10 Easy Website Improvements That Increase Conversions

So, you’ve finally decided — it’s time to launch your website.

Maybe you’ve been dreaming of it for months. Maybe you’ve been avoiding it because, let’s be real, the process can feel like trying to build IKEA furniture without instructions.

Between domain names, hosting, platforms, branding, copy, SEO, and about a hundred “should I do this or that?” decisions — it’s easy to spiral.

But here’s the truth:
You don’t need a massive website to make a massive impact.
You just need a smart plan, a clear goal, and a launch strategy that keeps you moving forward (without losing your mind).

Let’s break it down step by step.

Before we start..

Let’s talk about something that might hurt to hear: Your beautiful website might be costing you money.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Pretty doesn’t always equal profit.

At WebGuider, we see this constantly. Clients obsess over making their website look luxurious and editorial—like the high-end brands they admire. But have you ever looked at Amazon’s website? Or Google? These companies employ some of the world’s highest-paid designers. And their websites aren’t winning beauty contests.

Why? Because their designers aren’t paid to make things pretty. They’re paid to increase conversions.

Those companies make millions from tiny changes you’d barely notice—a different button color, moving a headline, changing “Submit” to “Get Started.” Boring stuff. Profitable stuff.

Now look, if you’re a luxury brand charging premium prices to clients who care deeply about aesthetics, then yes—that editorial vibe might be worth some trade-offs. But if you’re a coach trying to fill your calendar? A consultant needing leads? Then falling in love with pretty design at the expense of what actually makes people take action is a costly mistake.

The good news? You don’t have to choose between beautiful and effective. And most conversion improvements are easy to implement—no redesign required.

Now, let’s talk about 10 simple changes that can dramatically increase how many visitors turn into customers.

1. Make Your Value Proposition Crystal Clear (Above the Fold)

Your homepage headline is not the place for clever wordplay or mysterious brand poetry.

Bad headline: “Elevating Your Journey to Extraordinary”
(What does this even mean? Journey to where? Extraordinary what?)

Good headline: “Help coaches book out their practice in 90 days without spending a fortune on ads”
(Specific. Clear. Tells you exactly what you get.)

The 5-Second Test:

Someone should land on your homepage and within 5 seconds know:

• What you do
• Who you help
• What problem you solve
• Why they should care

If they need to scroll, click around, or decode vague language to figure out your basic offering, you’ve already lost them.

According to research by Nielsen Norman Group, users spend an average of just 10-20 seconds on a webpage before deciding whether to stay or leave. Your value proposition needs to grab them immediately. (Source: Nielsen Norman Group Time on Page Study)

The Fix:

Step 1: Write out what you do in the most boring, straightforward way possible.
Example: “I help small business owners build professional websites.”

Step 2: Add who specifically benefits most.
Example: “I help creative entrepreneurs and coaches build professional websites.”

Step 3: Add the main benefit or transformation.
Example: “I help creative entrepreneurs and coaches build professional websites that actually attract their dream clients.”

Step 4: Now you can add a touch of personality.
Example: “Beautiful, strategic websites for creative entrepreneurs who are done feeling invisible online.”

Put this headline prominently above the fold (meaning visible without scrolling) on your homepage. Make it big. Make it readable. Make it the first thing people see.

At WebGuider, we’ve seen conversion rates increase by 40-60% just from clarifying homepage messaging. One client had “Illuminating Possibilities” as her headline. Beautiful, aspirational, completely unclear. We changed it to “Business coaching for service providers who want to scale to 6 figures without burnout.” Her consultation bookings doubled in the first month.

Pretty poetry is for your About page. Your homepage headline needs to work.

2. Simplify Your Navigation (Seriously, Cut It in Half)

Count how many items are in your main navigation menu. If it’s more than 7, you’re overwhelming people.

Every additional menu item creates decision paralysis. When faced with too many choices, people often choose nothing at all.

The Psychology:

Research called “The Paradox of Choice” by psychologist Barry Schwartz shows that too many options actually decrease satisfaction and increase the likelihood people won’t choose at all. This applies directly to website navigation.

