Having a website for your small business is now essential. When 81%* of shoppers research a business online before purchasing, and 84%* of consumers view a business’s website as being more credible than its social media presence, it’s clear that a website is a necessity if you want to grow your business. Social media can certainly help to get you started, but given small businesses with websites grow 2x faster* than those without, these free-to-use platforms will only get you so far.
Not only does a website give your small business a permanent online presence and more credibility, but it also protects you against the glitches, hackers and algorithm updates that plague social media platforms. I should know - as I write this blog post in February 2025, my business Instagram account is currently suspended. I have no idea why, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get it back. Thank goodness I have a website that ranks in Google Search, drives traffic, and generates leads.
Many small business owners invest considerable time and resources into building their website, yet they often struggle to see a return on that investment in terms of visibility, leads, and sales. Common issues include unclear messaging, poor search engine optimisation (SEO), and a lack of effective conversion strategies.
In this article, we'll explore the primary reasons why small business websites often underperform and provide actionable steps to maximise your website as an organic, consistent revenue-generating asset.
The 5 Biggest Reasons Small Business Websites Fail, Based on Five Years’ Experience as a Marketing Consultant
A small business website should be more than just an online brochure or a nice-to-have. It should be a powerful tool that captivates visitors, connects with the right audience, and converts them into paying customers or clients. Yet, many small business websites fail because they overlook key factors that drive visibility, engagement, and sales. Here are five of the most common reasons why UK small business websites underperform, in my experience as an independent marketing consultant of five years — and how to fix them.
The Website Has No Clear Target Audience
One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is trying to appeal to everyone. The result? A website that resonates with no one. This matters because if your messaging is too broad, your content won’t speak directly to the specific needs, challenges, or desires of your target audience. As a result, your small business website will struggle to captivate, connect or convert:
You won’t know which keywords to target for SEO purposes, and your content won’t adequately target those keywords. Therefore, search engines won’t display your website in the search engine results. As a result, it won’t be visible or drive traffic.
Unclear messaging will prevent you from connecting with your target audience. They won’t be able to relate to your content, or the message you are trying to deliver.
If your website visitors don’t know if your content is aimed at them, they are far less likely to convert. You may also get more of the wrong people enquiring or converting, which will cause you problems in the long run - especially if you are a service provider.
One of the first things I ask a new client is who they are trying to target. If the answer is “well, everyone, really” then they have some deeper work to do before we can get started. So, clear messaging is essential if you want to generate visibility and traffic from search engines, connect with the right people and turn them into dream clients and loyal customers.
How to fix unclear messaging on your small business website:
Define the transformation or feeling your business offers, and to whom. You should be able to summarise what your business offers in a sentence. Think about the values your ideal clients or customers hold, how your offers make them feel, and why your dream clients and loyal customers choose you.
Have a defined, compact set of keywords that you want to target for SEO purposes. Carry out some keyword research using a free keyword research tool, or a paid SEO tool such as SE Ranking.
Consider the 3 C’s framework in every website page. Captivate your target website visitors with relevant keywords and SEO; connect with them using engaging website copy and blog content; and convert them using clear CTAs and by linking your value content back to your offers.
Poor Website Structure and User Experience (UX)
If slow websites frustrate you, then you’re not alone. 60%* of consumers are less likely to be loyal to a brand after a poor website or app experience. We have all used websites that are slow, jarring, and plain broken, but that’s not the only issue that can affect UX - and therefore your sales. A confusing or cluttered website that is badly structured will also offer a poor user experience. Poor user experience will drive visitors away before they even have a chance to engage with your business, so addressing these issues is vital.
How to fix a poor website structure and offer a better user experience:
Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Over 75%* of UK internet activity is now conducted on mobile devices, so it makes sense to ensure that your website functions properly on mobile.
Improve your website’s speed by compressing images, using a fast hosting provider, and reducing unnecessary apps or plugins. I highly recommend Tiny PNG, a free tool that allows you to compress your images without compromising the quality.
Make your website navigation clear and simple. Try to limit your top-level main menu items to five, with clear navigation to key pages.
Lack of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
Many UK small businesses rely heavily on word-of-mouth or social media, neglecting search engine optimisation (SEO). This means their websites struggle to appear in Google search results when potential customers are looking for their products, services, or relevant information.
