You’ve heard the saying: first impressions are important.
Think about the steps you'd take to impress a prospective client at your first meeting. You'd likely show up on time, dressed well and with a friendly smile on your face.
But have you ever considered that your real first impression takes place long before you ever come face-to-face with your clients?
Your website is likely the first experience many prospects have with your company. If this experience is negative, you might be losing clients before they even enter the door. Learn more about how to help prospects find your business online.
3 Mistakes Your Business Is Making Online
Want to increase online leads from your website? Here are three mistakes companies are making in the earliest stages of the game. Make sure you aren’t making them, too.
1. People can’t find your website in the first place.
Is your website fully optimized using the words and phrases that people use to search for your industry online? Not just the words you think they should be using, but the ones that they are actually using. If you're scratching your head at that sentence, chances are you don’t have a working SEO strategy in place.
Google’s core algorithm updates continue to emphasize Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T), and in the age of AI, this will become even more crucial. Content that’s written from a human perspective, showcasing real-world insights and authoritative knowledge, will be more likely to be referenced by AI-driven answers.
Learn more about creating an SEO strategy in the AI era >>
2. You’re making it too hard for prospects to reach you.
If your contact information isn’t readily available or you don’t include a contact form on your website, you might as well say goodbye to your website visitors. Your business name, address, phone number, and email should be available on every page of your website, not just on your “Contact Us” page. It should also be on all your social media sites. This not only makes things easier for your clients, but for Google as well.
Make it clear to those reading your website that you are available, whether it's by phone or email, to connect with them. And make them feel comfortable about contacting you by optimizing your forms and providing clear instructions around what to expect.
Related: When should I reinvest in a new website? >>
3. You’re giving prospects an excuse to visit other websites.
Your prospects should find all the relevant information they're searching for on your company’s website. Don’t leave out important details about your services and capabilities, including prices, as a “hook” to get your prospects to contact you. Your website exists to provide information, not just as an advertisement on the web.
Let’s say a potential client comes to your website looking for an answer to a simple question, but all they find is a reference to the topic saying “call to learn more”. Do you think they’ll call? Probably not - but they may bounce to a competitor's site to see if they can find the answer there.
Get Help With Your Marketing Strategy
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This blog was originally published in 2015 and was updated in 2025.
