Website Messaging: 3 Mistakes Killing Conversions

You spent thousands on a beautiful website. You picked the perfect fonts, the exact right shade of beige, and a photo of you laughing with a coffee cup.

It's pretty. It's professional. And it's doing absolutely fuck all for your business.

Your website is like a gorgeous, expensive sports car with no engine. It looks the part, but it's not going anywhere. It's not bringing in clients, it's not making you money, and you're starting to wonder if you just flushed a giant pile of cash down the toilet.

Here's the gut punch: Your website isn't a brochure. It's a salesperson. And right now, your salesperson is boring, confusing, and terrible at its job.

It's not the design. It's the words. According to HubSpot's user experience research, great user experience design makes it easy for visitors to find what they need and take action. When your messaging is confusing, visitors leave**.** When your messaging is confusing, visitors leave. Translation: If your messaging is confusing, they're gone.

You're so close to your own business that you've forgotten how to talk about it in a way that makes other people care. You're using vague jargon, talking about features instead of feelings, and making it impossible for your ideal client to understand why they should hire you.

Let's fix that. We're going to look at some real-world (but anonymized) examples of the most common mistakes people make and how to turn them into words that actually sell.

Mistake #1: The Vague "I Help" Statement

This is the plague of the service-based business world. It's the headline on your homepage that sounds important but means nothing.

The Before:

"I help female entrepreneurs harness their inner power to create impactful businesses and live a life of alignment."

What does that even mean? What do you do? It's a word salad of buzzwords. It's trying so hard to be profound that it says nothing at all.

The After:

"I help coaches and consultants build sales funnels that get them 5-10 qualified leads every week without posting on social media."

See the difference? It's specific. It names the audience (coaches and consultants). It names the outcome (5-10 qualified leads a week). It addresses a pain point (without posting on social media). It's a result, not a feeling.

How to Fix It: Finish this sentence: "My clients hire me to get [SPECIFIC, TANGIBLE RESULT]." If you're struggling to get clear on this, we wrote about why your customers don't understand what you do (and how to fix it).

Mistake #2: Talking About the "What," Not the "Why"

You're proud of your process. You have a 12-step framework and a proprietary method. Your clients don't give a shit.

They don't care about the features. They care about what those features will do for them. They're buying a feeling, a solution, a transformation.

The Before:

"My signature coaching package includes six 60-minute calls, a comprehensive workbook, and email support."

This is a list of deliverables. It's the "what." It doesn't sell the outcome.

The After:

"In 90 days, you'll have a clear, repeatable marketing plan that frees up 10 hours a week and finally brings in consistent clients—so you can stop worrying about where your next paycheck is coming from."

This sells the "why." It's not about the calls; it's about the consistent clients. It's not about the workbook; it's about freeing up 10 hours a week. It's about the feeling of security.

How to Fix It: For every feature you list, ask yourself, "So what?" Why does a client care about that? What's the real result?

Mistake #3: The Confusing Call to Action

You've made them feel seen. You've shown them you can solve their problem. And then you leave them hanging with a dozen different options.

"Book a Call." "Learn More." "Read the Blog." "Join My Newsletter." "Follow Me on Instagram."

It's called decision fatigue, and it's killing your conversions. When you give people too many choices, they make no choice at all.

The Before:

A navigation bar with 10 different tabs and three different buttons at the end of the page.

The After:

One clear, primary button that tells them exactly what to do next.

"Ready to get consistent clients? Book Your Free Discovery Call."

Your website should have one main goal. For most service providers, it's getting them on a call. Every single button and link should be ruthlessly focused on making that happen.

How to Fix It: Decide on the #1 action you want someone to take on your website. Make that the most obvious, unmissable button on every single page.

Your Invitation

Go look at your website right now. Not as the owner, but as a potential client who just landed there for the first time.

Are you guilty of any of these mistakes? Be honest.

Your website can be your hardest-working employee. But you have to give it the right words. Stop being vague, stop talking about yourself, and for the love of God, tell people exactly what you want them to do next.

Need help fixing your website messaging? We can help you write copy that actually converts. Or, if you want to tackle it yourself, join our Weekly Route Planner newsletter for strategic marketing advice that cuts through the noise.