Bad navigation:
Home | About | About Sarah | Our Story | Services | Coaching | Consulting | Workshops | Retreats | Speaking | Portfolio | Gallery | Case Studies | Testimonials | Blog | Resources | Free Downloads | Shop | Contact | Book a Call

(That’s 19 options. Nobody’s brain wants to process 19 options.)

Good navigation:
Services | About | Portfolio | Blog | Contact

(5 options. Clean. Clear. Easy.)

The Fix:

Keep these:

• Services/What You Do (your money-maker)
• About (people want to know who you are)
• Portfolio/Work/Case Studies (social proof)
• Blog/Resources (if you actually maintain it)
• Contact/Work With Me (clear CTA)

Move these to your footer or subpages:

• Privacy Policy, Terms of Service
• Press/Media
• FAQ (unless this is critical for your business)
• Your detailed origin story
• Every single thing you’ve ever done

Delete these:

• Multiple variations of the same thing
• Pages that serve your ego but not your visitors
• Outdated content you haven’t touched in years

One of our WebGuider clients was a photographer with 12 navigation items including separate links for “Weddings,” “Portraits,” “Corporate,” “Family,” “Newborn,” “Events,” and “Commercial.” We condensed to just “Portfolio” with dropdown categories. Her inquiry rate went up 35% because people weren’t paralyzed by options before they even saw her work.

Simplicity converts. Complexity confuses.

3. Add Clear, Action-Oriented CTAs (And Make Them Impossible to Miss)

CTA stands for “Call to Action”—the buttons or links telling people what to do next. And most websites treat them like an afterthought.

Your CTAs should be:

• Specific (not vague)
• Benefit-focused (emphasize what they get)
• Action-oriented (use strong verbs)
• Visually prominent (color contrast, size, placement)

The CTA Hierarchy:

Primary CTA: Your main conversion goal (book a call, buy now, get started)
Secondary CTA: Alternative, lower-commitment option (download guide, read case study)
Tertiary CTA: Minimal commitment (follow on social, subscribe to newsletter)

Bad CTAs:

• “Submit” (submit what? why?)
• “Click Here” (where does this go?)
• “Learn More” (about what specifically?)
• “Get Started” (started with what?)

Good CTAs:

• “Book Your Free Discovery Call”
• “Download the Website Planning Guide”
• “See How We Helped Sarah Triple Her Revenue”
• “Get Your Custom Quote in 24 Hours”

The Visual Part Matters:

According to a study by HubSpot, CTAs in first-person (“Get My Free Guide”) convert 90% better than generic third-person CTAs (“Get Your Free Guide”). Small word change, big impact. (Source: HubSpot CTA Optimization Study)

Your primary CTA should:

• Use your brand’s accent color (the one that stands out most)
• Be large enough to see clearly on mobile
• Appear multiple times throughout your site (not just footer)
• Be placed after convincing content (not randomly)

The Fix:

Audit your current CTAs:

• Are they specific?
• Do they tell people exactly what happens next?
• Do they emphasize benefits?
• Are they visually prominent?

We had a WebGuider client with “Contact Us” buttons throughout her site. That’s it. Just “Contact Us” in gray text. We changed them to “Book Your Free 30-Minute Strategy Session” in her brand’s coral color. Same site, same content—conversion rate increased by 52%.

CTAs are where conversions happen. Treat them that way.

4. Speed Up Your Website (Every Second Counts)

Remember when we said Amazon’s designers are paid for conversions? Here’s a stat that’ll blow your mind: Amazon calculated that every 100ms of additional page load time costs them 1% in sales.

For a company doing billions in revenue, that’s… a lot of money per millisecond.

For your business, speed might be costing you clients without you even knowing it.

