Why Website Traffic Alone Is Not Enough for Online Business Success
You spend a lot of time and effort getting traffic to your website. You strive to get your prospects and customers flooding your homepage, reading your blog, and browsing your products or services.
After all, website traffic is the key to online business success… right?
While I’m not going to argue that website traffic is important (it most definitely is!), there is a key element missing if your business strategy begins and ends with generating more page views.
What good is website traffic if your visitors aren’t taking the right actions once they get to your website?
First, you need website traffic. Then, you need to influence the behavior of that traffic.
Navigating the process of setting up a website for your business, dealing with design, and filling it with content is a big task. It’s easy to overlook the small details that make a big difference in your website’s success—such as using strong calls-to-action to guide visitors in the direction you want them to go.
The truth is, there are very few things more effective in influencing website visitor behavior than clearly asking them to take a specific action in a compelling way.
It may seem obvious, but to make good use of your website traffic, you need to tell visitors how to use your website.
Step 1: Define the Primary Goal of Your Website
Your website likely exists for many reasons. It provides information about your business, allows prospects to contact you, builds credibility, and more. While all of these are important, what is your website’s primary goal?
If you sell products online and your website is not your first point of contact with prospects, your main goal may be to encourage visitors to purchase a product during their visit.
For other businesses, sales may not happen online or during a first visit. In this case, the primary goal may be to have prospects request a catalog or call a customer service representative.
For information-product businesses or service providers, the main goal may be to get visitors to opt in to an email newsletter or request a free consultation.
The possibilities are as diverse as businesses themselves. Take time to clearly define the single most important action you want visitors to take on your website.
Step 2: Clearly Tell Website Visitors What to Do
Once you’ve decided on the one action you want visitors to take, you need to clearly ask them to do it. Don’t leave it up to visitors to guess what the next step should be—make it obvious and simple.
If your goal is for visitors to contact you, provide a contact form, phone number, email address, and a clear prompt such as “Give us a call today!”
Additionally:
Clear direction reduces visitor confusion and significantly increases the likelihood of conversion.
Case Study 1: Clear CTA Increasing Contact Requests
A service-based website added a prominent “Book a Free Consultation” button. Within weeks, contact requests increased due to the clarity of the call-to-action.
Step 3: Make Your Call-to-Action Compelling
Sometimes simply asking visitors to call you or provide their email address isn’t enough. Visitors need a compelling reason to take action.
This is especially true when requesting personal or contact information. Visitors want to know what’s in it for them.
Trust-building through branding plays a role, but a practical solution is to offer something valuable in exchange for their time, information, or money.
Examples include:
- Offering a free eBook or digital guide for email sign-ups
- Providing limited-time discounts or free shipping for purchases
- Offering a free consultation or coaching session to encourage contact
Step 4: Place Your Primary Goal on Every Web Page
Once you know your goal, have clearly asked visitors to act, and offered a compelling reason, the final step is placing your call-to-action effectively.
Each page should feature only one primary call-to-action, positioned prominently to catch the visitor’s attention. This call-to-action may remain consistent across pages or guide visitors progressively toward your main goal.
Keep these best practices in mind:
- Use simple and concise copy
- Place calls-to-action where visitors can easily see them
- Use visual elements such as bold colors or larger text
- Avoid slow-loading graphics, broken links, or unnecessary complexity
Additionally:
A single focused call-to-action per page prevents distraction and improves conversion rates.
Case Study 2: Simplified Page Design Improving Conversions
An online business removed multiple competing buttons from its landing pages and focused on one primary action. Conversions increased after simplifying the page structure.
Conclusion
Website traffic alone does not guarantee success. To truly benefit from your visitors, you must guide their behavior with clear goals, compelling calls-to-action, and strategic placement. By telling visitors exactly what to do and why they should do it, you can transform traffic into meaningful engagement and measurable business growth.
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