Uh-oh, your website’s performance is in a slump – traffic is down, leads are drying up, and you’re scratching your head.
The good news: a poor-performing website can be rescued. Here’s a playbook to turn things around:
>>> Diagnose the issues: Start with data. Check your analytics to pinpoint what’s wrong. Is it a traffic drop from Google? A high bounce rate on certain pages? Low conversion despite steady traffic? Identifying the symptoms leads you to the cause.
>>> Fix the technical stuff: Address any obvious technical problems first. For instance, speed up slow pages (compress images, review your hosting), fix broken links or buttons, and make sure your site is mobile-friendly. No point driving traffic to a site that doesn’t work properly.
>>> Refresh and add content: Stale content = stale performance. Update outdated pages (Google loves fresh content, and so do readers). Add new, relevant content targeting the questions your clients are asking today. A regularly updated blog or resource section can breathe life back into your SEO and engagement.
>>> SEO check & repair: If your Google visibility took a hit, investigate your SEO. Check for technical issues (e.g., accidental “noindex” tags or broken sitemaps) or major Google algorithm changes. You might need an SEO refresh – update target keywords, improve meta tags, build quality backlinks, and ensure your local SEO is on point.
>>> Improve conversion paths: All the traffic in the world won’t help if visitors don’t convert. Make sure your calls-to-action are clear and your contact forms actually work. Perhaps add a simple offer like a free case evaluation to encourage action.
>>> Monitor and iterate: After making changes, watch your metrics over the next few weeks. Recovery might be gradual, but you should see signs of improvement (lower bounce rate, more inquiries). If something isn’t improving, re-assess and tweak. Sometimes a second round of fixes is needed.
Real-world example: I had a law firm client whose site traffic had been dropping for months. The culprit turned out to be very slow page speeds and lack of fresh content. We sped up the site (cut load times from 5s to 2s) and started a blog covering recent legal developments. Three months later, traffic was up 40% and consultation requests doubled.