Why Your Website Isn't Getting Leads: A Diagnostic Guide

You have a website. People are visiting. But the phone isn’t ringing and the contact forms are empty. Something is broken in the chain between “visitor arrives” and “visitor becomes lead.”

This guide helps you diagnose exactly where the problem is. We’ll work through the seven most common failure points, with specific fixes for each.

TL;DR: The Seven Failure Points

1. Traffic Problem — Not enough people finding you
2. Wrong Traffic — People finding you aren’t your customers
3. First Impression — They leave before engaging
4. Clarity Problem — They don’t understand what you do
5. Trust Gap — They don’t believe you can help
6. Friction Problem — It’s too hard to contact you
7. Follow-up Failure — Leads fall through the cracks

Most websites have problems in 2-3 of these areas. Identify yours and fix them systematically.

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Before You Start: Check Your Numbers

You need baseline data to diagnose the problem. If you don’t have analytics, install Google Analytics now — you can’t fix what you can’t measure.

Key Numbers to Know

Traffic:

• Monthly visitors to your site
• Where they come from (Google, social, direct, referrals)
• Which pages get the most traffic

Behavior:

• Bounce rate (% who leave immediately)
• Average time on site
• Pages per session

Conversions:

• Contact form submissions per month
• Phone calls from website (if tracked)
• Conversion rate (leads ÷ visitors)

Benchmark: What’s Normal?

Metric	Poor	Average	Good
Bounce rate	>70%	40-60%	<40%
Time on site	<1 min	1-3 min	>3 min
Pages per session	1-2	2-4	>4
Conversion rate	<1%	2-3%	>5%

If you don’t know your numbers, that’s your first problem to solve.

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Failure Point 1: Traffic Problem

Symptoms

• Fewer than 100 visitors per month
• Google Analytics shows mostly direct traffic (people typing your URL)
• Almost no organic search traffic
• You don’t rank for any relevant keywords

Diagnosis Questions

• Do you show up when you Google your business name?
• Do you show up when you Google “[your service] [your city]”?
• Is your Google Business Profile claimed and optimized?
• Have you published any content in the last year?
• Do you have more than 10 Google reviews?

If you answered “no” to 3+ questions: You have a traffic problem.

The Fix

Traffic problems are SEO problems. You’re invisible to people searching for what you offer.

Quick wins:

1. Claim and fully optimize your Google Business Profile
2. Ensure your website has your city/area mentioned naturally
3. Ask your last 10 happy customers for Google reviews
4. Make sure each service has its own page with relevant keywords

Longer-term:

• Build citations in local directories
• Create content that answers questions your customers ask
• Get mentioned/linked by local organizations and partners

This typically takes 3-6 months to significantly improve. See our Local SEO guide for details.

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Failure Point 2: Wrong Traffic

Symptoms

• Decent traffic numbers but almost no leads
• High bounce rate (70%+)
• Traffic from irrelevant geographic areas
• Visitors looking for things you don’t offer

Diagnosis Questions

• Check Google Search Console: What keywords are you ranking for?
• Are those keywords relevant to what you actually sell?
• Is your traffic from your service area?
• Do your page titles accurately describe your services?

If your keywords don’t match your services: You have a wrong traffic problem.

The Fix

You’re attracting the wrong people. Either your content is optimized for the wrong keywords, or you’re ranking for informational queries when you want commercial intent.

Actions:

1. Review Search Console → Performance → Queries
2. Identify keywords bringing traffic that won’t convert
3. Re-optimize pages for keywords with buying intent
4. Add geographic modifiers to target local searchers

Example: If you’re a plumber ranking for “how to unclog a drain” you’ll get DIYers, not customers. Optimize for “plumber [city]” or “drain cleaning service near me” instead.

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Failure Point 3: First Impression Problem

Symptoms

• High bounce rate (people leave immediately)
• Very low time on site (<30 seconds)
• Low pages per session (1.0-1.5)
• Mobile bounce rate much higher than desktop

Diagnosis Questions

• Does your site load in under 3 seconds?
• Does it look professional on mobile?
• Can visitors tell what you do within 5 seconds?
• Is anything broken, outdated, or embarrassing?

If your site is slow, ugly, or confusing: You have a first impression problem.

The Fix

People are making a snap judgment and leaving. Something about your site is triggering their “this isn’t right” instinct.

