Is Your Website Losing You Clients? Or Booking Your Best?

“My portfolio is all I need on my website.”

“My business operates on referrals.”

“Website copy doesn’t really matter.”

If you’ve ever thought any of these things, you’re not alone. Interior designers have said these words to me before, and at times, I’ve even contemplated if they were right. But here’s a story that’ll make you think twice…

On Tuesday this week, I was checking my inbox during one of my son’s precious 1-hour nap times and an email popped up. It was from a business coach for interior designers. She said she’s on our mailing list and would be interested in a potential collaboration.

Sounds lovely, and you can guess what my first reaction was — I went to her company’s website.

The design stood out first. Polished, professional.

Then I read about their team. Qualified, established.

I looked at their services. Very comprehensive and approachable.

I nodded along with a couple of client reviews. Good, they help people.

I read a blog post about marketing to see if our approaches align. Check.

Here’s what happened in those few seconds…

In the span of a few minutes or less, I had established my first impression of her business and answered several of my own questions, both consciously and subconsciously:

• Is this a legitimate business? (We’ve all seen the spammy requests.)
• Hypothetically, would I be proud to work with a company like this?
• Am I interested in taking the conversation to Zoom?

Spoiler: We’re chatting in a couple of weeks, and we’ll see how it goes! That’s the result of a successful website — but this situation very well could have gone differently.

What if the website felt dated or low-quality? What if the copywriting — i.e. the communicated value of their services — was unclear? What if they didn’t have team bios that felt human?

I can’t predict how I would have responded in that case, but I’d certainly have my doubts. Wouldn’t you?

Now flip the roles. It’s your website.

You’re the one hoping to partner with builders and trades who share your clientele. You’re the one who loves getting new clients through referrals. You’re the one who wants well-informed, ready-to-commit prospects on your discovery calls.

Your website is the bedrock of your brand.

What will these people see, read, and feel about your business?

Is it the impression you want them to have? Does it reflect the way you see yourself? Will it inspire them to cross that invisible barrier, the one that separates passive observers from the people who enter your real life and work?

If you don’t like your answers to these questions, your website is holding you back.

I say that without judgment — I’ve been there, too.

I once stayed up until 4am rewriting O&B’s entire website copy when I realized, in a panic, that my own vagueness was costing us clients. (Two days later, we received a new inquiry. Phew! That late night paid off… literally.)

So, what can you do right now?

What can you do right now? My advice? Get an outside opinion. And not just anyone’s, an expert’s.

You could talk to your business coach about how you’re representing yourself. Maybe ask a respected designer colleague what they think. Or, perhaps best of all, ask a copywriter in the industry.

Our Copy Critique service was designed for this, to help you answer questions like:

• Is your copy speaking to ideal clients?
• Are your services clear or unclear?
• Is your site easy to navigate?
• Is your lead magnet compelling enough?

Whether you choose to get our insights or not, I hope this story inspires you to make your website your #1 marketing tool this year. Because the best part? Once it’s done well, it pretty much runs by itself. 🙌

Cheers,
Jaquilyn

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