There's a pattern that keeps coming up in audits: the website is visually fine, loads reasonably fast, and still almost nobody gets in touch or buys. The problem is almost never the design itself. It's that the website is built to inform, not to sell.
The difference between “pretty” and “commercial”
A pretty website presents what you do. A commercial website guides the visitor towards a specific action — call, request a quote, buy — on every screen, without the person having to wonder “and now what?”.
The 7 changes with the most impact
- One single call to action per screenIf “call”, “email” and “see catalogue” compete in the same view, nobody does any of them.
- The headline answers “what's in it for me?”Not “We're a company with 20 years' experience”, but which specific problem you solve for the reader.
- Social proof visible at the top, not at the endTestimonials, real cases or client numbers near the headline, not hidden away on a separate page.
- A price or a price range, even if indicativeTotal opacity on price causes more drop-off than a well-explained “from €X”.
- A short contact formEvery extra field is a reason to give up. Ask only what's essential for the first contact.
- FAQs that answer real objectionsThe doubts that genuinely hold up the purchase, not generic filler.
- Speed and mobile-firstIf the commercial website is slow or breaks on mobile, no other change on this list matters.
A commercial website doesn't say “we're the best”. It shows it on every screen.
How to know whether it's genuinely working
“It looks like more people are coming” isn't enough. You have to measure the conversion rate: out of every 100 visits, how many take the action you want. That figure, not total visits, is what tells you whether your website sells or merely decorates.
No hype: no redesign fixes a commercial website overnight. But these 7 changes, properly applied, usually show within weeks, not months.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't my website sell if it gets visits?
Because it shows what you do but doesn't make the next step easy for whoever arrives. The commonest fault is not saying clearly what the person should do now, or what will happen when they do. A website that only informs behaves like a catalogue: it gets leafed through and closed.
How many forms and buttons should a page have?
One main action per page, repeated where it makes sense, with secondary ones clearly below it. When everything has the same visual weight, nothing does, and the person ends up choosing the easiest option: leaving.
What should I put on the home page?
On the first screen, three things: what you do, who for, and what the person who hires you gains. No filler phrases. If someone who doesn't know you can't explain it to another person after five seconds of looking, that screen needs redoing.
Are testimonials and client logos any use?
Yes, if they're specific and verifiable. A testimonial saying “very professional” adds nothing; one saying what problem they had and what changed does. Logos work when the person recognises one or understands it's from their sector.
How often should a website be redone?
The structure lasts years if it's well thought out. What ages fast is the text, the prices and the screenshots. Rebuilding the whole website every two years is usually an expensive way of not fixing the real problem, which is almost always in the message.
Does your website inform, or sell?
We review your current website against these 7 points and tell you exactly what to change first.