How do you know if your website is working?
If it’s bringing you clients, it’s easy to think it’s successful. But if your business still feels hard, it could be because you’re not working with the right people.
It’s difficult, isn’t it. On the surface, things can look like they’re working: people are finding you, you’re getting calls, work is coming in. But I’ve spoken to lots of people who are in that position and - often they don’t like to say it - but something doesn’t feel quite right.
It can look different for everyone, but often shows up in the small things: projects taking longer than expected, feeling like you’re always on the back foot, and conversations being harder than they should. Maybe it’s just be a general sense that things aren’t working as well as you’d like.
It might be because of the type of clients your website is attracting
Your website does more than just bring people in.
It’s not just there to tell people what you do; your website will also influence who decides to get in touch.
Every page, every sentence, every picture gives people a sense of:
who you are
how you work
what working with you is like
This is how your website visitors are making their decision - often quite quickly. So if your website isn’t clear about who you want to attract (or put off!), people will fill in the gaps themselves; this is where the mismatch usually starts.
Why the wrong clients can still feel like a 'good' problem
The thing is, when we’ve got enquiries coming in, we often don’t want to question them.
Being busy is what we’re all aiming for, isn’t it!?
But you know already, not all work feels the same.
Maybe you’ve worked with clients where everything feels like a bit more effort than it should. It might not be anything major - just more emails, more going back and forth, more friction.
In some cases, you can even sense it in the first enquiry - the wording is slightly off, the expectations don’t quite match what you offer, it’s not wrong — just not quite right.
And then there are the enquiries where you read the message and think, “Yes - I’m excited about this.” The kind where the conversation starts easily, and you’re already on the same page.
In my experience, the right clients will understand the value of what you do, feel comfortable with your way of working, and they’ll make decisions more easily.
Everything happens with less effort.
But when that isn’t happening, it can feel like there’s something wrong with your business when actually it might just mean you’re attracting the wrong people.
Things change, websites need to change
Maybe this gap between the kind of clients you want and the ones you’re getting has grown gradually. Your business changes over time, and with everything else going on in our businesses, our websites often don’t get updated to reflect those changes.
When you first create your website, many businesses are still trying to appeal to a broad audience, figuring out what to say, focused on getting something live rather than getting it right. And that’s completely normal.
But over time, things change.
You’ll get clearer on who you work best with, what kind of projects you enjoy, and how you like to work.
Your business has evolved, but maybe your website hasn’t kept up.
Why so many websites feel similar now
It’s easier than ever to create a website that looks professional. Templates, tools, and AI have made content creation much easier. But the downside is that many websites now follow very similar patterns.
Similar layouts.
Similar language.
Perhaps even using similar stories and images.
So when someone is comparing options, it’s hard for them to tell the difference.
I don’t know about you, but when I’m looking for something online, I’ll open a few tabs to see what I can find. I might not analyse each one in detail, I’m just getting a general feel. But when those websites start to sound and feel similar, it becomes surprisingly difficult to choose between them.
When that happens, people tend to fall back on price, convenience, or the quickest option rather than choosing based on fit. And sometimes we just give up on the search altogether, thinking that nothing has quite ‘got what we want’.
Helping the right people recognise themselves
For your website to attract the right clients, it doesn’t need to say more. It just needs to be clearer - clear about who you can help most successfully, how you work and what working with you is actually like.
When you’re clear like this, something shifts.
The right people see themselves in what you’re saying and feel more confident reaching out. Your enquiries start from a different place.
After a recommendation
This becomes even more important when someone has already been referred to you.
Someone is given your name, or they hear it in a networking meeting, they’ll think,
“I’ll have a quick look at their website.”
This is often a very quick check. A few clicks. A scroll. And in that short space of time, they’re forming a sense of whether this feels like the right fit.
They’re usually asking themselves:
Does this feel like the person I was expecting?
Do they understand what I need?
Can I see myself working with them?
If your website answers those questions straight away, it strengthens that trust gained from the initial recommendation. If it doesn’t, it can create hesitation where it shouldn’t be.
Your website should make it easier
We’re not talking about anything dramatic. It just helps the right people see that: “Yes, this is what I was looking for.”
And when that happens, things feel really different for you behind the scenes.
Conversations are more straightforward, projects feel more positive, and you spend less time explaining or correcting expectations.
Something to think about...
So, if someone landed on your website today, would the right person recognise themselves?
Your website isn’t just there to bring people in, it’s there to help the right people see themselves and feel confident taking the next step.
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