How to Make Your Website Actually Work: Beyond the Aesthetics
If you’ve been side-eyeing your own website lately, wondering why it's not getting clicks, inquiries, or any real traction: you're not alone. A beautiful design isn’t enough anymore. Your site needs to work just as hard as you do.
And if you’re not seeing results? There’s usually a reason (or five). Let’s walk through a few ideas of what might be going wrong and what to shift so your site starts working smarter, not just sitting pretty.
1. The Layout is Stylish vs. Leading
We all love a well-designed homepage, but if your site looks great and doesn’t clearly guide people through your brand or offer, it’s just digital eye candy. No one has time to decode what you do.
What to do: Create flow. Your homepage should guide visitors like a warm concierge: where to go next, what to expect, and how to connect. Use clear headlines, intuitive structure, and confident CTAs.
2. Your Copy Feels like Filler
If your site says “We help businesses grow” or “Welcome to our corner of the internet”, that’s not giving anyone a reason to stick around. You're not for everyone, so stop writing like it.
What to do: Use real words for real people. Speak directly to your ideal client. Get specific about how you help, what sets you apart, and what they’ll walk away with. Say it like you mean it and be authentically you.
3. You Built, then Ghosted
Websites need attention. If you launched it and haven’t touched it in months, it’s probably not ranking or getting seen. No blog posts, no SEO tweaks, no new portfolio work, no internal links = no traffic.
What to do: Start with small updates. Refresh a service page, write a short blog post (like this one), update your SEO titles. Your website doesn’t need a full rebrand to stay fresh, it just needs some love.
4. There's No Clear Next Step
You’ve got a portfolio, some great copy, and... crickets. Because people don’t know what to do next.
What to do: Add intentional calls-to-action throughout your site. Not just a contact form buried at the bottom. Invite people in. “Book a discovery call.” “Browse our offerings.” “Download the guide.” Whatever makes sense for your client journey, make it clear at every point of the page.
5. It’s Not Optimized for Mobile
If your mobile site is hard to read, slow to load, or makes people zoom in just to tap a button, you’ve already lost them.
What to do: Test your site on mobile devices. Resize photos, simplify sections, and make sure buttons are finger-friendly. Mobile isn’t an afterthought, it’s most people’s first impression.
Final Thoughts: Your Website Is a Tool, Not a Trophy
This isn’t about shaming your site, it’s about helping it work for you. A good website is more than pretty fonts and photos. It’s part sales tool, part brand ambassador, and part quiet powerhouse that supports your business 24/7.
If it’s not doing that? You deserve better.
Ready to Make it Happen?
Whether you're starting fresh or ready to finally refine, we build and optimize custom Squarespace, WordPress, and Shopify sites with strategy at the core and style that converts. Let’s build a brand and website that actually works, and feels like you.