If people can’t find your website when they search for relevant keywords, you are missing out on organic (free) traffic. SEO is one of the most cost-effective ways to generate leads and sales, so it’s well worth investing in. Not carrying out SEO on your website means you will miss out on opportunities to captivate, connect with and convert:
You won’t be able to captivate new website visitors in the search engine results pages because your website won’t be there.
Blogging is a big part of SEO, and it allows you to connect with your target audience by providing value. You can use your blog content to demonstrate your experience and expertise, build authority and gain trust.
Not being visible in the search engine results pages (SERPs) when people search for the products or services you offer means you will miss out on high-intent traffic from people who are ready to buy. Therefore, you will miss out on valuable sales.
How to improve your website’s SEO:
Carry out keyword research to understand what your target audience is searching for and include relevant keywords in your website content.
Optimise your page titles, SEO (meta) titles, SEO (meta) descriptions, and subheadings to make it really clear to the search engines what your website is about.
Publish high-quality blog content that answers your target audience’s questions and demonstrates your unique expertise. Just like your main website pages, blog posts can be used to captivate, connect, and convert.
The Website Has No Clear Call-to-Action (CTA)
Ultimately, you want visitors to your website to take some sort of action. Whether that’s to make a purchase, book a discovery call, or subscribe to your email newsletter, you need to make it clear to your visitors what you want them to do next. Many small business websites lack clear, compelling CTAs. If visitors don’t know what action to take, they will most likely leave your website. As a result, your small business misses out on sales, enquiries, and opportunities to nurture their audience.
How to use calls-to-action (CTAs) on your small business website:
Every page on your website should have one primary call-to-action, and it should be made really clear. A CTA could be something like “Book a Discovery Call”, “Buy Now”, or “Subscribe to Our Newsletter”.
CTAs should be specific, so the website visitor knows exactly what they are about to do.
Position your CTAs strategically throughout your website. Your primary CTA could go in your header and footer, as well as at the top of the page.
Include secondary CTAs to capture website visitors who are not quite ready to take the leap. Secondary CTAs could invite visitors to subscribe to a newsletter, download a freebie, or watch a video. These CTAs give you the opportunity to continue nurturing the customer and ultimately make a sale.
No Ongoing Content or Marketing Strategy
So many small business owners launch their website, and then leave it untouched. A stagnant website that is not updated regularly will not be as visible in the search results, and it can stand in the way of building trust and audience connection. This can in turn damage sales.
It is important to keep your website fresh and up-to-date for two main reasons. Firstly, search engines will crawl websites in search of new information, which can then be indexed and shown in search results. A website that is regularly updated with high-quality content is more likely to rank well in search engines. Secondly, your human website visitors will need to see recent content and up-to-date information in order to trust your brand.
In addition to updating the website content itself, regularly emailing your subscriber list with value content, exclusive offers and promotions can help to nurture and convert those people who didn’t buy the first time they visited your website, but who were interested enough to subscribe to your email newsletter. By having an ongoing email marketing strategy in place, you can keep your brand front-of-mind, and continue to drive those subscribers back to your offers.
How to leverage content marketing using your website:
Commit to a regular blogging strategy. Share industry insights, answer FAQs, and provide valuable content that positions you as an experienced expert, and a trustworthy authority in your industry.
Use email marketing to stay in touch with your subscribers, drive them back to your website, and convert them into your dream clients and new customers.
Use the 3 C’s framework: Captivate your target audience with engaging, search engine optimised content, connect with them using value content and email marketing, and convert your website visitors with links back to your offers and clear CTAs.
Avoiding These Common Mistakes Will Set Your Small Business Website up For Success
Your website has the potential to be a powerful, consistent and organic revenue-generating asset, but only if it’s set up for success. By avoiding these five common mistakes and focusing on captivating, connecting with, and converting your target audience, you can turn your small business website into a consistent, organic source of leads and sales.
In the next section, we’ll cover three specific strategies to maximise your small business website as a revenue-generating asset.
Strategies to Transform Your Small Business Website into a Revenue-Generating Asset
Your website is an essential component of your small business's marketing and sales strategy. By effectively implementing the 3 C’s Captivate, Connect and Convert framework, you can turn your website into a revenue-generating asset that attracts visitors, builds relationships, and drives sales. Below are three actionable strategies to achieve this transformation.
