Have you ever gotten feedback from a potential client telling you they went to your website, but they weren’t sure you were the one who could help them? Or that they just couldn’t find what they were looking for or even how to contact you? This is more common than you might think, and it’s costing you clients every single day.
Recently, I worked with a client who had this exact problem. She was getting a fair amount of website visitors, but she was losing them because of some confusing words in her navigation. This simple fix truly transformed her website’s performance, and today I want to share how you can test if your website is confusing and fix it quickly.
What Makes a Website Confusing
Before we dive into the test, let’s identify the main culprits that make websites confusing for visitors.
Complex Navigation with Industry Jargon
When your navigation uses industry jargon or creative names that people can’t understand, you lose visitors instantly. For example, calling your blog “The Calico Corner” instead of simply “Blog” forces people to guess what that section contains. When someone visits your website, they aren’t there to put brain effort into figuring out what you mean. They want it plain and simple.
Unclear Messaging About What You Do
Your hero section needs to immediately communicate what you do and who you help. If visitors land on your homepage and can’t quickly understand your services, they’ll bounce to a competitor’s site that makes it crystal clear.
Too Many Options Without a Clear Path
Your website needs a clear customer journey. Whether your goal is to schedule consultation calls or sell products, there should be a clear path taking people from your homepage to your services page to your contact page. Too many options without direction creates decision paralysis.
Hidden Contact Information
If someone reaches your contact page and can’t find your email, phone number, or clear next steps, you’ve lost them. Always include timeline expectations like “Fill out this form and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours” or “After you submit this form, we’ll contact you to schedule a call.”
Inconsistent Design and Messaging
If your homepage looks completely different from your services page, people might think they’ve switched to a different website. Your messaging needs to be cohesive across all pages. If you’re a chiropractor talking about helping patients feel better on your homepage, your services page should reflect that same messaging.
The Three Simple Tests to Check Your Website
Test 1. The Three Second Test
Our attention spans have shrunk dramatically. You now have three seconds or less when someone lands on your website for them to understand who you are, how you help them, and what they should do next.
Here’s how to run this test. Have someone look at your homepage for just three seconds, then ask them to explain what you do, who you help, and what they should do next. If they can’t answer these questions clearly, your website needs work.
Test 2. The Bestie Test
Ask a friend who’s completely outside your industry to navigate your website. Can they find your services page without confusion? Do they understand how to contact you? Can they explain your value without any industry knowledge?
I call this the “bestie test” because your best friend probably knows you’re in business but doesn’t understand the deep details of what you do. If they can navigate your site and understand your value, you’re on the right track.
Test 3. The Phone Test
About 60% or more of your traffic comes from mobile devices. Try completing a task on your website using only your phone. Can you easily fill out your contact form? Does everything work smoothly? Are there any popups that interfere with the mobile experience?
Make sure mobile users can easily access your contact information and complete your most important actions without frustration.
Red Flags That Signal a Confusing Website
Watch out for these common issues that immediately signal confusion to visitors.
Too Much Industry Jargon
Use words that are easy for everyone to understand. Your expertise should come through in your results and testimonials, not in complicated terminology that makes people feel excluded.
Cluttered Navigation
Keep your main navigation to five items or less. Use dropdown menus to organize related pages under broader categories. Remember, your footer is prime real estate for secondary navigation items that don’t need to be in your main menu.
Buried Contact Information
Make it easy for people to reach you. Your contact information should be accessible from any page on your website.
Missing Call to Action
Every page should have a clear call to action that guides visitors toward your main goal. Don’t make people guess what they should do next.
Real Results from Simple Changes
I recently completed a website audit with Jill Stoddard, who wore multiple hats as a speaker, author, podcaster, psychologist, and coach. Her main challenge was website navigation because she offered so many different services.
After our audit session, she made those navigation changes, and the feedback has been incredible. People can now easily access all the ways she can work with them. She even combined her separate speaker website into her main site, making it abundantly clear that speaking is one of her services.
When you simplify and make changes to reduce confusion, you’ll experience more qualified leads, spend less time explaining what you do to potential clients, increase your conversion rates, and build better client relationships from the start.
Your Action Step This Week
Pick one of these three tests and implement it this week. I’m actually going to try the bestie test again and see if a friend can clearly explain what makes my website design services special.
If you’d like a professional set of eyes on your website, I invite you to book a discovery call with me. We can have a no pressure chat where I’ll look at your current website and share ways you can improve it, whether you choose to work with me or tackle the changes yourself.
Ready to make your website work harder for your business? Sign up for my Website Design Made Simple newsletter where I share one actionable tip each week to help you make more money with your website.
