Why Your Small Business Website Isn't Getting Results (And What to Do About It)

We've all been there. You spent money on a website, maybe even did some of it yourself, and now you're waiting for the phone to ring. But it's been months, and the only calls you're getting are from people trying to sell you more marketing services.

Sound familiar?

After working with dozens of small businesses, we've noticed the same issues popping up again and again. The good news? Most of them are pretty easy to fix once you know what to look for.

Your Website Doesn't Tell People What You Actually Do

This might sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how many business websites we visit where we have to play detective to figure out what the company actually does.

Your homepage should pass the "5-second test" – if someone can't figure out what you do and how it helps them within 5 seconds of landing on your site, they're gone.

Instead of "Welcome to Johnson & Associates – Your Trusted Partners in Excellence," try something like "We help Riverside restaurants get more customers through social media and online reviews."

See the difference? One makes people work to understand you, the other immediately tells them if you're a fit for their needs.

You're Missing the Mobile Experience

Here's a reality check: more than half of your potential customers are looking at your website on their phones. If your site is hard to read, navigate, or contact you from on mobile, you're losing business every single day.

We recently helped a local plumber who couldn't figure out why his website wasn't generating calls. Turns out, his phone number wasn't clickable on mobile devices. People literally couldn't call him easily from his own website. One small fix later, and his calls increased by 40%.

Your Contact Information Is Playing Hide and Seek

Make it ridiculously easy for people to contact you. Your phone number should be at the top of every page. Your address (if relevant) should be in the footer. And please, for the love of all that's holy, make sure your contact form actually works.

You wouldn't believe how many "broken contact form" horror stories we've heard. Test it yourself at least once a month.

You're Not Talking About What They Care About

Your customers don't care that you've been in business for 15 years (well, not primarily). They care about their problems and whether you can solve them.

Instead of focusing on your credentials and history, talk about the results you deliver. Don't just say you do "quality work" – explain what that quality work means for them. Faster service? Lower costs? Less stress? Be specific.

The Speed Issue (Yes, It Really Matters)

If your website takes more than a few seconds to load, people will leave. It's not personal – it's just human nature in 2025. We're all impatient.

The easiest way to test this is to pull up your website on your phone using cellular data (not WiFi). If you find yourself getting frustrated waiting for it to load, your customers definitely are too.

What Actually Works

The websites that generate real business for our clients have a few things in common:

They're crystal clear about what the business does and who it's for. They make it easy to take the next step, whether that's calling, emailing, or filling out a form. They load quickly and work well on phones. And they focus on customer benefits, not just business features.

Moving Forward

If you're reading this and thinking "Oh no, that's my website," don't panic. Most of these issues are fixable, and you don't necessarily need to start from scratch.

Sometimes it's as simple as rewriting your homepage headline, adding your phone number to the header, or optimizing a few images to speed things up.

The important thing is to start somewhere. Pick one thing from this list and fix it this week. Then tackle another one next week.

Your website should work as hard for your business as you do. If it's not pulling its weight, it might be time to make some changes.

Need help getting your website working harder for your business? We specialize in creating websites that actually generate leads for small businesses. Drop us a line – we'd love to help.