Why your website isn't getting enquiries

Why this matters

You can have a lovely-looking website that still does nothing. Usually it's unclear messaging, weak structure, slow pages, or a user journey that makes people work too hard.

If your site isn't bringing in enquiries, it's not "fine". It's costing you leads, sales, and opportunities.

Common conversion killers

1) People cannot tell what you do in 5 seconds

Visitors decide quickly whether your site is relevant. If they cannot understand what you do, they leave.

• Vague headlines: "We deliver excellence" tells nobody what you actually do.
• Industry jargon: Visitors do not know your internal terms.
• Buried value proposition: The main message is hidden below the fold.
• Too many messages: Trying to say everything means you say nothing clearly.

Fix: Put a clear, specific headline at the top that answers "What do you do?" in plain language.

2) Navigation is vague or overloaded

Confusing navigation makes people work too hard to find what they need.

• Too many menu items: Seven or more options overwhelm visitors.
• Unclear labels: "Solutions" or "Resources" do not tell people what's inside.
• No clear path to contact: The contact button is hidden or hard to find.
• Mobile navigation breaks: Menus that do not work well on phones.

Fix: Limit main navigation to five or fewer items. Use clear labels like "Services", "About", "Contact". Make the contact button obvious.

3) Pages are long but do not answer real questions

Long pages are fine if they answer questions visitors actually have. Most long pages just repeat the same points or include irrelevant information.

• No clear structure: Information is scattered, hard to scan.
• Missing key information: Prices, process, or "what happens next" are unclear.
• Too much detail too early: Technical specs before people understand the basics.
• No clear next step: Visitors finish reading but do not know what to do.

Fix: Structure pages with clear headings [3]Source 3 . Answer "What?", "Why?", "How?", "What next?" in that order. End each page with a clear call to action.

4) Forms are annoying or unreliable

Forms are where enquiries happen or fail. Poor form design kills conversions.

• Too many fields: Asking for information you do not need upfront.
• Unclear labels: People do not know what to enter.
• Poor error messages: "Invalid input" does not help people fix mistakes.
• Forms that fail silently: Submissions do not work, and you never know.
• No confirmation: People submit and wonder if it worked.

Fix: Ask only for essential information. Use clear labels and helpful error messages. Test forms regularly. Show a clear confirmation after submission.

5) Mobile layout makes everything harder

Most visitors use phones. If your site is hard to use on mobile, you lose most of your potential enquiries.

• Text too small: People cannot read without zooming.
• Buttons too close together: Hard to tap the right thing.
• Forms are difficult: Fields are cramped, keyboards cover content.
• Navigation breaks: Menus do not work well on small screens.

Fix: Test your site on a real phone. Make buttons at least 44px tall. Ensure text is readable without zooming. Test forms on mobile.

6) The site is slow, so people leave

Slow sites lose visitors before they can enquire. If pages take more than 3 seconds to load, many people leave [1]Source 1 .

• Heavy images: Large, unoptimised images slow everything down.
• Too many scripts: Analytics, chat widgets, and other tools add weight.
• Slow hosting: The server takes too long to respond.
• No caching: Pages load from scratch every time.

Fix: Optimise images before uploading. Remove unnecessary third-party scripts. Choose faster hosting. Enable caching.

What to fix first

Start with the biggest blockers. Fix these in order:

1. Clarity: Can visitors tell what you do in 5 seconds? If not, rewrite your headline and main message.
2. Contact path: Is it obvious how to get in touch? Make the contact button prominent and easy to find.
3. Forms: Do your forms work reliably? Test them. Simplify fields. Fix error messages.
4. Mobile: Test your site on a phone. Fix anything that's hard to use.
5. Speed: If pages take more than 3 seconds to load, optimise images and remove unnecessary scripts.

How to test what's wrong

Ask real people

Show your site to someone who does not know your business. Ask them:

• What do you think this business does?
• How would you get in touch?
• What questions do you have that aren't answered?

Their answers show you where clarity breaks down.

Test the journey

Try to complete the enquiry journey yourself.

• Start on your homepage.
• Try to find how to contact you.
• Fill out the form on a phone.
• Note every point of friction or confusion.

Fix anything that makes you hesitate or work too hard.

Check analytics

If you have analytics set up, look for:

• High bounce rate: People leave quickly, often because the page does not match what they expected.
• Low time on page: People do not read your content, often because it's unclear or irrelevant.
• Form abandonment: People start forms but do not submit, often because forms are too long or unclear.

These patterns show where your site is losing people.

When to get help

If you have tried fixing these issues and enquiries are still low, consider:

• Content review: Your messaging might need a complete rewrite. See writing for the web for guidance.
• User testing: Professional testing can reveal issues you cannot see yourself. See user testing basics.
• Performance audit: If speed is the problem, a performance audit identifies the specific issues. See performance audit outcomes.
• Rebuild: If the foundations are broken, a rebuild might be more cost-effective than endless fixes. See website rebuild vs fix.

Summary

Most sites that do not get enquiries have clarity, structure, or friction problems. Fix these in order: clarity first, then contact path, then forms, then mobile, then speed.

Test with real people. Check analytics. Fix the biggest blockers first.

If you need help diagnosing or fixing conversion problems, see the website not getting enquiries problem page or get in touch to discuss your specific situation.