Research from Google found that as page load time goes from 1 second to 5 seconds, the probability of bounce increases by 90%. People are literally leaving before they even see what you do. (Source: Think with Google Mobile Speed Study)

The Quick Speed Wins:

1. Compress your images

• Use TinyPNG or Squoosh before uploading
• Convert to WebP format (better compression)
• Never upload 5MB photos straight from your camera

2. Minimize plugins/scripts

• Every plugin adds weight
• Remove anything you’re not actively using
• Be especially careful with chat widgets, analytics trackers, and social media feeds

3. Use lazy loading

• Images load only when users scroll to them
• Most platforms have this built-in now

4. Choose quality hosting

• Don’t go with the $3/month option
• Upgrade to better hosting if you’re on shared budget hosting

5. Enable caching

• Stores static versions of your pages
• Dramatically reduces server load time

The Test:

Go to Google PageSpeed Insights and test your site. If you’re scoring below 70 on mobile, you have work to do.

At WebGuider, we’ve seen speed optimization alone increase conversions by 20-40%. One client’s site was taking 8 seconds to load on mobile (forever in internet time). After optimization, we got it to 2 seconds. Her mobile traffic conversions tripled.

Fast sites feel professional. Slow sites feel abandoned.

5. Make Everything Ridiculously Easy on Mobile

Over 60% of web traffic is mobile. For some industries, it’s 70-80%. Yet most websites still treat mobile as an afterthought.

Your mobile experience needs to be better than your desktop one, not just “good enough.”

Mobile Conversion Killers:

❌ Tiny text that requires zooming
❌ Buttons too small to tap accurately
❌ Forms that require tons of typing
❌ Popups that cover the whole screen with no clear way to close them
❌ Horizontal scrolling (just… no)
❌ Phone numbers that aren’t click-to-call
❌ Addresses that don’t link to maps
❌ Images that don’t resize properly

The Mobile-First Checklist:

✅ Text is at least 16px (readable without zooming)
✅ Buttons are at least 44x44px (easy to tap with thumbs)
✅ Forms have minimal fields (name and email, not your life story)
✅ Phone numbers are clickable (tap to call)
✅ Addresses open in maps (tap to navigate)
✅ Images scale properly (no weird cropping or distortion)
✅ Navigation is thumb-friendly (hamburger menu that actually works)
✅ No hover-dependent interactions (mobile has no hover state)

The Fix:

Pull up your website on your phone right now. Actually do it. Don’t just resize your desktop browser—that’s not the same.

Now try to:

• Read your homepage headline
• Tap your main CTA
• Fill out your contact form
• Navigate to your services page
• View your portfolio

Was any of that frustrating? Congratulations, you just found conversion leaks.

We work with a real estate agent who had a beautiful desktop site but a nightmare mobile experience. Her contact form required 15 fields, and the submit button was partially cut off on iPhones. She was wondering why she got so few leads from mobile users. We simplified the form to 4 fields and fixed the button. Mobile conversions went up 180%.

If it’s hard on mobile, you’re losing money.

6. Add Real Trust Signals (Not Fake Generic Ones)

“Trusted by thousands!”
“Rated 5 stars!”
“Industry leader since 2024!”

Cool. Prove it.

Generic trust claims without proof don’t build trust—they build skepticism. Modern consumers are savvy. They can smell BS.

Trust Signals That Actually Work:

Real testimonials with names and faces

• Full names (first and last)
• Real photos (not stock images)
• Specific results or experiences
• Job titles or company names (when appropriate)
• Video testimonials are even better

Detailed case studies

• Client’s starting point
• Specific challenges they faced
• What you did to help
• Concrete results achieved
• Before and after (when applicable)

Client logos

• Companies you’ve worked with
• Makes sense for B2B especially
• Quality over quantity—don’t show 50 tiny logos

Media mentions and features

• “As featured in…” with real logos
• Guest appearances, interviews, publications
• Link to the actual features (prove they’re real)

Certifications and credentials

• Relevant industry certifications
• Educational background (when it matters)
• Professional associations
• Awards that mean something

Security badges

• SSL certificate (the padlock—non-negotiable)
• Payment security badges
• Privacy certifications

Social proof numbers

• “Join 5,000+ entrepreneurs in our community”
• “Downloaded by 10,000+ business owners”
• Real, verifiable numbers

What Doesn’t Build Trust:

❌ Anonymous testimonials (“This changed my life! – J.S.”)
❌ Generic stock photos of “happy customers”
❌ Suspiciously perfect 5-star reviews with no criticism
❌ Made-up credentials or fake awards
❌ Testimonials that sound like you wrote them yourself
❌ “Trusted by millions” with no evidence

The Fix:

Audit your current trust signals:

• Can you verify every claim you make?
• Do your testimonials feel real?
• Could your proof be more specific?
• Are you showing social proof strategically?

