Small Business Websites Generate Traffic but No Customers

“i’d recommend claiming a Google Business Profile if you mainly get local customers. it makes it much easier for people nearby to find you, and you can start collecting reviews early. since you’ve already had in-person sales, that’s a great foundation to build on”

Hello everyone! I made a simple website for a small accessories store (in Bolivia) that a friend of mine started. I built it for free to gain some experience. It mainly serves…

“I general yes, depends on the industry though, as some thrive on socials as their ideal lead or sales channel.”

“I think there’s always a market for unique and edgy design, but it’s small. For prospective clients I would look for artists/performers, art and music venues, nightclubs, and fashion brands. Basically anyone who wants to convey their uniqueness.”

“The best chance someone would have with my businesses is if they are from my local community and make a connection with me organically through things like neighborhood activities or business association meetings. Meet everyone you can. Invest your time in people. That creates organic connections that will sometimes open a door, and with enough open doors and well-done projects, news will spread. When someone asks their friends or trusted colleagues who they should call for a website issue, those”

“Ahh yeah, I get why you'd think that 😭. That's literally what I'm trying not to become lol. I'm not out here doing lead gen or trying to trick people into calls. I'm just a student trying to figure out what business owners actually hate before I make the same mistakes. So umm... what would've made you think "okay, this person's actually trying to help" instead of just another lead gen guy?”

“Ahh that's actually a really interesting way to think about it. So it's less about "here's a redesign I made" and more about understanding the problem first, then suggesting solutions. Makes way more sense tbh😅 One thing though if someone actually took that approach, would you be more likely to reply, or is it still probably getting ignored because of how busy things are?”

Happy to help.

“I recently got some advice that instead of offering free websites, I should pick a few local businesses with outdated websites, redesign them as concepts, and then reach out to the owners if they're interested. As a business owner , how would you feel if someone did that for you? >Would you find it helpful or intrusive ? >What would make you actually consider working with them? >What would immediately make you ignore the message ? I'm trying to learn the right way to build a por”

“I keep hearing the same thing from small business owners. They paid someone to build their website years ago. It mostly works, but it is slow, outdated, hard to edit, and tied to a “web guy” who is either busy, expensive, or impossible to reach. Now there is a new problem too: AI tools are starting to recommend competitors when customers ask for the exact service they offer. That is why we built Surmado Sites! Instead of giving business owners another website builder to learn, Scout helps take o”

“Many online brands focus almost entirely on getting new visitors, but I think there is an engaging conversation around people who already showed interest. Someone who adds a product to their cart is different from someone who has never heard of the brand. They already spent time looking, comparing, and considering a purchase. The difficult part is understanding how to reconnect with them in a way that feels helpful instead of annoying. A reminder at the right time might be useful, but too many m”

Like the same service page duplicated for multiple locations?

“Thank you so much, that makes a lot of sense. I started outreaching that way However, when you point one certain important aspect like speed, how can you link or justify that to sell them the all web design service? Do you keep pointing other faults on the site so they are convinced that they have to redo the all thing better, or is there some better way for the upsell?”

“I keep running into the same story when I talk to SMB owners: You paid someone to build your site years ago. It mostly works, but it is slow, outdated, and a pain in the a$$ to change. Your “web guy” is busy, or unreliable. Now AI is recommending your competitors when people ask for the thing you actually do. That is the problem Surmado Sites is built for. Instead of giving you yet another website builder to learn, you hire Scout, our agent, to take over the site you already have. Here is what t”

“Mega helpful mate - would definitely appreciate the full video if you can! :)”

“I'm just as curious as you are. How many small business owners have tried this approach as opposed to cold calling? submitted by /u/OutsideJazzlike6811 [link] [comments]”

“are you targeting authors/creators who would sell on your marketplace, or readers who would buy? because the go-to-market is completely different for each side and trying to do both at once with no traffic is gonna spread you thin”

“Looks quite shit bro ngl. Why would you trust them to improve your SEO etc, if they have such a weak online presence? Also they build your website with their own website builder and host it in their own environment. Basically you are locked to them if you don't want to loose your site. Depending on your skills, just use Shopify, Wordpress or Spree Commerce. But I guess you already have an existing site. You can always hire a developer for improvements, the most important thing is you are in”

