Open the page where you most want website visitors to enquire, book or buy.
Now imagine arriving there without everything you already know about your business. You have the words, images and links on the page to help you decide whether to continue.
Can you work out what is being offered? Whether it fits your situation? What taking the next step involves?
When I look at that experience, I work through five visitor questions. Below, I’ll show you how to use them on your own website, with examples of what I would change and why.
For the broader context, start with Do You Need More Traffic—or Are You Losing the Visitors You Already Have? Then use the questions below to examine one page.
Before you start: choose one page and one visitor
Pick a homepage, service page or product page. Write down who you want the page to help and the main action it should support.
For example: “A local homeowner looking for garden design help. I want them to send a project enquiry.”
Open the page on your phone and follow its main link or button. Keep a note with three columns: what I can see, what remains unclear, and one possible improvement.
All the business scenarios below are illustrative examples, created for this exercise. They are not client stories or evidence of results.
I treat this walk-through as a way to find something worth investigating. It cannot, on its own, tell us why a particular visitor left.
1. What does this business do?
Read the opening headline and the sentence beneath it. Try describing the business using only that information.
Illustrative example — a service business
A fictional bookkeeping business opens with:
Where hesitation arises: A visitor cannot tell whether the business provides bookkeeping, financial coaching, lending or something else. The image adds atmosphere but does little to answer the question.
I would clarify the category of help before polishing the slogan.
A concrete improvement:
That gives the visitor something specific to understand. The page can explain the process and other details further down.
Try it on your page: Write a plain sentence beginning, “This business provides…” Then find the words on the page that support your answer. If you need to supply information from memory, note what is missing.
2. Is it relevant to me?
Once a website visitor understands what you provide, they still need to decide whether it suits their situation.
Look for details that help them recognise themselves: the type of customer, the problem, the scope, the location or the product format.
Illustrative example — a digital product seller
A fictional shop sells an editable project-planning template. Its page says:
Organise your work. Take control of your week.
The preview looks attractive, but the visitor cannot tell whether this is software, a printable PDF or a spreadsheet. They also cannot tell whether it is designed for an individual or a team.
Where hesitation arises: Someone managing several freelance clients may like the idea but remain unsure whether the product fits their work or tools.
I would make those practical fit details visible beside the preview.
A concrete improvement:
Keep your client deadlines in one place.
An editable Google Sheets project planner for solo freelancers managing several projects. Includes a weekly task view and client deadline tracker, designed for individual use.
The improvement comes from naming the buyer, format and intended use.
For a physical product, the equivalent details might be dimensions, materials or available sizes. For a service, they might be the area served and the kind of project accepted.
Try it on your page: Find one detail that confirms suitability and one that helps someone recognise a poor fit. A useful page should help the right person make a decision without requiring everyone to enquire first.
3. Why should I trust it?
Look at each important claim and ask what the visitor can inspect to assess it.
Words such as “premium,” “expert” and “high quality” need something concrete behind them.
Illustrative example — a physical product seller
A fictional maker sells canvas tote bags. The product page describes them as “beautifully made for everyday life” and includes one distant lifestyle photograph.
Where hesitation arises: A shopper cannot see the stitching, judge the size or check whether the bag has the features they need. They are being asked to accept the description without much help.
I would give them a closer look at the actual product.
A concrete improvement: Add front, interior and handle-detail photographs, show the bag at a useful scale, and place measurements and materials beside the description.
If the fictional bag has reinforced handles and an internal pocket, the copy could say:
Cotton canvas tote with reinforced handles and an internal pocket. View the close-up photographs and full measurements below.
Each detail should match the item being sold.
For a digital product, a readable sample page or demonstration can show what the buyer receives. For a service, you might show your process, a genuine work sample or relevant credentials.
Try it on your page: Choose one claim and identify its supporting evidence. If that evidence is missing, decide what you can truthfully show. Use actual product photographs, authentic examples and verified information wherever they serve as proof.