Get better testimonials:

• Ask satisfied clients specific questions
• Request photos or video testimonials
• Ask for permission to use full names
• Collect metrics and specific results
• Make it easy for them (send questions, offer to write first draft for their approval)

One of our WebGuider clients had three testimonials. All said variations of “Great to work with!” We helped her reach back out to those clients with specific questions about results. The new testimonials mentioned “booked out for 3 months,” “doubled email list,” and “finally feel confident in my brand.” Same clients, much more persuasive proof. Her consultation requests increased 45%.

Specific beats generic. Real beats perfect. Proof beats claims.

7. Simplify Your Forms (Every Field Costs You Conversions)

Here’s a conversion killer that’s easy to fix: asking for too much information too soon.

Research by Formstack found that reducing a form from 11 fields to 4 fields increased conversions by 120%. Every field you add creates friction. (Source: Formstack Form Conversion Study)

The Formula:

What you actually need to follow up:

• Name (first name only is often enough initially)
• Email
• Maybe phone (depending on your business)
• One specific qualifying question (optional)

What you don’t need right away:

• Company name
• Full address
• Job title
• Budget
• Timeline
• Referral source
• Newsletter preference
• Life story in “How can we help?”

The Psychology:

Every field you add makes people think:

• “Do I have to give them all this?”
• “Is this going to spam me?”
• “Do I really want to fill this all out?”
• “Maybe I’ll do this later” (spoiler: they won’t)

The Fix:

For contact forms: Keep it to 3-4 fields maximum:

• Name
• Email
• Brief message (optional—or just have them click to book a call)

For newsletter signups: Email only. That’s it. You can ask for more info later when they’re already engaged.

For booking calls: Name, email, and calendar integration. Let them pick their time. Done.

For quote requests: Only ask for info you absolutely need to provide a quote. Everything else can wait for the discovery call.

Advanced: Multi-Step Forms

If you need more information, consider breaking it into steps:

• Step 1: Name and email (low commitment)
• Step 2: A few more details (they’re already invested)
• Step 3: Final specifics (almost done, they’ll finish)

Multi-step forms often convert better than long single-page forms because they feel less overwhelming.

We had a WebGuider client—a wedding photographer—whose contact form asked for: both partner names, wedding date, venue, estimated guest count, budget range, how they heard about her, what package they’re interested in, their vision for the day, and a detailed message.

We simplified to: Name, email, wedding date, and “Tell me about your day” (optional). Inquiries went up 95%. She gets all that other info on the call anyway—why make them type it twice?

The easier you make it, the more people will do it.

8. Use Strategic Color Psychology (Especially for CTAs)

Colors aren’t just aesthetic choices—they’re conversion tools.

Now, we’re not going to tell you “red buttons always convert best!” because that’s oversimplified. But color psychology and contrast do matter.

What Actually Matters:

Contrast, not specific colors

Your CTA button needs to stand out from everything else on the page. If your whole site is blue and your CTA button is also blue, it disappears.

One study found that simply changing a CTA button from green to red increased conversions by 21%—not because red is magic, but because red stood out better against that particular site’s design. (Source: HubSpot Button Color Study)

Color Psychology Basics:

Red: Urgency, excitement, action (good for CTAs, sales, limited offers)
Blue: Trust, calm, professionalism (good for corporate, finance, healthcare)
Green: Growth, success, go (good for environmental, wellness, “yes” actions)
Orange: Friendly, affordable, creative (good for creative services, casual brands)
Purple: Luxury, creativity, premium (good for high-end services)
Black: Sophisticated, premium, modern (good for luxury brands)

The Fix:

Audit your CTA buttons:

• Do they stand out from your main color scheme?
• Are they the most eye-catching element on the page?
• Is the color consistent across your site?
• Does the color match your brand personality?

