolling.

Quick Win

• Rewrite your headline

• Make sure your subheading defines who this is for, what it does, and the expected outcome

Pro Move

• Compare two or more versions of your headline to see what users like

• Re-evaluate your subheadings and CTA by creating a few while monitoring what generates more conversions

First impressions matter, and that’s exactly what your above-the-fold content represents; it needs to be reasonably in-depth, have concise and appealing CTAs, and provide users with information about what the page is about and how it can benefit them. Don’t be afraid to experiment here, see what resonates most, then run with it; and then, in a few months when the clicks stop coming, reevaluate and rewrite again!

Mistake #3: CTAs That Don’t Guide Action

There may not seem to be many options when it comes to your Calls to Action, and you might think a simple 'Learn More' or 'Book Now' would be enough to make a person click. I hate to break it to you, but those are just too vague and way too overused by…every business. 

When people are given an option that’s too open and lacks specificity, they hesitate; this phenomenon is known as choice paralysis. Your CTA is giving them a suggestion that leaves open too many other options, so they just don’t choose; conversion is lost.

Quick Win

• Have one primary CTA per page

• Make the CTA action-oriented and use personal pronouns like “My” or “Your”

Pro Move

• Use sticky and mobile-friendly CTAs

• Map your CTAs to follow the buying mindset and journey of your customer

Paying attention to your CTAs is one of those small moves that can make a significant difference over time. It shows visitors you're paying attention and, when done properly, makes their experience feel more personalized. It’s hard to connect digitally with a person online; CTAs offer that olive branch to reach out, so you want to make it as enticing and authentic as possible. Then you wow them with your customer service after they’ve clicked!

Mistake #4: Forms that Frustrate

Show of hands, please, who likes filling out super long forms online only to get to the bottom and have them glitch, making you start all over again. Or what about a form that asks for so much information you would think you’re applying for a new home mortgage. 

You don’t like to do it, so why are you making your website visitors? If there are errors, your form bounces back, or they’re just too long to fill out, you’ll almost always lose that visitor. 

Remember what we mentioned above about people being impatient? Double down on that when it comes to forms, the frustration that comes along with having to fill out too much or having the form break while you're in the middle of completing it is enough to drive anyone away. To be perfectly honest, if it were me, I wouldn’t even bother going all the way until the end; I would just leave.

And that’s exactly what we don’t want!

Quick Win

• Cut fields to only include what you absolutely need from a customer (get the rest later)

• Enable autofill

• Show your visitor they’re making progress (with a percentage or a colored bar that fills up)

Pro Move

• Include fields that are optional or conditional

• Make it multi-step with micro commitments along the way so the visitor isn’t overwhelmed

• Monitor throughout the month to make sure every form is working properly and going where it should be

When done well, forms are great for both the user and your business. There’s a fine line between asking for information you need and requiring more information than necessary; find the balance. Be strategic about where you place forms, ensuring they make sense and are always functioning properly, so that no one loses their progress or gets ignored once they submit. 

Mistake #5: No Social Proof Where it Matters

I’ll be the first to admit that I do not like social media platforms; too many times, I’ve gotten lost in the abyss of scrolling, so several years ago, I just stopped. Every now and then, I get sucked in. I still have a couple of social accounts in order to follow and see our clients’ profiles, and every time I get mad at wasting that hour doing nothing.

Ironically, I will also be the first to admit that I love reading people’s reviews! Yes, they matter to me. Rarely are there bogus reviews, and you can always weed those ones out, but reading what people liked and didn’t like about a particular product or service is valuable to me; dare I say I’m not alone?

What does this mean for your business? Testimonials, reviews, comments…they all matter, so don’t keep this stuff hidden. By sharing what customers are saying, you’re being transparent and that often equates to being more trustworthy, which can then be more often followed by action; click!

