Is your website copy costing you enquiries? How to really know
January has a way of making you look at your business with fresh eyes.
You’re back at your desk, you’ve got plans for the year, and you’re quietly thinking: Last year should’ve felt easier than it did.
Maybe the work was there, but the leads were inconsistent. Maybe you got plenty of enquiries, but not the right ones. Maybe you kept hearing “We found you online”, yet the website didn’t actually pull its weight.
If that’s you, here’s the gut check: when leads feel off, your website copy is often part of the problem.
Not because you’re bad at what you do. And not because your website is “wrong”. But because small friction points add up and people leave before they enquire.
TLDR
If your website gets visits but not enquiries, or the enquiries don’t fit, start with a quick copy audit.
Check clarity (what you do and who it’s for), trust (proof and confidence), flow (how easy it is to move through the page), and calls to action (what you’re actually asking people to do).
Make one change at a time, then track what improves.
And if you want a shortcut, grab my 10-minute website experience audit checklist.
How to know if your copy is costing you enquiries
Sometimes the issue is obvious. Most of the time, it’s subtle.
Here are a few classic signs your copy is leaking leads:
People spend time on your site but don’t take the next step.
You get “Can you tell me what you do?” questions (even though the answers are on the site).
Enquiries are price shoppers, not your ideal clients.
You keep tweaking words but nothing really changes.
Your website feels like a past version of you, not the business you run now.
If any of those sound familiar, the next step is not a full rewrite.
It’s an audit.
A simple way to audit your website copy (without overthinking it)
This is the approach I recommend because it’s quick, practical, and it helps you spot the real problem before you start “fixing” things.
You’re going to audit four areas:
Clarity
Confidence
Flow
Calls to action
Grab a notebook, open your website on your phone - or your laptop, depending on where most of your clients will be looking at your site, and pretend you’re a new visitor.
Step 1: Clarity (Can people instantly tell what you do?)
Your job here is to remove “thinking work” for the reader.
Check these points:
Your hero section: In the first 5 seconds, can someone tell what you do, who it’s for, and what result you help them get?
Your headings: Do they say something real, or are they full of vague words like “solutions”, “support”, “bespoke”, “innovative”?
Your services: Are they named in plain English, the way your customers would describe them?
Your “you” language: Does the copy reflect what the customer cares about, or what you want to say about yourself?
Quick test: If you removed your logo and business name, would someone still understand what you do?
If the answer is no, clarity is your first fix.
Step 2: Confidence (Does your website reassure people they’re in the right place?)
Good copy does two jobs at once: it explains and it reassures.
Look for confidence gaps like:
Big claims with no proof (for example, “industry leading” with no evidence).
Testimonials that are generic or poorly placed.
No clear examples of outcomes, process, or experience.
A tone that feels apologetic, tentative, or overly formal.
Now look for the opposite. Strong confidence signals:
A clear process (even a simple 3-step overview helps).
Specific proof (results, examples, recognisable client types, years in business).
Testimonials that match the service being discussed.
Helpful detail that makes you feel competent, not salesy.
Quick question: Does your website sound like a confident expert, or someone hoping they’ll be chosen?
Step 3: Flow (Is it easy to move through the page?)
Even great copy fails if the page feels hard to use.
Audit the experience, not just the words:
Are paragraphs short and skimmable?
Do headings pull you down the page?
Are you repeating yourself because the structure is unclear?
Are key details buried in the middle of long text blocks?
Does the page answer questions in a sensible order?
Quick test: Scroll your home page and stop at random points. At each stop, ask: What is this section doing for the reader?
If you can’t answer quickly, that section probably needs a clearer purpose.
Step 4: Calls to action (Are you actually guiding people to the next step?)
This is where a lot of websites quietly lose enquiries.
Two common issues:
The call to action (CTA) button is missing or too subtle.
The CTA exists, but it asks for too much too soon.
Audit your CTAs like this:
Is there a “clear next step” - what your client needs to do - above the fold?
Are you repeating the CTA in logical places (not just once at the bottom)?
Does the button text match what the person is ready for?
Are you offering a softer option for people who aren’t ready to enquire yet?
For example, a visitor might be thinking:
“I’m interested, but I’m not ready to book.”
“I need to see how this works.”
“I want to understand pricing or process first.”
That’s why a lead magnet like a checklist can work beautifully. It gives people a helpful next step, and it keeps the relationship going.
What to fix first (so you don’t spiral into a rewrite)
If you find a lot of issues, don’t try to solve everything in one hit. Pick the change that will remove the most friction.
Here’s a sensible priority order:
Clarify what you do and who it’s for (hero + headings)
Add confidence signals (process, proof, testimonials)
Improve flow and structure (make it easier to scan)
Upgrade calls to action (clear, repeated, right level of commitment)
Then give it time. One change, then watch what happens.
Download the full 10-minute website experience audit
If you want a guided version of what we just covered, I’ve put it into a simple checklist you can run through quickly.
Your 10-minute website experience audit
Your website is often your first impression. But more than that. It’s your 24/7 team member. It welcomes people in, answers their questions, reassures them that they’re in the right place, and guides them toward action. At least, it should.
But if your website feels a bit off, like something’s not quite clicking, it can be hard to know why.
Maybe people are visiting, but not enquiring.
Maybe you’re struggling to explain what you do clearly.
Maybe it just doesn’t feel like you anymore.
That’s where this checklist comes in.
Download your free 10-minute website experience audit and you’ll be able to:
Spot invisible friction points in your copy and layout
See where your messaging is strong, and where it’s slipping
Find subtle confidence gaps in your tone or calls to action
Reconnect your website with what your dream clients actually want to see
CTA: Download the website copy audit checklist
What to do after the audit
Once you’ve done the audit, you’ll usually land in one of two places:
You’ve got a few clear fixes you can make yourself (amazing, do them)
You’ve realised the copy is tied to deeper messaging and structure, and you’d rather not guess
Either way, you’ll be making changes based on evidence, not vibes. And that’s when your website starts pulling its weight again.
And, if you want to make the most of the changes you need to make, book a call with me and we’ll talk through what your audit found.