Test your site:

1. Run PageSpeed Insights — aim for 90+ on mobile
2. Load your site on your phone as if you’re a customer
3. Ask someone unfamiliar with your business: “What does this company do?”
4. Check your site on different browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox)

Common first impression killers:

• Slow loading (fix images, upgrade hosting)
• Broken layout on mobile
• Dated design that looks unprofessional
• Stock photos that feel generic
• Popups that appear immediately
• Auto-playing audio or video

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Failure Point 4: Clarity Problem

Symptoms

• Visitors browse multiple pages but don’t convert
• High time on site but low conversion
• Questions from leads suggest they’re confused about services
• Analytics shows drop-off on service pages

Diagnosis Questions

• Can a stranger explain what you do after 30 seconds on your site?
• Do you have clear, specific service pages?
• Is your pricing (or pricing range) anywhere on the site?
• Is it clear who you serve and where?

If visitors can’t quickly understand your offer: You have a clarity problem.

The Fix

People are interested but confused. They’re not sure if you can help them or what working with you looks like.

Clarity checklist:

Homepage:

• Headline clearly states what you do
• Subheadline explains who you help
• Within 5 seconds, visitors know: What, Who, Where

Service pages:

• Each service has its own page
• Pages explain the benefit, not just the feature
• Process is clear: what happens when they hire you
• Pricing or “starting at” gives them a ballpark

About page:

• Real photo of you/your team
• Story of why you do this work
• Credentials that matter to your customers

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Failure Point 5: Trust Gap

Symptoms

• Visitors read multiple pages but don’t contact
• Bounce rate is fine but conversion rate is terrible
• You’re getting “just checking” inquiries that ghost
• Competitors with worse websites get more leads

Diagnosis Questions

• Do you have testimonials from real customers?
• Is your Google review score visible on your site?
• Do you show examples of your work?
• Is there a real person (with a face) behind the business?
• Do you have any trust badges (certifications, associations)?

If you’re missing social proof: You have a trust problem.

The Fix

People are interested but not convinced. They need proof you’re legitimate and good at what you do.

Essential trust elements:

Reviews and testimonials:

• Display your Google rating prominently
• Include 3-5 specific testimonials with names and context
• Video testimonials are even more powerful

Proof of work:

• Before/after photos
• Case studies with specific results
• Portfolio of completed projects

Credibility signals:

• Certifications and licenses
• Industry associations
• Years in business
• “As seen in” or awards
• Real photos of you and your team

Risk reducers:

• Satisfaction guarantees
• “No obligation” language
• Free consultations or estimates
• Clear refund or warranty policies

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Failure Point 6: Friction Problem

Symptoms

• People visit your contact page but don’t submit
• Form abandonment is high
• Phone number isn’t clicked on mobile
• You have leads but they’re low quality

Diagnosis Questions

• Have you tested your contact form yourself recently?
• Does your form work on mobile?
• Is your phone number clickable on phones?
• Does your form ask more than 5 questions?
• Is your CTA visible without scrolling?

If contacting you is difficult: You have a friction problem.

The Fix

You’re making it too hard. Every extra step, every confusing form field, every hidden phone number costs you leads.

Form audit:

Field	Keep	Remove	Optional
Name	✅
Email	✅
Phone	✅
Message	✅
Company			✅
Budget		✅
Timeline			✅
How did you hear about us			✅

Keep forms to 3-5 fields maximum. You can qualify leads after they contact you.

Friction fixes:

• Phone number: Large, visible, clickable on mobile
• Multiple contact options: Form, phone, email
• CTA visible: Above the fold on every page
• Confirmation: Tell them what happens next
• Speed: Promise a response time and keep it

Test everything:

1. Submit your own form and check you receive it
2. Call your own number from the website
3. Complete the contact process on your phone

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Failure Point 7: Follow-up Failure

Symptoms

• You get leads but they don’t become customers
• Leads say they “went with someone else”
• You’re not sure how long it takes you to respond
• Leads go cold between contact and proposal

Diagnosis Questions

• Do you respond to all inquiries within 4 hours?
• Do you have a system for tracking leads?
• Do you follow up more than once?
• Do leads receive any automated confirmation?

If leads are falling through the cracks: You have a follow-up problem.

The Fix

This isn’t a website problem — it’s a sales process problem. But it matters because it affects whether your website investment pays off.