The contrast test:
Squint at your homepage. Your CTA buttons should be the first thing you see. If they’re not, increase the contrast.

The action principle:
Your CTA color should feel like it “wants” to be clicked. Warm, bright colors (red, orange) create more urgency than cool, muted colors (gray, pale blue).

At WebGuider, we’ve run tons of color tests. One service-based client had navy blue CTAs on a navy blue site. Technically on-brand, practically invisible. We changed them to coral (her secondary brand color). Same site, same buttons, same copy—42% increase in clicks.

Make your CTAs impossible to ignore.

9. Optimize Your Images (Size, Quality, and Purpose)

Images can make or break conversions—and not just because of aesthetics.

The three image rules:

Rule 1: Images Must Load Fast

We covered speed, but it’s worth repeating: large images are the #1 cause of slow websites.

• Compress before uploading (TinyPNG, Squoosh)
• Use appropriate sizes (don’t upload 6000px wide images for 400px spaces)
• Use modern formats (WebP over JPEG when possible)
• Implement lazy loading

Rule 2: Images Must Serve a Purpose

Every image should either:

• Show your work/products
• Build trust (team photos, office, process)
• Guide attention (visual hierarchy)
• Explain something (diagrams, before/after)
• Create emotional connection (lifestyle, aspirational)

What doesn’t help conversion:

• Generic stock photos of people in meetings
• Decorative images that add no meaning
• Too many images competing for attention
• Images that contradict your message

Rule 3: Images Must Guide Action

Strategic image placement can direct eyes toward CTAs.

The directional gaze principle: People looking at your site naturally follow the gaze of people in photos. Use this strategically.

Bad: Photo of person looking away from your CTA
Good: Photo of person looking toward your CTA

The white space principle: Images create visual breathing room that draws attention to surrounding elements.

Bad: Text cramming every pixel, no visual rest
Good: Strategic images breaking up text, eyes naturally flow to CTAs

The Fix:

Homepage hero image:

• High quality, fast loading
• Doesn’t compete with your headline
• Feels authentic to your brand
• Works on mobile (test the crop!)

About page photos:

• Real photos of you/your team
• Professional but authentic
• Create connection and trust
• Show personality

Service/product images:

• Multiple angles
• Show scale and context
• High enough quality to see details
• Fast loading despite quality

Portfolio/case study images:

• Show actual work, not generic concepts
• Before and after when applicable
• Results-focused

We worked with a business coach who had gorgeous lifestyle photos throughout her site—coffee cups, journals, laptops at cafes. Very aesthetic. Very on-brand. Completely disconnected from her actual service (business strategy and systems). We replaced them with photos from her actual workshops, her working with clients, and results-focused imagery. Conversion rate went up 38% because people could finally visualize working with her.

Every image should earn its place on your site.

10. Create Clear Next Steps (Don’t Leave People Hanging)

Someone just read your services page. They’re interested. Now what?

If the answer isn’t immediately obvious, you’ve lost them.

The biggest conversion killer: Assuming people will figure out what to do next.

The Reality:

People are busy, distracted, and browsing multiple tabs. If you don’t explicitly tell them what to do next, they’ll close the tab and forget about you.

The Fix: Strategic CTAs Throughout Your Site

Homepage:

• Primary CTA above the fold (book a call, get started)
• Secondary CTA mid-page (learn more, see work)
• Final CTA before footer (last chance to convert)

Services/Products Page:

• CTA after each service description
• Final CTA at bottom (ready to start?)
• Alternative CTA (not ready? download this guide)

About Page:

• Yes, even here. “Want to work together? Book a call”
• Or “Read how we helped [Client Name]”

Blog Posts:

• Relevant CTA at the end of each post
• Sidebar/inline CTAs for lead magnets
• Not the same generic CTA on every post—match it to the content

Portfolio/Case Studies:

• “Want results like this? Let’s talk”
• “See more work” or “Book a consultation”

The Breadcrumb Trail Strategy:

Think of your website like a choose-your-own-adventure book. At every decision point, offer clear paths:

High commitment path: Book a call, buy now, hire us
Medium commitment path: Read case study, download guide, view pricing
Low commitment path: Follow on social, browse portfolio, read more content

Not everyone is ready to buy today. Give them ways to stay connected until they are.