“Anybody use Mirin to build their website? Recently somehow stumbled across it and it's pretty cool how they take your current website and make it into something more appealing, faster/more optimized for mobile, and say that they take care of optimizing the SEO for you. Only problem is it is pricey at $199/month. I'm considering trying it out for at least 2-3 months to see if leads to any more business. Thoughts? EDIT: https://mirin.com/ submitted by /u/PoppinLochNess [link] &”

“Brightfolk are a lovely couple (a Web designer and a copywriter) based in Australia and they helped me with mine- I couldn't be happier with how it looks now- very professional and has legit lead to work in the field I was wanting to get more involved in. The way they work is they do the heavy lifting, copy writing, desgn etc. for you, you just provide the content. They have a workbook type thing you work on at your own pace too (like an hour a day or so- very straight forward and easy). It”

“What are your thoughts and experiences on having live quotes on your website?For example we are a smaller family-owned label manufacturer.We handle lower MOQ that most in our market but we also do very large orders.I believe it would be a great idea but owners do not think so. submitted by /u/Appropriate_Try958 [link] [comments]”

“Been thinking about this because I run a small agency and spend a lot of time looking at other people's sites, and it's made me realize how easy it is to let your own slide. Even knowing what to look for, my own site sat untouched for way longer than it should have. For those of you who have gone and overhauled or fixed up your site at some point, what was the actual trigger? Was it something concrete like a customer telling you they almost didn't call because they couldn't find”

“Speed matters most when it’s bad enough to create friction. A one-second difference probably won’t transform a small business, but a site that hangs, shifts around, or loads slowly on mobile can definitely lose impatient visitors. I’d focus first on the obvious stuff: compress large images, remove unnecessary apps/scripts, and test the key pages on an average phone connection. The useful metric isn’t just a score, it’s whether people can quickly understand the offer and contact or buy without wa”

“Hey everyone, We're a small factory from China that makes mini pocket printers. Right now we mostly sell on Amazon, but we want to build our own website and do SEO/GEO so people can find us directly. The problem is... we have no idea where to start. There's so much information online and it's all confusing. If you were starting from zero for a small gadget brand targeting the US and Europe, what would be your first 3 things to do? We're not looking for some fancy advanced strateg”

“Depends on the client. We have a pretty good questionnaire that we have been working on and refining for years that is sent out through Content Snare. Some clients fill out the whole thing. But sometimes we get on a call and work through the questionnaire with clients, then leave the rest of it for them to fill out on their own later.”

“Depends on what the client actually needs. For simple marketing sites, WordPress is still hard to argue with. Clients know it, and the setup is usually easier. For larger brands with multiple channels, commerce content and stricter editorial workflows, the CMS choice becomes more about workflow than templates. I’ve seen CoreMedia come up in that enterprise CMS context, but the main point is the split between devs and editors: custom front end on one side, usable editing and governance on the oth”

“I'm the sole marketing/IT/dev guy for a small service business, and I run a web dev side business, so I built our company site myself. In my role I talk to a lot of ad sales reps. One from Hibu mentioned something I hadn't considered: location pages. Not just a service-area page listing the cities/towns you serve, but a dedicated landing page for each one, so when someone searches "Best ABC in XYZ City," you've got a page targeting that city specifically. The kicker: Hibu c”

“I'm the sole marketing/IT/dev guy for a small service business, and I run a web dev side business, so I built our company site myself. In my role I talk to a lot of ad sales reps. One from Hibu mentioned something I hadn't considered: location pages. Not just a service-area page listing the cities/towns you serve, but a dedicated landing page for each one, so when someone searches "Best ABC in XYZ City," you've got a page targeting that city specifically. The kicker: Hibu c”

“i’m curious how common it is these days. does your company have a website? if not, what’s the reason? submitted by /u/cattttK [link] [comments]”

“Much less dependent on “5 pages” and much more on who the client is & what is included. Basic local brochure site, copy supplied, no weird integrations, basic SEO only? $800-$2k is not crazy. If you're doing copy, branding, booking forms, analytics, speed, local SEO setup, revisions, hosting handoff, etc, then it can be $2k-$5k+ pretty quick. The mistake is pricing pages like menu items. A 5 page site for a dentist that generates calls is not the same as a 5 page site for a hobby blog. S”

“No, most normal/average people don't Need a website. It's hard to convince even businesses..”