Response time matters:

• Leads contacted within 5 minutes are 100x more likely to convert
• After 30 minutes, the odds drop dramatically
• Most businesses respond in 24-48 hours (that’s too slow)

Systems to implement:

Immediate:

• Form auto-responder confirming receipt
• Email/text notification when forms are submitted
• Response template so you’re not starting from scratch

Tracking:

• Simple CRM (even a spreadsheet works)
• Note: date contacted, last action, next step
• Follow-up reminders

Follow-up sequence:

• Day 0: Form auto-responder → personal response within 4 hours
• Day 1: Follow up if no reply
• Day 3: Second follow-up
• Day 7: Final follow-up or “closing the loop” email

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Self-Diagnostic Questionnaire

Score yourself honestly:

Traffic (2 points each)

• More than 200 visitors/month from organic search
• You rank on page 1 for “[service] [city]”
• Google Business Profile has 20+ reviews

Right Traffic (2 points each)

• Visitors are from your service area
• Keywords you rank for match services you want to sell
• Bounce rate is under 60%

First Impression (2 points each)

• Site loads in under 3 seconds
• Site looks professional on mobile
• No obvious errors or broken elements

Clarity (2 points each)

• Stranger can explain your business after 30 seconds on site
• Each service has its own detailed page
• Pricing or ranges are provided somewhere

Trust (2 points each)

• 5+ testimonials displayed
• Google rating visible on site
• Examples of your work shown

Friction (2 points each)

• Form has 5 or fewer fields
• Phone number is prominent and clickable
• CTA visible without scrolling on all pages

Follow-up (2 points each)

• Average response time under 4 hours
• Lead tracking system in place
• Follow-up sequence exists

Your Score: ____ / 42

Score	Assessment
0-14	Multiple critical issues — prioritize the section where you scored worst
15-28	Some significant gaps — focus on 2-3 areas for maximum impact
29-36	Generally solid — optimize your weakest areas
37-42	Excellent — focus on refinement and testing

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Recommended Tools

Understanding Your Traffic

• Google Analytics — Free, essential
• Google Search Console — Free, essential for SEO
• Microsoft Clarity — Free heatmaps and session recordings

Improving Conversions

• Hotjar — Heatmaps and user recordings (free tier available)
• Lucky Orange — Session recordings with form analytics
• Typeform — Better form experience (alternative to basic forms)

Speed & Technical

• PageSpeed Insights — Free speed testing
• GTmetrix — Detailed performance analysis
• Screaming Frog — Find broken links and technical issues

Lead Management

• HubSpot CRM — Free CRM for tracking leads
• Pipedrive — Simple sales pipeline management
• Even a spreadsheet — Better than nothing

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know which problem to fix first?

Follow the funnel. If you don’t have traffic, conversions don’t matter yet. If you have traffic but high bounce rate, fix first impressions before worrying about trust signals. Work from top of funnel down.

What’s a realistic conversion rate for my industry?

Most local service businesses should aim for 2-5% (2-5 leads per 100 visitors). Some industries see higher (emergency services) and some lower (considered purchases). Compare to your own history, not industry benchmarks.

I fixed issues but still no improvement. Why?

Changes take time to show results. Give it 30 days with significant traffic before concluding something didn’t work. Also verify the fix actually deployed correctly — test it yourself.

Should I redesign my whole site or just fix problems?

Start with fixes. A redesign is expensive and may not solve the actual problems. Address specific issues first. If the fundamental site architecture is broken, then consider a rebuild.

How can I tell if it’s my website or my business?

If competitors with similar offerings and worse websites get more leads, it’s probably your website. If everyone in your market struggles, it might be the market. Check your reviews vs competitors — that often reveals the truth.

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What This Means for Your Business

Every day your website underperforms, you’re leaving money on the table. But the fix isn’t always a redesign — often it’s a few targeted improvements.

The businesses that win online aren’t necessarily the ones with the fanciest websites. They’re the ones that make it easy for the right people to find them, understand what they do, trust them, and get in touch.

Whether you’re a dentist in Denver, an electrician in Eugene, or a restaurant here in Springfield, Oregon — the conversion principles are the same. Find your failure points, fix them systematically, and watch your leads grow.

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Next Steps

Option 1: Self-diagnose Use the questionnaire above, identify your 2-3 weakest areas, and start fixing.

Option 2: Get a professional diagnosis I’ll run through your site, identify the specific problems, and give you a prioritized fix list. Takes about 30 minutes.

Option 3: Let’s fix it together If you want help implementing the fixes, we can discuss what makes sense for your situation.

Get a free website diagnostic →