The Exit Strategy:

What happens when someone’s about to leave? Exit-intent popups work (when done right):

Bad exit popup: “Wait! Don’t go! 20% off! Subscribe! Follow us!”
Good exit popup: “Before you go—grab our free [relevant resource] to help with [specific problem]”

The Follow-Up:

After someone contacts you or downloads something, what next?

• Immediate confirmation email with next steps
• Follow-up email within 24 hours
• Clear timeline expectations
• Additional resources or information

At WebGuider, we see too many sites that just… end. No clear journey, no strategic next steps. One service provider had beautiful service descriptions but zero CTAs on her services page. Just descriptions floating in space. We added “Ready to get started? Book your free consultation” after each service. Consultation bookings increased 67%.

Don’t make people work to give you money. Make it ridiculously easy.

The Conversion Truth: Pretty vs. Profitable

Let’s come back to where we started: the tension between aesthetics and conversions.

Here’s what we’ve learned after building hundreds of websites at WebGuider:

The luxury trap is real.

We’ve had clients—especially in creative industries—who chase that editorial, magazine-worthy aesthetic at the expense of everything else. Minimal text (bad for SEO). Hidden navigation (bad for UX). Vague messaging (bad for clarity). Artistic layouts (bad for mobile).

They get a website that looks stunning… and doesn’t make money.

And look, sometimes that’s the right choice. If you’re a luxury fashion brand, high-end interior designer, or exclusive boutique hotel, that premium aesthetic is part of your value proposition. Your clients expect it. They’d be put off by a conversion-optimized, CTA-heavy Amazon-style site.

But for most businesses? The goal is conversions, not design awards.

The Real Question:

Are you willing to sacrifice some sales for aesthetic purity?

Because that’s often the trade-off. Not always—good designers can balance both. But when push comes to shove, which matters more?

Can you afford to prioritize beauty over business results?

If you’re established, profitable, and your website is just one of many revenue streams—maybe. If you’re trying to grow, fill your calendar, or get your business off the ground—probably not.

The Best of Both Worlds:

Here’s the thing: You don’t have to choose between beautiful and effective if you’re strategic.

The sites that convert best:

• Look professional and trustworthy
• Have clear, obvious CTAs
• Load fast
• Work beautifully on mobile
• Guide users through a logical journey
• Build trust with real proof

None of that is ugly. None of that requires sacrificing design.

What it requires is designing with intention—where every choice serves both form and function.

At WebGuider, we have this conversation with nearly every client. They show us inspiration from luxury brands with massive budgets and established audiences. “I want it to look like this.”

And we say: “Great! Now let’s also make sure it actually works for your business.”

Because at the end of the day, your website’s job is to grow your business, not just exist beautifully on the internet.

Start With These Three (If You Change Nothing Else)

Feeling overwhelmed by all these improvements? Start here:

1. Clarify Your Homepage Headline

Make it clear what you do, who you help, and why it matters. Do this today. It takes 15 minutes and can double your conversions.

2. Add Clear, Specific CTAs

Go through your site and change every vague “Learn More” and “Submit” to specific, benefit-focused CTAs. Takes an hour, massive impact.

3. Test Your Mobile Experience

Pull up your site on your phone and actually use it. Fix the most frustrating things first. This weekend project could increase conversions by 50%+.

These three changes alone can transform your site from pretty-but-useless to attractive-and-profitable.

Ready to Make Your Website Actually Work?

At WebGuider, we help creative entrepreneurs, coaches, and small businesses build websites that are both beautiful and effective. Because you shouldn’t have to choose.

Schedule a consultation → If your site needs more than tweaks, let’s talk about a strategic redesign that balances beauty and business results