Why Your Website Isn’t Converting (Even If It Looks Gorgeous)
By Laura Kendrick, UX-focused launch strategist and copywriterBusiness ownership 101: Buy a domain. Put up a website. It’s the modern version of hanging your shingle, saying, “Hey world, I’m legit.”
But for too many high-earning founders, that’s where it stops.
Shingle? Hung.
Website? Beautiful.
Clients? Kind of.
Designer? Hired.
Photoshoot? Nailed it.
You’re out here showing up in all your fantastic, personality-filled glory. And I love that for you. Truly.
But here’s the kicker: The site still isn’t converting. People land on it, click “About,” and... click away.
They’re not buying. Not from the site, at least.
Sure, they might buy from your launch campaign. An ad funnel. Maybe an affiliate or referral. But your actual website - the one you poured all that love (and budget) into - is sitting there like a glorified business card. Collecting dust.
And those weekly blogs? They’re helping Google get to know you, which is great. But they’re not pulling your dream clients deeper into your world. Not like you hoped they would.
I’ve worked with multi-six and seven-figure business owners whose launch sales pages are absolute conversion magnets, but their main website? Crickets. Cobwebs.
So what’s missing?
It’s not your brand. Or your face. Or your brilliant offer.
What’s missing is the buyer’s journey.
What’s missing is user experience (UX) - and I don’t mean the techy, designer kind. I mean the copy-driven kind that walks your dream client straight to your digital doorstep and makes it easy to say yes.
Your Website Isn’t Just a Vibe. It’s a Sales Tool.
First, you’ve got to shift how you see your site.
Yes, it should be beautiful.
Yes, it should radiate your vibe and values.
Yes, it should show off your bestest, most brilliant self.
But it also has to function like a sales page. One that lovingly walks your ideal clients toward taking action (if it’s the right fit, of course).
Think of it like this:
If your idealest ideal client landed on your homepage today - on the exact right day, in the exact right moment - you’d want them to click through a beautifully curated, zero-confusion path that gives them everything they need to know to make a confident decision.
And you’d want that path to lead them right to your checkout page, where they can say yes, swipe that card, and change their life.
Sounds a lot like what we aim for in a launch funnel, right?
That’s because the strategy isn’t all that different.
This Is Where UX Copy Comes In
When I write websites, I’m not just writing for search engines, or for a brand voice exercise that gets stuck in your Google Drive.
I write for the person using the site. The human behind the screen who’s deciding if they trust you, believe you, and want to go deeper.
That means I ask questions like:
What do they already know when they land here?
What are they trying to figure out?
Where are they on their buying journey? Are they in a curious scroll, or in a “show me the damn price” mood?
What objections are they carrying?
What’s the next best step? And are we making it easy to take?
Because clarity, not cleverness, is what converts.
Let Me Give You a Quick Example
Let’s say someone lands on your homepage. Maybe they came from a podcast you were on. They already know of you, but they’re looking for confirmation that you’re the real deal.
But what they find is:
A bold statement like “Helping changemakers rise”
A dreamy, scrolling photo of you in a field of wildflowers
And a teeny “Work With Me” link tucked into the corner of the menu bar
It’s beautiful. But confusing.
They’re wondering:
What do you actually do?
Can you help me with my problem?
Is this for someone at my stage of business/life/burnout?
If they can’t find those answers in the first 10 seconds, they bounce.
Now let’s flip it:
Your homepage copy names the exact situation they’re in
It guides them through your offers without jargon
It tells them where to go next (and makes it very easy to get there)
Now they’re not confused. They’re clicking. They’re booking. They’re saying, “I feel like this was written for me.”
That’s UX copy.
Try This: A 60-Second Website Gut Check
If you want your site to start pulling more weight, start here:
1. Can a stranger tell what you do in 5 seconds?
→ If your homepage doesn’t clearly say what you offer, who it’s for, and why it matters, start there.
2. Do your buttons make decisions easier or harder?
→ “Learn More” doesn’t guide behavior. “See VIP Day Packages” does.
3. Does each page have a clear next step?
→ Dead ends are for highways, not websites. Lead them forward.
4. Are you speaking to what they want, or what you offer?
→ Your reader wants a result, not your framework. Show them you get it.
When you start thinking about your site from the perspective of your best-fit buyer - not your brand designer, not your SEO plugin, not even your own inner perfectionist - you unlock a different kind of magic.
You stop trying to impress.
And you start making it easy to say yes.
And that? That’s when your conversions start to sing.
