It’s more or less a given these days that any company dreaming of even the remotest level of success needs a website — without one, businesses can expect limited visibility, few opportunities to build brand awareness, and a restricted ability to attract new customers.

But is just having a website enough? Of course not. Simply choosing a domain name, throwing some pages together, and hitting the “launch” button on your site isn’t going to get you very far. In fact, your website could end up becoming a hindrance rather than a help if you’re not willing to put the time and effort into optimizing it.

The best company websites don’t just exist — they provide a seamless user experience (UX), they offer fresh and compelling content, and they’re rigorously optimized for search engines. And these are just some of the elements that go into creating a killer site.

Is your website failing to generate traffic? Are users landing on your site but seldom converting? Is your site actually driving people away from your business? If any of these factors ring true, your website might be more of a headache-inducing burden than a benefit.

How can you tell if your website is helping or hindering your business? And in the latter case, what can you do about it?

Signs your website is helping your business

High conversion rates

A website that helps your business will convert visitors into leads or customers. If your calls-to-action (CTAs) are clear, your forms easy to fill out, and your value proposition compelling, your website will encourage users to take action. 

Track website metrics like lead submissions, sales, and user engagement to ensure your site is pulling its weight — if you see consistent conversions, it’s a clear sign that your website is contributing positively to your business’s growth.

Positive user feedback

If your users are leaving positive reviews or at least providing constructive feedback, it’s a good indication that your website is working well. Happy users tend to spend more time on your site, explore more pages, and are more likely to return. 

Gathering feedback through user surveys or feedback forms can help you identify areas where your website shines and areas for improvement. If the feedback is consistently positive, your site is clearly an asset.

Strong SEO performance

An effective website will rank well in search engines for relevant keywords, bringing in organic traffic without the need for constant advertising and PPC spend. If your pages rank on the first page of Google or other search engines, and your website receives consistent, qualified traffic from search results, it’s a sign of a powerful SEO strategy. 

SEO isn’t a set-and-forget process, of course — but a well-optimized website is essential for long-term success.

Low bounce rates

A low bounce rate is a good sign that visitors are finding what they’re looking for when they land on your site. If users stay on your pages, explore further content, and engage with your CTAs, your website is likely doing its job. 

You can perform audience analysis to see how long users are staying on your pages and whether they’re navigating deeper into your site. This indicates that your website is effectively keeping users engaged.

Repeat visitors

If you have a high percentage of repeat visitors — around 25-30% is seen as a “good” number — it means people find value in what your website offers. Whether it’s insightful blog posts, a helpful product catalog, or a seamless purchasing process, repeat visits demonstrate that your site is helping build customer loyalty. 

Keep an eye on your return user statistics to gauge whether your site is a trusted resource for your audience.

Signs your website is hindering your business

Slow load times

Website speed is crucial for user retention. If your site takes more than three seconds to load, users are likely bouncing off, leading to a drop in traffic. Slow load times frustrate visitors and give them a poor first impression of your business. 

Search engines like Google also penalize slow websites by ranking them lower, so your sluggish website may be costing you both visitors and visibility. Regular website speed tests are essential to ensure your load times stay competitive.

Low (or no) search engine rankings

If your website isn’t ranking for relevant keywords, it’s failing to attract organic traffic. A low ranking in search results means fewer potential customers can find you. This could be due to poor SEO practices such as unoptimized content, lack of proper meta tags, or slow page speeds. 

Without consistent attention to SEO-related metrics and strategies, your website will simply remain buried under countless other more optimized pages, costing your business valuable visibility in search engines.

Low conversion rates

A “good” conversion rate varies depending on the industry, traffic source, and specific goals of your website. Generally, a conversion rate between 2% and 5% is considered solid across most industries, with top-performing websites achieving rates of 10% or higher. 

If your conversion rate is consistently a lot lower than this, it’s a clear indicator that your website may be hindering your business. This could be due to unclear messaging, complicated forms, weak CTAs, or even an overwhelming design. 

High bounce rates

A high bounce rate suggests that visitors are landing on your site but immediately leaving without interacting. This can be a sign that your content isn’t aligned with what users are looking for, your navigation is confusing, or your design isn’t user-friendly. 

If visitors don’t stay long enough to explore further, it may indicate that your site is pushing people away — perhaps users are clicking links only to be met with irrelevant or unhelpful content — leading to lost opportunities for engagement, leads, or sales.

Poor mobile engagement

With more than 60% of all web traffic now coming from mobile devices, a poor mobile experience is a serious hindrance to your business. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile users, it’s likely causing frustration, leading potential customers to leave. 

If mobile devices account for less than half of your traffic, or if you’re seeing especially high bounce rates or low conversions on mobile, this might indicate that users aren’t enjoying a seamless mobile experience — which can also damage your SEO, as search engines prioritize mobile-friendly sites.

How to stop your website from hindering your business

1. Optimize for speed

If your website is loading sluggishly, improving your website’s speed should be a top priority. There can be a number of causes of a slow-running site, but you can usually bring load times down by doing one or more of the following:

  • Compress and resize large images or videos.
  • Enable browser caching to reduce load times on return visits.
  • Minimize HTTP requests by combining CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files.
  • Load scripts asynchronously to prevent them from blocking page rendering.
  • Limit the use of redirects to decrease additional HTTP requests.
  • Use a content delivery network (CDN) for faster access.

2. Improve user experience (UX)

User experience should be at the forefront of your website’s design. A clean, intuitive layout with easy navigation will keep visitors engaged. You should test your site for usability issues regularly, rectifying any problems and bottlenecks as soon as you discover them. It’s also important to simplify forms, make CTAs prominent, and ensure your content is digestible, well-structured, and ultimately helpful.

3. Implement strong SEO practices

Conduct keyword research to ensure you’re targeting terms your audience is searching for, optimize your on-page SEO (including title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags), and regularly update your content to keep it fresh. SEO is an ongoing effort — and professional SEO support may come in handy if you lack in-house expertise — but it’s one of the most sustainable ways to improve your site’s performance.

4. Ensure mobile optimization

Mobile optimization isn’t just about making your site responsive but creating a seamless experience for mobile users. Check your mobile site speed, ensure buttons and links are easy to click, and streamline your mobile content by removing any unnecessary distractions or complexities. A responsive design will adjust your website’s layout to fit any screen size, enhancing the user experience for mobile visitors.

5. Add clear and compelling CTAs

Every page of your website should have a clear purpose. Whether you want users to sign up for a newsletter, download a resource, or make a purchase, your CTAs must be clear and compelling. Use specific, action-oriented language that tells users exactly what to do next — something like “get your free quote” will typically be more effective than “submit” — and place your CTAs in prominent locations where they’re easy to see.

Your website can be a powerful tool for growing your business — but only if you’re willing to put the work in. If your site is simply left to fend for itself, chances are it’ll become more of a hindrance to your business than a help. Don’t let your website become a burden — take steps today to turn it into a powerful, profit-driving asset.

Further Reading:

Boost Conversions with These Highly Effective Countdown Widgets for Websites

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