The Text Overload Problem
The first major mistake many businesses make is overwhelming visitors with too much text. Mike emphasizes the minimal window businesses have to capture attention:
- 2 seconds to grab initial attention
- 5 seconds to direct visitors to applicable content
- 10-30 seconds to deliver value
When a website requires 30 seconds of reading just to understand its purpose, visitors have likely already clicked away. The solution is a balanced approach that utilizes visual elements, such as photos, which instantly communicate the brand’s feeling and emotion, along with videos that present information without requiring visitors to hunt for it.
However, this doesn’t mean eliminating text. Effective websites require clear headlines, concise copy, and a strategic blend of media that effectively conveys information. The goal is communication efficiency, not minimalism.
Lack of Compelling Reasons to Visit
Many business websites fail to answer a fundamental question: why should customers visit? If a website merely repeats contact information already available on a business card, it serves no real purpose.
Mike suggests three approaches to fix this problem:
- Create a useful blog that shares helpful information, not focused on sales
- Value visitor time by conveying information quickly and efficiently
- Update content regularly to give people reasons to return
Outdated content sends a subconscious message that visitors don’t need to return. A website that hasn’t been updated in months tells visitors they’ve already seen everything worth seeing.
Poor Discoverability
Even the best website is worthless if customers can’t find it. Mike recommends mapping all possible pathways to your website, including:
- Search engine optimization
- Local and industry directory listings
- Social media sharing
- Client recommendations
- External website features
This exercise often reveals significant gaps in visibility. While professional SEO and content marketing strategies can be beneficial, numerous simple and free options also exist to enhance website discoverability.
Mismatched Marketing Expectations
When advertising creates excitement that your website fails to maintain or build upon, you’ve created a conversion killer. If customer enthusiasm decreases rather than increases when they visit your website, you have a major problem. Mike argues that having no website would be better than one that diminishes customer interest after effective advertising has brought them in.
No Measurable Return on Investment
The primary reason websites waste money is their inability to measure their business impact. Without clear metrics showing how a website generates revenue, businesses are operating on faith rather than facts.
Mike offers three principles to address this fundamental issue:
- Define a single clear purpose for your website (newsletter signup, email contact, phone call, etc.)
- Remove everything that doesn’t support that purpose, regardless of emotional attachment.
- Create an implementation plan that supports the website with regular content updates and coordinated advertising.
A business website functions much like a retail store. When customers enter a disorganized space where they can’t find what they need or even understand the store’s purpose, they leave and never return. The same principle applies online.
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The Mobile-First Reality
One critical aspect Mike emphasizes is that over 60% of website traffic now comes from mobile devices, yet many businesses still design primarily for desktop users. A website that looks professional on a computer but loads slowly or appears broken on smartphones is effectively invisible to the majority of potential customers.
Mobile optimization extends beyond responsive design. Page loading speed becomes even more critical on mobile networks, with studies showing that 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than three seconds to load. Simple fixes, such as compressing images, minimizing plugins, and selecting faster hosting, can dramatically improve mobile performance and customer retention.
The Trust Factor: Security and Credibility
Modern consumers have become increasingly security-conscious, making website credibility a non-negotiable conversion factor, according to Mike. Websites without SSL certificates (the “https” prefix) trigger browser warnings that immediately destroy trust. Similarly, outdated design elements, broken links, or missing contact information signal unprofessionalism that drives customers toward competitors.
Customer testimonials, professional photography, and clear business information help establish credibility. However, fake or staged testimonials can backfire spectacularly. Authenticity matters more than perfection in building the trust necessary for conversion.
The Psychology of Website Navigation and User Experience
Understanding how visitors mentally process websites reveals why so many business sites fail to convert traffic into customers. Mike points out that users don’t read websites the way they read books—they scan, hunt, and make split-second decisions about whether to stay or leave. This scanning behavior follows predictable patterns that smart businesses can leverage.
The “F-pattern” describes how most visitors scan web pages: they read horizontally across the top, scan down the left side, then make another horizontal sweep partway down the page. This means the most important information—your value proposition, contact details, and call-to-action—must be positioned where the eye naturally lands during this scanning process.
Cognitive load theory explains why cluttered websites fail. When visitors encounter too many choices, competing messages, or complex navigation systems, their brains essentially shut down, and they leave. The solution isn’t just about reducing content, but also about organizing it hierarchically so that visitors can process information in digestible chunks. Primary messages should dominate the visual hierarchy, with secondary information clearly subordinated.
The “three-click rule” suggests that visitors should be able to find any important information within three clicks from the homepage. While this isn’t a hard rule, it highlights the importance of intuitive navigation. If visitors can’t quickly understand how to find what they’re looking for, they’ll assume it doesn’t exist and leave for a competitor’s site.
Color psychology and visual cues play crucial roles in guiding visitor behavior. The strategic use of contrasting colors for call-to-action buttons, directional elements like arrows, and whitespace to create visual breathing room all influence whether visitors take the desired actions. These design elements work subconsciously to either support or sabotage conversion goals.
Content Strategy: Beyond Information Dumping
Most business websites treat content as an information dump rather than a strategic conversion tool. Mike emphasizes that every piece of content should serve a specific purpose in moving visitors toward becoming customers. This requires thinking like a customer rather than like a business owner who wants to share everything about their company.
The content hierarchy should mirror the customer journey. Visitors typically progress from awareness (recognizing they have a problem) to consideration (evaluating solutions) to decision (choosing a provider). Website content should guide visitors through this progression naturally, providing the right information at the right time rather than overwhelming them with everything at once.
Storytelling transforms dry business information into compelling reasons to choose your company. Instead of simply listing services, effective websites tell stories about how those services solve real customer problems. Case studies, before-and-after scenarios, and client success stories create emotional connections that purely factual content cannot achieve.
The “inverted pyramid” approach from journalism works perfectly for web content. Start with the most important information—what you do and why it matters to customers—then provide supporting details for those who want to dig deeper. This structure respects visitors’ time while providing depth for serious prospects.
Regular content auditing ensures that every page serves a conversion purpose. Mike recommends quarterly reviews, asking: “Does this content help visitors understand why they should choose us?” Content that doesn’t clearly support business goals should be eliminated or rewritten. This disciplined approach prevents websites from becoming digital junkyards filled with outdated, irrelevant information that confuses visitors rather than converting them.
Analytics: Beyond Vanity Metrics
Mike warns against focusing on vanity metrics, such as total website visits or social media followers. Instead, businesses should track conversion-focused metrics, such as how many visitors become leads, which pages generate the most inquiries, and what content keeps visitors engaged the longest.
Google Analytics provides free tools to track these meaningful metrics, but the data is only valuable if someone regularly reviews and acts on it. Setting up monthly reviews of website performance allows businesses to identify what’s working and what needs adjustment.
The most successful business websites evolve continuously based on actual user behavior rather than assumptions about what customers want. This data-driven approach transforms websites from static brochures into dynamic sales tools that adapt to customer needs and market changes.
For businesses serious about growth, addressing these five website issues isn’t optional—it’s essential in a marketplace where digital first impressions often determine whether customers ever make contact, websites that fail to convert traffic into customers might as well not exist.
Featured Image Credit: Khwanchai Phanthong; Pexels