“Sorry, I lost the thread of what you were saying there. All I was getting at is, from a customer point of view - and I was speaking as a customer, not a dev - I just find it hard to trust a business that doesn't have signals of credibility, like having a basic website. Is that fair? Maybe or maybe not. Reality is I am a lazy bum and I'm always looking for the path of least resistance - I don't think that's a dig against me, it's just human nature; "perception is real, th”

“yeah thats pretty much what i thought. seen a few guys in my area doing this, charging like 2k for a site that breaks when you try to add a contact form. its all frontend nothing behind it what gets me is the businesses dont even know what they missing until something goes wrong, and then they got nobody to call cause the "developer" already moved on to next mark”

“To the point that if OP had talked the website guy into this deal and that guy was here asking if he got ripped off, everyone would say yes.”

“They do though. I work with people like "Alice" and "Bob" pretty often. They're usually just wanting a simple website to display as a portfolio for themselves, or a place they can re-post all of their media onto a blog-style website. They aren't the types of websites that end up being the main driver of what they do, but they treat it like a hub they can use to centralize their content. Then use that for times that they need to quickly show others what they do, and do”

Relevant as a part of a broader presence. But not sufficient alone.

If it takes long enough for me to go, "is this site down?" It's too long.

“For small budget, the order I would try things: First, fix what you already have before adding a new tool. Most small business sites lose leads not because of missing tools but because the path from "I want this" to "I did this" is too many clicks. A visitor who knows exactly what they want and cannot find the right button in ten seconds is gone. Second, if you want a tool: anything that removes form friction rather than adding more conversational steps. The best lead gen for”

“You're spot on about targeting businesses with old websites. They already have skin in the game, and you can clearly show them how a redesign can boost their sales or customer engagement. Plus, it’s way easier to pivot a conversation from “this is what you have” to “here's how we can make it better” instead of starting from scratch!”

“I'm curious about something as a business owner. When you see an ad from a branding or logo design agency, what actually makes you stop scrolling? Would you be more interested in: A before & after brand transformation? A collage of different logos? Mockups showing the logo on packaging, signs, uniforms, etc.? A short video explaining the design process? A real client case study? Something else entirely? Also, what immediately makes you ignore or scroll past an ad from a branding agency?”

“The basics still win for local service businesses. Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile, choose the right categories, keep your hours and service areas accurate, add real job photos, and ask every satisfied customer for a Google review. Most competitors don’t ask consistently, so building that habit alone can improve your visibility in Google Maps over time. For your website, keep it simple. Clearly list your services and the cities you serve, and make sure your business name, address”

“If you think QR codes are useless as I’ve read on here then you’re not setting up The transition correctly. As you know, QR code will just basically open up your website or a website. Now, having an easy transition from that to booking or retaining a customer’s next visit with just a click or two as important but having an a customer type in the search area, your company name search go to a page scroll through find your page who knows it’s on the first page or not. Then select that page that it”

“Hi everyone, I'm looking for some honest feedback from people who build websites for a living. Over the past year, my team and I rebuilt our marketplace from scratch after realizing our first version had too many UX and trust issues. We spent a lot more time talking to users this time instead of assuming we knew what they wanted. The result is https://racoon.gg , a marketplace where gamers can buy and sell in-game products and services. I'd love your first impressions, especially on thin”

“A while ago I posted about helping small businesses with their websites, free of charge. Not full rebuilds, just honest advice and pointers on things they could improve or ways to save money on a new website or redesign. From that, I gained a few clients directly, but most came through referrals after the work was done. So I thought I'd do it again. If you're a small business owner and you're unsure about anything website related, whether you're planning a new site, thinking abou”

“The worst of the worst is Jimdo, bad service, they try to hide resiliation possibilities, and very bad customer care.”

