So you’ve got a website. You picked your colors, got a solid logo, and maybe added some fun scrolling effects or animations to spice things up. It looks good. You’ve put time into it. Maybe even money.

But people are visiting and… not doing much else.

They’re not clicking. They’re not booking. They’re not reaching out.

If that’s happening, I’ll be straight with you:
The issue probably isn’t your design. It’s the experience.

Most coaches and consultants don’t know they’re making these mistakes — but when your site is doing very little to move people closer to working with you, you sure can feel it.

So if you’re wondering why people are bouncing instead of buying, this post is for you.

Let’s talk about what’s really going on — and how to fix it.

This Mistake Is More Common Than You Think

There’s a reason so many solo service providers run into user experience (UX) issues. The internet is flooded with flashy templates and design trends. Sites with clever wording, minimal navigation, and wild scrolling features are everywhere — and they look successful.

So when you DIY your site — or even when you hire someone — it’s tempting to lean into what’s trendy. You assume that if big brands are doing something, it must be the right way to do it.

But here’s the part most people don’t realize:
Just because something looks modern doesn’t mean it’s usable.

For example, in 2025 Apple released Liquid Glass, its newest software design with iOS 26. It’s sleek, cutting edge, and aesthetically pleasing at a glance. Plus, it’s Apple, so it must be good, right?

Not so much.

Liquid Glass is pretty, but unusable. Here are some of the issues I had with it within an hour of updating my phone:

  • Impossible to read notifications over the light colored portions of my wallpaper photo (problem: not enough contrast)
  • Hard to quickly find apps with all the colors removed (problem: apps are less recognizable)
  • Unable to navigate between tabs in Safari after the interface changed (problem: hidden essential functions)

(This isn’t just my opinion; the Nielsen Norman Group, one of the top usability research groups in the world, wrote about these issues and more in Liquid Glass Is Cracked, and Usability Suffers in iOS 26.)

Maybe you’ve felt those frustrations, too.

Anyways, I bring this up to point out that Apple has resources, budgets, and teams that are way beyond our reach as solo business owners.

They should know better, yet they still missed the mark on this one.

Here’s the truth: most of your prospects don’t care how slick your website looks. They care about whether or not they can figure out what you do, why it matters, and how to take the next step.

That’s what UX — user experience — is really about. And it’s what your website needs to get right if you want it to work for your business, not against it.

Why Bad UX Is Quietly Holding Your Business Back

Your website doesn’t need to win design awards. It needs to help your people get what they came for — quickly, clearly, and without confusion. Bad UX gets in the way of that. Every time.

Here’s how.

1. It makes people give up before they even get started

Usability is a big deal. If someone lands on your website and can’t figure out where to go or what you do, they’re going to leave. Not because your business isn’t valuable, but because your site didn’t make it easy for them to stick around.

According to Microsoft, 56% of people have stopped doing business with a brand because of poor digital experiences. That includes websites that are confusing, slow, or hard to use.

Think about your own behavior here. If you have a choice, do you stick around as a customer if the website is a pain to use? I don’t.

So if your navigation is vague, your buttons aren’t clear, or your site is glitchy on mobile… you're losing people who could’ve become clients.

2. It makes you look less credible than you are

According to Stanford, 75% of people judge a company’s credibility based on its website design. (So much for don’t judge a book by its cover.)

What does this mean? Even if your coaching gets results or your service is top-notch, if your site feels janky, cluttered, or half-baked? People assume the rest of your business is, too.

Your website is often your first impression. If it’s hard to use or doesn’t feel professional, that can be enough to make someone second-guess hiring you — no matter how good you actually are.

3. It drives up your marketing costs

Let’s be real: client acquisition is expensive. Whether you’re running ads, posting content, or building a referral network, it takes time and effort to get someone to your site.

So when they land there and immediately bounce because of a bad experience? That’s wasted effort.

Here’s the kicker: Forrester research shows that a well-designed user interface can increase conversion rates by up to 200%.

Good UX helps your website pull more weight. It turns visits into leads. It gives people a reason to trust you. And it makes your entire marketing strategy more effective.

How I Know This Isn’t Just Theory

This isn’t something I read in a blog post once. I started learning about UX in the trenches.

Back in 2021, I was working on the web team at the U.S. Department of State. One of my first major projects in my new role as product owner? Building an interactive world map that showed where the United States had donated COVID-19 vaccines.

Sounds simple. But maps are a UX minefield.

Some countries — like Russia — are massive and easy to click. Others — like Monaco — are so tiny they aren’t even visible. As a result, mobile users couldn’t tap the right countries. And many people, myself included, don’t know geography well enough to recognize what they’re looking for on a blank map.

So we didn’t just redesign the map — we rethought the experience entirely.

We broke it into regional maps. We added clickable text lists. And on mobile? We ditched the maps altogether and used plain text links, which were faster and easier to use.

This wasn’t flashy. But it worked. Because we focused on what the user needed to do — and made that part easier.

That same thinking applies to your website. You don’t need to impress people with flashy bells and whistles. You need to help them understand what you do and how to take the next step. The simpler, the better.

What to Do Instead: Focus on These Three Core Areas

You don’t need to do a full UX audit or hire a research firm. But you do need to think about your site from your user’s perspective — and make sure it holds up in three key areas.

