What Would They Do? The Customer Experience Podcast For Small Business

27. Why your website isn’t converting (and what to fix first) with Victoria Furlong

In this episode, we’re answering a common (and slightly painful) question:

“Why isn’t my beautiful website converting?”

I chat with Showit web designer and marketing strategist Madelyn Furlong to explore why a stunning design isn’t enough, and what you can do to make your website start pulling its weight.

Whether you’re in the middle of a new website launch, a website refresh, or just wondering why your site visitors aren’t turning into clients, this conversation is packed with practical fixes and real-world examples to help you get results.

What we cover:

  • The Real Job of Your Website – Why your website is more than a digital business card and how it fits into your broader customer journey.
  • The “Pretty But Pointless” Trap – How good-looking websites often fail without the right strategy and messaging to back them up.
  • Top Red Flags That Kill Conversions – From vague headlines to confusing navigation and too many call-to-actions, here’s what to audit first.
  • 3 Low-Lift, High-Impact Tweaks – Quick updates like strategic CTAs, above-the-fold messaging, and scroll-stopping testimonials that instantly improve conversions.
  • The Power of Heatmaps & Data – Why tools like Hotjar can help you see what users are really doing on your site—and where they’re dropping off.
  • A Hot Take on Testimonials – Why testimonials are more than just “nice to have,” and how to turn them into powerful conversion tools.

00:00 Introduction to Website Effectiveness

02:33 Understanding the Role of a Website in Customer Journey

04:27 The Importance of Design and Strategy

06:32 Auditing Existing Websites for Improvement

09:02 Actionable Tweaks for Instant Conversion Boosts

11:14 Client Success Stories and Lessons Learned

13:25 Exploring AI in Marketing Strategies

21:46 Unlocking Website Potential: Essential Updates

22:13 Maximizing Engagement and Profitability

Connect with Madelyn:

Having a standout marketing strategy doesn’t mean you have to share a new post every day that end in -y!

That’s where Madelyn comes in. She helps small businesses create ShowIt websites and engaging social media content so they can turn their leads into sales.

Website: https://madelynvictoriaco.com

The FREE Website Checklist: madelynvictoriaco.com/website-checklist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madelynvictoriaco/

View the episode transcript here.

Where to from here?

Check out the resources I mention (affiliate links):

Drip

Bonjoro (save 15% for the lifetime of your paid plan!)

Convertbox

Thrivecart

Airtable

Zapier

Find out how you can get my strategic customer experience brain on your brand here.

Grab the FREE State of the Customer online business industry report with first-hand findings, gaps & opportunities PLUS proven strategies to boost your customer experience. Download FREE here!

Join Retention Lab 🧪, the membership for savvy online business owners determined to grow their revenue, referrals and repeat business without more marketing. Join here!

Check out my favourite CX tools and resources here.

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