Also check that informative images have descriptive alt text so their meaning is available to people using screen readers. The W3C image accessibility guide explains how to choose an appropriate text alternative.
4. What should I do next?
Find the main button. Read its label, then check where it leads.
The wording should help someone anticipate the action they are about to take.
Illustrative example — a service business
A fictional garden designer’s service page ends with:
Ready to transform your space?
Get started
The button opens an enquiry form.
Where hesitation arises: “Get started” does not explain whether the visitor is requesting information, booking a paid consultation or committing to a project.
I would name the action and make the form appropriate to that first conversation.
A concrete improvement:
Ask about a garden design project
Tell me where you’re based and what you’d like to change.
The form could initially ask for a name, email address, project location and short description. More detailed questions can follow when they are needed.
A product page needs the same care. “Add to basket,” “View the template preview” and “Ask a product question” describe different actions. Choose the one that fits the page and the visitor’s readiness.
Try it on your page: Finish this sentence before clicking: “When I select this button, I expect…” Then click and compare that expectation with what happens.
Keep necessary supporting links, but make the recommended next step easy to recognise.
5. What happens after I click?
Follow the action far enough to see what the visitor actually receives.
A working button is only part of the experience. The next page, form, confirmation and follow-up also need to make sense.
Illustrative example — a digital product seller
Return to the fictional planner shop from question two. A visitor asks whether the template will suit their workflow. They submit a product-question form and see:
Thanks!
There is no explanation of whether the message was received or when a reply might arrive.
Where hesitation arises: The visitor has acted but still has an unanswered question. They do not know whether to wait, send another message or look elsewhere.
I would set a realistic response expectation before submission and repeat it afterwards.
A concrete improvement: If this fictional seller can reliably reply within two business days, the confirmation could read:
Your question has been sent. I’ll reply to the email address you provided within two business days.
The response window is part of the example. Use a commitment your own business can meet.
For purchases, check the equivalent hand-off. Does a digital buyer know where to find their files or access instructions? Does a physical-product buyer receive an order confirmation and clear information about dispatch? Does a service enquiry explain the next conversation?
Try it on your page: Submit your form using your own email address. Check the confirmation on screen and what arrives in your inbox. For paid purchases, use the platform’s test process where available.
Write down what you actually receive, including any missing or contradictory information.
Turn your notes into one useful improvement
You may now have several observations. I would separate the visible problem from the explanation you are considering.
For example:
- Observation: The page calls the product a planner, but does not name its file format.
- Possible hesitation: A visitor may be unsure whether they can use it.
- First improvement to test: Put the format and intended use beside the preview.
That is a more useful starting point than deciding the whole product page needs replacing.
Use this short record to organise your findings:
| Visitor question | What to record from your page |
|---|---|
| What does this business do? | The exact words that explain the offer. |
| Is it relevant to me? | The details that establish fit and any important limits. |
| Why should I trust it? | The evidence supporting one important claim. |
| What should I do next? | The button label and its actual destination. |
| What happens after I click? | The confirmation, delivery or response expectation. |
Fix broken links or forms first. Then look for the earliest unanswered question in the path you tested.
If someone cannot understand the offer, adding more credibility material further down may leave that first gap unresolved. If the offer is clear but the form fails, the form deserves attention.
Make one focused change and record the date. Where your tracking allows, watch the relevant page visits, button clicks and completed enquiries. Also note the questions people ask.
A clearer page gives you something useful to test. A small number of visits is still a small number of visits, so keep your conclusions proportionate to the evidence.
Want help deciding what to fix first?
My Website Reviews look at message clarity, homepage effectiveness, visitor confidence, calls to action and the customer path. I use that review to identify what deserves attention and recommend an appropriate next step.
If you have worked through the questions and want help prioritising the changes, we can discuss what you are seeing and whether a Website Review is the right starting point.