Why isn't my website getting clients? How to find the cause and fix it

The two possible problems

For a website to win a client, two things have to happen: someone interested has to arrive and, once there, decide to contact you. When clients don't come, one of the two is failing, or both:

No visitors arrive

Nobody finds you: not on Google, not on Maps, not through social media or referrals. It doesn't matter how good the website is if nobody sees it.

They arrive but don't get in touch

There are visits, but the website doesn't convince: it isn't clear what you do, it doesn't inspire trust or contacting you is awkward.

The solutions are very different. Investing in SEO or ads when the problem is that the website doesn't convince is throwing money away; so is redesigning when the problem is that nobody arrives.

How to tell which is yours

1. Check how many visits you get. Google Analytics or another analytics tool tells you how many people come in and from where. If you have none installed, that is the first step.
2. Review Google Search Console. It's free and shows which searches you appear for on Google, how often and how many people click. If you rarely appear, the problem is visibility.
3. Count the enquiries. Forms, calls, WhatsApp messages and emails that come from the website in a month.
4. Compare. Lots of visits and hardly any enquiries: the website doesn't convince. Few visits: the problem starts earlier, with being found.
5. Ask your clients how they found you. Sometimes the website works as back-up (people look you up after a recommendation) even if it doesn't bring new clients on its own.

If no visitors arrive

• Google hasn't indexed your website properly. Check in Search Console that your pages appear and there are no errors. A newly launched or badly configured website may take time or not appear at all.
• You have no pages for what people search for. If you have a single page called “services”, you can't appear for each specific service. Every important service deserves its own page.
• You neglect your Google listing. In local searches, the map appears before websites; I explain it in Google Business Profile.
• You compete for impossible searches. “Lawyer” on its own is out of reach; “employment lawyer in Manacor” isn't.
• You give no reason to come back or link to you: no useful guides, no case studies, no presence in sector directories.
• You expect results too soon. SEO takes months; I explain it plainly in the hard truth about SEO.

If you want immediate visits, read Google Ads for small businesses: when it's worth it ↗

If they arrive but don't get in touch

• It isn't clear what you do or who it's for. If visitors don't grasp it within seconds, they leave. Start with your value proposition.
• You talk about yourself, not the client. “We are an experienced team” doesn't say what problem you solve.
• Services are poorly explained. What's included, how you work, how long it takes, roughly what it costs. If that's missing, the client asks someone else. I explain it in how to create a service page that converts.
• There is no proof of trust: reviews, real photos, case studies, years of experience or details about the professional.
• Contacting you takes effort: the phone number can't be tapped on mobile, the form asks too much or the contact button is hidden.
• The website is slow or looks bad on mobile, which is where a large share of visits comes from.
• It looks abandoned: news from years ago, an old copyright date or services you no longer offer.

If you suspect speed is the problem, read why a website is slow and how to fix it ↗

Visitors who aren't clients

There is a third case that causes a lot of confusion: there are visits, even quite a few, but they aren't your clients. It happens when you appear for searches unrelated to what you sell, such as an informational article popular with people in other countries, or when ads are poorly targeted.

More visits isn't the goal. A hundred visits from people in your area looking for your service beat a thousand from the merely curious. So when you review the data, look at which pages people visit and which searches bring them, not just the total.

The five-second test

Ask someone who doesn't know your business to look at your home page on their phone for five seconds. Then ask them:

1. What does this company do?
2. Who is it for?
3. Where is it, or which area does it cover?
4. What would you have to do to get in touch?

If they hesitate on any answer, you know where to start. It's the cheapest test and one of the most revealing.

Where to start

1. Measure before changing: install analytics and Search Console if you don't have them and note visits and enquiries for a month.
2. Fix what blocks contact: a clear message at the very top, tappable phone and WhatsApp links, a short form.
3. Explain each service properly on its own page, with guide prices if you can.
4. Add trust: real reviews, photos of you and your work, case studies.
5. Work on visibility: a complete Google listing and content that answers your clients' questions.
6. Measure again after a few months and decide the next step with data.

Often these changes are enough and there's no need to rebuild the website. If you're unsure, rebuild your website or improve the one you have? will help you decide.

Common questions