“Hello everyone! I have opened my online store on a third-party e-commerce platform around 2 months ago. Since I am starting my first business and wanted to reduce both risk and business expenses, I decided to use a third-party platform instead of a website for now. However, I have limitations on customizing my store on the platform, so it is just one page, which currently shows all my products and an "About Me" section. Recently, I published print advertisements, which had QR codes to”

“You can start by targeting web designers, freelancers and small agencies directly rather than running ads right away. reach out, offer a free trial and get feredback from people who build sites for small businesses. Of your widget is genuinely faster and lighter than competitors thats a strong angle to lead with”

“I'll pick 3 websites from the comments and redesign their homepage for free. Then I'll post the before & after here, along with the design decisions, so everyone can learn from the process. No payment. No catch. Just a fun design challenge. If you'd like to be considered, comment with: • Your website • What your business does • What's the biggest thing you dislike about your current website? submitted by /u/Ill_Importance_2350 [link] [comments]”

“Not looking for perfect success stories. I'm more interested in hearing what's actually difficult. Is it: Getting consistent leads? Low website traffic? Poor conversion rates? Social media not producing customers? Expensive ads? Lack of time? Something completely different? I'd love to hear what industry you're in and what's been the hardest part. submitted by /u/CaptainofTech [link] [comments]”

“targeting web designers is the right instinct. small businesses rarely go looking for a widget, but a freelancer building 10 sites a year will drop it in every one if it works well. the two differentiators you listed are real but they only matter to developers. a freelancer cares about load time and how it looks on their client's site. 30kb vs 1.75mb is genuinely a big deal if you frame it right, that's the kind of thing that shows up in PageSpeed scores and clients notice that. where i&”

“I like the idea of two phases. The customer portal eventually is definitely a must have for transparency and records later on. Starting out it’s not a necessity until I start growing”

“I have a question for people who run websites that are used mainly as a tool for work rather than for entertainment. Have you noticed any periods during the year, month, or week when traffic is consistently lower? I'll share my own experience. I have a website that people mainly use as a tool for work (it's not AI-related), and it has been public for a little over a year. The traffic has been growing steadily, although not as fast as I would like. Here are the patterns I've noticed s”

“I’m trying to understand what actually makes a small business website feel trustworthy to customers. For example: Clear services and pricing Real photos of the business Reviews/testimonials Fast mobile loading Easy call or WhatsApp button Online booking or contact form If you run a small business, what website feature has actually helped you get more calls, bookings, or customers? And what instantly makes you leave a business website? submitted by /u/Nisbahouddin [link] [commen”

“Most small business owners spend months picking a color palette and logo. Then launch a website that loads in 6 seconds, has no clear CTA, and buries the contact form 3 scrolls deep. Nobody calls. The mistakes I see most: • Homepage tries to explain everything instead of converting one type of visitor • Mobile version is an afterthought (60%+ of your traffic is mobile) • No clear "what do I do next" for the visitor • Contact form exists but nobody checks it The sites that actually brin”

“I've spoken to a lot of people who want to get into web design, and the one thing I keep hearing is that selling websites to local businesses just isn't worth it. Everyone says they've called business after business, sent hundreds of emails, and nobody is interested in buying a new website. I think the problem is that most people are trying to sell websites to businesses that don't even have one. Selling website redesigns to businesses with outdated websites might be one of the s”

“Do websites make a difference for local business? I have been learning code now for a while and want to start helping the local businesses around me make websites, the few I have made look so much better than what I see out there but does it really help? submitted by /u/Stock_Safe_2857 [link] [comments]”

“Genuine question. Once your website is live: Do you regularly improve it? Do you look at analytics? Do you compare it against competitors? I’m considering a service that would automatically monitor a website and suggest specific improvements based on: visitor behavior competitor changes industry trends Would that be useful, or is the website mostly “set and forget” for your business? submitted by /u/wintara_02 [link] [comments]”

“Most founders hit a revenue plateau and immediately think: "I need more traffic." So they double down on SEO, post more content, chase backlinks. And their MRR doesn't move. Here's the problem. Traffic amplifies what's already working. If your conversion rate is broken, more visitors just means more people leaving. A site converting at 1% that gets 10,000 visitors earns 100 customers. Fix conversion to 3% without touching traffic, and you've tripled yo”

“For people here who run a small business, solo project, or SaaS/brand: Do you have a website? If yes, how did you build it? And looking back, what was the most annoying part? I’m mostly curious because I keep seeing people launch websites quickly, but then struggle with positioning, copy, SEO, and actually getting leads from it. submitted by /u/Dependent-Scar8213 [link] [comments]”