Captivate: Increase Your Website’s Visibility and Drive Organic Traffic Through SEO
Getting visible is the first step towards making more sales, so it is essential that your target audience can actually discover your website. Optimising your website for search engines such as Google increases your organic visibility and drives relevant traffic. There are four main components to an SEO strategy:
Keyword research: Identify and incorporate keywords that your target audience is searching for. There are plenty of free keyword research tools available, or you can use a paid-for option such as SE Ranking.
On-page SEO: Optimise your SEO (meta) titles and descriptions, headings and subheadings, image alt texts and page copy for your target keywords. Include links between your website pages and blog posts to channel people and search engine crawlers through the website.
Blogging: Businesses that blog receive 55%** more traffic than those that don’t. Blogging helps to increase your website’s visibility and traffic.
Optimise user experience: A one second delay in page loading can lead to a 7%* reduction in conversions, so a speedy website is key. Compress images using a tool such as Tiny PNG, and ensure that your website is logically structured with a clear navigation.
Connect: Nurture Your Audience With Quality Content and Email Marketing
Building a connection with your target audience will help turn website visitors into your dream clients and most loyal customers. Creating valuable blog and email content that educates and inspires your target audience will help to build that all-important know, love and trust factor.
When creating content designed to connect and nurture, aim to include these four elements:
Experience: Demonstrate that you have real-life experience of the subject area. Including your own personal and professional experience in your content will make it more original and authentic.
Expertise: Show that you have the necessary skills or qualifications to be a reliable source of information in your subject area. Highlight your credentials on your website and in your blog posts.
Authoritativeness: Build your authority through guest blogging and backlinks.
Trustworthiness: Accurate, up-to-date information, facts and contact details all make a website more trustworthy. Including testimonials, case studies, and reviews will also help your website visitors trust you. Approximately 88%* of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so this is worth bearing in mind.
*Source: https://searchengineland.com/88-consumers-trust-online-reviews-much-personal-recommendations-195803?
Convert: Use Clear CTAs to Turn Website Visitors into Dream Clients and Loyal Customers
As I mentioned earlier, it is imperative that you drive your website visitors towards purchasing, booking, or enquiring. There are two main ways you can do this:
Place clear and compelling calls-to-action throughout your site, to encourage visitors to take desired actions.
Link your value content (blog posts and email marketing) back to your offers, and show your audience why that specific offer will help them. People will read your value content because they want to solve a problem, hit a goal, or fulfil a desire. So, it makes sense to lead them towards one of your offers that helps them do just that.
Maximise Your Website as a Revenue-Generating Asset With the 3 C’s Framework
By focusing on these strategies within my 3 C’s Captivate, Connect, and Convert framework, you can maximise your website as a consistent, organic, revenue-generating asset. Each action you take each day, week, and month, will increase your website’s visibility, traffic, and revenue. Over time, these actions will accumulate to offer the big, long-term, game-changing results that you want for your small business. Remember, the digital landscape is ever-evolving; staying informed and adaptable is key to sustained online success.
Maximise Your Website as a Revenue-Generating Asset With the Purple Horse Marketing Membership
A website is one of the most powerful tools a small business can leverage to drive sustainable growth. However, as we’ve seen, many small business websites fail to generate meaningful revenue simply because they lack the right strategies.
By implementing my 3 C’s Captivate, Connect, Convert framework, you can transform your website into a revenue-generating asset:
Captivate your audience with an SEO strategy that drives organic visibility and traffic.
Connect with visitors and nurture them through valuable blog content, clear messaging, email marketing, and social proof to build trust.
Convert traffic into sales by optimising calls-to-action, and linking your value content back to your offers.
Success doesn’t happen overnight, but with consistent effort, and a focus on your target audience, your website can become a key driver of revenue for your small business.
If you’re ready to take your website to the next level and get expert guidance along the way, consider joining my marketing membership for small business owners. Inside, you’ll get hands-on support with SEO, blogging, website content marketing, and email marketing, along with monthly training calls, live drop-in sessions, and access to a private community of like-minded business owners.
Want to see real results from your website? Join the membership today!
About the Author
Rhiannon is an independent marketing consultant with 5 years’ experience helping small and independent businesses maximise their websites as revenue-generating assets. She has worked with businesses in a range of sectors, from service providers in the equestrian industry to products brands in the affordable luxury market. Rhiannon supports businesses with SEO, blog content strategy and email marketing for their WordPress, Wix and Shopify websites through a range of offers from online self-study courses to bespoke marketing consultancy.