1. Content: What It Says

Your content is more than just your message. It’s the guide your visitor relies on to understand what you offer, how it helps, and what to do next.

Here’s what to pay attention to:

  • Navigation labels should be straightforward. Skip the clever names. “Work With Me” is clearer than “The Journey.”
  • Headings should help skimmers find what they need fast.
  • Link text should tell people what they’re clicking on. “Click here” and “Learn more” aren’t enough.
  • Buttons should have a clear action. “Book Your Free Call” is better than “Submit.”

These microcopy elements aren’t for unbridled creativity — they have a job. Your top priority for them is clarity, followed by conciseness, and lastly character.

You can still add a lot of personality to your website (heck, mine is cat-themed), but if your words are vague, confusing, or trying too hard to sound clever, your users won’t stick around to decode them.

2. Design: How It Looks

Good design supports good content. It makes it easier to read, easier to navigate, and easier to take action. It also makes people more forgiving of minor usability issues — that’s called the aesthetic-usability effect.

Basically, people tend to think that if something looks good, it also works good. (Remember how 75% of people judge a company’s credibility based on its website?)

This means that investing in design pays off.

I don’t have time to dive into design principles and psychology in this post, but here are a few quick tips:

  • A clear visual hierarchy — what’s most important should stand out immediately.
  • Consistency with fonts, colors, and spacing across your site.
  • Smart use of design principles like grouping related content together so people understand what goes with what.

You don’t need a minimalist layout or some designer-chic look. You need a layout that helps people process what they’re seeing without working too hard.

3. Tech: How It Works

If your site doesn’t function, nothing else matters. The best content and design can’t make up for a broken or slow site.

This is where things can get very, well, technical. It quickly becomes overwhelming if you don’t speak developer, and I’ll be honest, a lot of it still goes over my head.

Here’s your non-technical tech checklist:

  • Does your site load fast? It should load in under 3 seconds.
  • Is it mobile-friendly? You should not have to awkwardly scroll sideways at all.
  • Do all the links and buttons work? Watch for 404 errors and test that form submissions work.
  • Are your images compressed properly? Aim to keep all images under 50KB to help your website load quickly.

Some of these issues are harder to fix than others, but they are all critical for a good user experience.

If your site’s slow, glitchy, or broken on mobile, people will leave. Not because they’re impatient — but because we’ve all been trained to expect websites to work. If yours doesn’t, people won’t make excuses for it. They’ll just go elsewhere.

Bonus: Accessibility Is Just Good UX

Accessibility isn’t some extra feature you add at the end. It’s built into good design, good content, and good tech.

  • Clear link text helps screen readers and fast readers.
  • High contrast helps low-vision users and people using your site outside in the sun.
  • Mobile-friendly design helps everyone on their phone — which is most people these days.

Accessibility doesn’t just help a few people. It improves the experience for all your users. And it’s worth taking seriously.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Most professionals specialize in one of these areas. If you want words, hire a copywriter. If you want looks, hire a graphic designer. And if you want code, hire a developer.

If you have the resources to hire a team of specialists who work well together, by all means hire the dream team. But as I’ve shown, you really need all three areas supporting each other — hiring one or two specialists ain’t gonna cut it.

Alternatively, if you have time and budget constraints, a generalist, like me, might be a better fit. My knowledge may not be as deep as a specialist’s, but I make up for that with breadth and crossing disciplines.

In Storycraft, my done-for-you website package, I take care of all this for you.

  • I write your content with a focus on clarity, tone, and conversion.
  • I design a layout that fits your brand but keeps the user experience front and center.
  • I code mobile-first and optimize for fast loading times and clean functionality.

UX isn’t an afterthought. It’s baked into every step. Because you shouldn’t have to figure this stuff out on your own — or settle for a site that just “looks nice.”

When your website actually works the way it should, you:

  • Convert more visitors into leads
  • Look like the capable, trustworthy pro you are
  • Feel confident sending people to your site, knowing it’s pulling its weight

“This Feels Like a Lot. Where Should I Start?”

Fair question. You don’t have to fix everything at once.

Here’s what I’d recommend doing first:

  1. Do the squint test.
    Pull up your homepage. Squint your eyes. What jumps out first? If it’s not your main heading and CTA, adjust the colors, size, or placement so those stand out more.
  2. Fix your link text.
    Search your site for any “click here” or “learn more” links. Replace them with something more descriptive. What is someone actually clicking on?
  3. Check your images.
    Are your file sizes way bigger than they need to be? Resize your images to 2x the display size, max, and compress the files. This alone can speed up your site dramatically.

These are small changes — but they make a difference. Especially if your site has been sitting untouched for a while.

Let Your Website Start Doing Its Job

If your website looks good but isn’t converting, it’s probably not a design issue.

It’s the experience.

The good news? You can fix that.

You can build a site that’s simple, clear, and functional — without sacrificing style. One that helps people quickly understand what you do and decide to take the next step.

And if you don’t want to do it all yourself? That’s what I’m here for.

Ready to Build a Website That Works?

If you’re tired of guessing what’s wrong with your site — and you’re ready for something strategic, thoughtful, and effective — I’d love to help.

Start Your Story

Book a free discovery call, and let’s talk about how your website can finally start working for your business.