5 Website Mistakes That Kill Conversions & How to Fix Them
It’s a frustrating truth: You have a beautiful Squarespace website, you're getting traffic, but your contact form is silent. It looks pretty, but it isn't making you any money.
You’re not alone. Many small business owners invest time (or money) into a visually stunning site only to realise it isn't strategically built to convert visitors into paying clients. As a designer with a background in UX design, I can tell you that a website's foundation and structure are far more important than the fancy fonts.
Here are the five most common Squarespace website mistakes that are costing you clients, and five actionable ways you can fix them today.
Mistake 1: Vague Messaging in Your Hero Section
Your homepage's hero section (the first thing people see) has about three seconds to answer three key questions:
What do you do?
Who do you do it for?
Why should I care?
If your headline is an inspirational quote or general industry jargon, you’re losing clients instantly.
The Conversion Fix:
Get ruthlessly clear. Your headline should be a direct, single sentence that states your service and the benefit.
Vague: “Your partner in health and nutrition.”
Clear: “We provide 1-on-1 nutritional coaching for busy professionals who want to lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks.”
Mistake 2: Confusing Site Navigation & Structure
If a potential client has to hunt for your services page or guess where the pricing is, they will leave. As soon as your visitor lands on your site, they should be able to instantly map out the journey you want them to take.
This mistake often stems from poor UX (User Experience). Too many navigation links, confusing labels, or hiding essential pages kills trust and conversions.
The Conversion Fix:
Simplify your primary navigation to a maximum of 5-7 links. Use universally understood labels:
Services (not "My Offerings")
About (not "The Story")
Contact (not "Say Hello")
Also, make sure your primary Call-to-Action (CTA) (e.g., "Book a Discovery Call") is always visible in the top right corner of your header.
Mistake 3: Using Weak or Invisible Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
A CTA is a strategic instruction that tells the visitor exactly what to do next. If you are using generic buttons like "Click Here" or "Submit," you're failing to motivate the client. Worse, many websites don't have enough CTAs, forcing the visitor to wander.
The Conversion Fix:
Use benefit-driven language in your CTA buttons. Give the visitor a reason to click.
Weak: “Read More.”
Strong: “Download My Free Meal Prep Guide,” or “Book Your Clarity Call.”
Make sure you have a primary CTA above the fold (in the hero section) and at the bottom of every single page on your website.
Mistake 4: Relying on Generic Stock Photography
If every image on your website looks like it came from the same free library and features overly staged office scenes or anonymous people, you sacrifice authenticity. Your website needs to reflect your brand and your business. People buy from people they trust.
The Conversion Fix:
Invest in professional, authentic photography of yourself and your work, but if you must use stock photos, customise them.
Tip: Use Photoshop or a simple tool like Canva to overlay your brand colours or a subtle texture onto the image. This immediately elevates the photo and makes it feel uniquely you.
Mistake 5: Ignoring Mobile Responsiveness
More than half of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices. If your buttons are too small, your text runs off the screen, or your images take forever to load on a phone, you've already lost the client. Poor mobile design is a conversion killer.
The Conversion Fix:
Don't just check your site on a desktop. Use the Squarespace editor's built-in mobile preview often, or better yet, check it on your actual phone. Ensure that:
Your text is large enough (at least 16px).
There's enough padding and spacing around buttons for easy tapping.
Your images are compressed for fast loading.
Ready to Fix Your Conversions?
Implementing these five fixes will significantly improve the performance of your Squarespace website.
If you're ready to fix these mistakes and launch a high-converting site immediately, the fastest way is by starting with a strategic foundation. Browse our collection of Premium Squarespace Templates, which are pre-designed with all these conversion fixes built in, so you can stop worrying about the structure and start focusing on your content.
However, if you're tired of the DIY overwhelm and need a guaranteed high-converting website built for you, explore our Custom Squarespace Design or our streamlined Website in a Week service.