Quick Win

• Put star ratings near CTAs

• Highlight testimonials and reviews so that people can see them easily

Pro Move

• Write industry-specific case studies and post them

• Have a place for user-generated content (UGC), like photos or videos

Technology has connected us in more ways than we realize and when used properly, it can serve as a way to make life easier and allows us to leverage the experiences of others to make informed decisions of our own. Reviews, testimonials, and case studies all have the power of helping customers figure out what’s worth their time and money. So use them, highlight them, let your product and service speak for itself; in a world filled with AI, let the art of word-of-mouth work to your advantage.

Don’t tell everyone how great you are, let your customers!

FAQs About Digital Conversions

1. Why is my website getting traffic but not conversions?

There are several reasons your site might be getting traffic but is failing to convert. Some of those include: unclear calls-to-action, slow loading times, poor mobile optimization, too many distractions, or a lack of trust signs. 

A pro move would be to conduct a conversion audit, which can highlight where users are dropping off and suggest fixes.

2. What are the most common mistakes that hurt digital conversions?

Some of the biggest culprits include:

• Confusing navigation or layout

• Weak or generic calls-to-action 

• Forgetting to optimize for mobile

• Long forms or ones that break as people are filling them out 

• Failing to build trust with things like reviews, testimonials, etc.

3. How can I quickly improve my website’s conversion rate?

• Simplify forms to ask only for essential information

• Add clear, benefit-driven calls-to-action

• Use customer reviews and testimonials for credibility

• Improve page speed and mobile friendliness

• Test headlines, button text, and page layouts

4. How do I measure if my digital conversion improvements are working?

Track key performance indicators (KPIs) like conversion rate, bounce rate, average session duration, and cart abandonment rate (for e-commerce). Use tools such as Google Analytics, Hotjar, or built-in CRM dashboards to monitor user behavior. Review results over 2–4 weeks after making a change to see a measurable impact before iterating further.

Resources to Help Audit Your Website

To help you get started, here’s a list of a few tools you can use.

Free & Easy-to-Use 

• Google Analytics 4 – Track traffic, bounce rates, conversions, & customer behaviour flow.

• Google PageSpeed Insights – Check page load speed and mobile-friendliness, both crucial for conversions.

• Hotjar – Heatmaps, recordings, and feedback tools to see where users click (and where they drop off).

• Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest – Quick SEO audit with keyword insights tied to conversion opportunities.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) & UX Checklists

• CXL Conversion Optimization Guide – Best practices for improving conversions step-by-step.

• HubSpot Website Grader – Quick free audit covering performance, SEO, mobile, and security.

Pro-Level (Paid but Powerful)

• Crazy Egg – More advanced heatmaps, scroll maps, and A/B testing.

• SEMRush Site Audit – Comprehensive SEO + site health audit with actionable insights.

• Optimizely – Robust experimentation platform for larger businesses scaling CRO.

eQuil DM Tip: As a small business, your budge isn’t always the biggest, so start with the free tools, then layer in heatmap tools for user behavior. Paid platforms are grea,t but only if you know how to use them otherwis,e you’re wasting you money.

Your Website Deserves More Than Just Clicks, It Deserves Care

Running a business is hard, and that’s without having to worry about the digital realm. The reality is that websites have become a hub for users to look through before, during, and after they make decisions about where to spend their time and money. Your site is an extension of your business’s identity, and in order to be successful, it needs to align with your brand, vision, and goals.

This requires maintenance, attention, and frequent evaluation to optimize the power of the digital world. Otherwise, conversion will suffer; both in person and online. Develop a process where you’re regularly checking your website (site speed, UX experience, CTAs, etc.), this audit provides the opportunity to fix what’s broken and show users that you’re paying attention. It takes time, but it’s time well spent.

If you’ve gotten this far in the blog and are thinking, “I don’t have the time for all of this, but I know it’s important, what should I do?”

That’s where we come in.

Let’s collaborate! 

At eQuil Digital Media, we offer customized digital media solutions tailored to your business needs. Contact us to elevate your digital brand as we work together to boost your online presence and drive results.

Let's Collaborate