You built a beautiful website. You picked the perfect colors, made sure everything looks polished. Maybe you even invested in professional photos… But here’s the brutal truth: your website looks amazing but isn’t converting visitors into buyers.
Prospects land on your homepage, scroll around for 10 seconds, and leave. No contact form submissions, no phone calls, no bookings.
I know how frustrating that is…
The problem isn’t your design, your prices, or even your services. The problem is your copy. The words on your website aren’t doing their job, which is to turn strangers into paying clients.
Here are 5 clear signs your website copy is sabotaging your business (and what to do about it).
- Sign #1: Visitors can’t figure out what you do exactly
- Sign #2: You’re talking about yourself instead of your client’s problems
- Sign #3: Your Services page reads like a menu
- Sign #4: There’s no clear next step
- Sign #5: You sound exactly like your competitors
- The real cost of generic website copy
- What good copy actually does
Sign #1: Visitors can’t figure out what you do exactly
The Problem: Your homepage says you “help businesses grow” or “provide exceptional service” or “deliver results.” These phrases mean absolutely nothing to someone who’s just discovered you.
What’s Really Happening: Visitors spend 3-5 seconds deciding if they’re in the right place. If they can’t immediately understand what you do, who you do it for, and feel you understand their problem, they leave.
The Fix: Lead with a crystal-clear headline that says exactly what you do for exactly who.
Instead of “We help businesses succeed,” try “Turn visitors into clients with website copy that makes them choose YOU, not your competitor – for therapists and consultants who don’t want to do more marketing.”
Sign #2: You’re talking about yourself instead of your client’s problems
The Problem: Your website is full of “we” or “I” statements. “We are passionate about…” “I believe in…” “We offer comprehensive services…” Your visitors don’t care about you yet. They care about their problems.
Side note: if you’re developing your personal brand and are a solopreneur, drop the “we” and use “I” instead…
But back to my point about having more “you” than “I”
What’s Really Happening: People visit websites to look for a solution to the problems they’re facing, not to learn about your company’s history or mission statement. When you lead with yourself instead of their pain points, you lose them, because your copy kind of excludes them.
The Fix: Start every section with their problem or goal. Instead of “Our team has 15 years of experience,” try “Tired of explaining your expertise to prospects who still don’t get why they should choose you?”
Sign #3: Your Services page reads like a menu
The Problem: You list what you do without explaining why someone would want it. “Strategic planning. Implementation support. Ongoing consultation.”
I understand that for you it’s obvious, because you’re the expert, but when you work with clients who don’t know about your expertise and the specific language of your field, that’s not helpful.
What’s Really Happening: Features don’t sell. Benefits do. People don’t buy “strategic planning.” They buy “the confidence that comes from having a clear roadmap to double your revenue in 12 months.”
Another example for a vet:
Technical (feature-focused):
“Digital radiography available on-site.”
Casual (benefit-focused):
“See what’s going on inside your pet right away and leave with answers and a treatment, so you don’t spend days worrying and waiting for answers.”
The Fix: For every service you offer, answer “So what?” Turn features into outcomes. Instead of “Monthly SEO optimization,” try “Your website shows up first when ideal clients search for what you offer.”
Sign #4: There’s no clear next step
The Problem: Visitors read your content, think “this sounds good,” then have no idea what to do next. Your contact page says “get in touch” with a generic form. That’s not enough, especially nowadays when people are more careful and have had enough of those “brutal” or “sneaky” sales tactics…
What’s Really Happening: Confused visitors don’t convert. If people have to spend time figuring out how to work with you, most won’t bother. They’ll find someone who makes it easier for them.
Remember, they already have a problem that’s weighing on their shoulders and are probably afraid, with a lot of question in their head.
The Fix: Every page needs one clear, compelling call to action. Tell people exactly what to do and what happens next, that will reassure them and make it easier on them (AND you won’t have to repeat it every time). “Book a 15-minute call to see if we’re a good fit – no strings attached, pinky promise” works better than “contact us.”
Sign #5: You sound exactly like your competitors
The Problem: Open 10 websites in your industry. They all say the same things. “Quality service.” “Experienced team.” “Client-focused approach.” You blend into the noise.
What’s Really Happening: When you sound like everyone else, price becomes the only differentiator. Prospects can’t tell why they should choose you, so they go with whoever’s cheapest.
The Fix: Figure out what makes you different and lead with that. Maybe you’re the only attorney who explains legal jargon in plain English. Maybe you’re the therapist who specializes in high-achieving perfectionists. Own your unique angle.
The real cost of generic website copy
Here’s what most business owners don’t realize: every day your website doesn’t convert is money walking out the door.
If your website gets 100 visitors per month and converts at 1% (industry average for non-professional copy), you get 1 inquiry. But the same traffic with professional copy that converts at 5% gets you 5 inquiries. That’s 4 extra potential clients every month.
For a consultant charging $5,000 per project, that’s $20,000 in additional revenue monthly. Over a year? $240,000.
The math is simple: bad copy doesn’t just fail to bring in clients.
It actively costs you:
- money
- time in trying to fix it yourself
- energy in worrying about marketing solutions and creating more content for social media to compensate for your unproductive website…
Why DIY copy rarely works
“I’ll just fix it myself,” you think. Here’s why that usually backfires:
You’re too close to your business to see it clearly. You know why your service is amazing, but you:
- can’t explain it in terms your prospects understand
- use industry jargon without realizing it (it’s normal, you’re an expert, it’s natural for you)
- assume people know things they don’t.
Plus, writing copy that converts is a specific skill. You wouldn’t DIY your legal documents. Your website copy deserves the same professional treatment.
What good copy actually does
Professional website copy doesn’t just describe what you do. It:
- Speaks directly to your ideal client’s specific problems
- Positions you as the obvious solution
- Builds trust and credibility
- Answers the most frequently asked questions and handles common objections before they come up
- Guides visitors toward working with you
When done right, your website becomes your best salesperson. It explains your value, builds trust, and converts visitors into clients while you serve your existing clients, take a break or enjoy your weekend.
The bottom line
Your website’s job isn’t to look pretty. It’s to turn visitors into clients. If people are landing on your site but not contacting you, your copy is the problem. Fix the copy, get more clients, improve your sales.
The good news is that with the right words in the right places, your website can start converting visitors into clients within weeks, and I’m here to help you do that!
Book your free strategy call and get a specific action plan for your website copy, no generic advice, just exactly what YOUR site needs to start converting this month. No sleazy sales tactics (I hate these as much as you do!).
See you soon,
Morgane.
Related articles:
- How to write an About page that makes website visitors want to work with you
- How to craft a coaching offer that converts (without sounding like everyone else)
- How to write magnetic messaging that sells, even without copywriting skills
