When sales start to slow down, the instinct is often to spend more on marketing to drive more people to your website.
And sometimes that’s absolutely the right thing to do.
But if the experience once customers reach your website isn’t working as well as it could be, there’s a risk you end up spending more money driving people to a website they then leave without converting.
Often, it’s the smaller friction points that make the biggest difference. People are busy, expectations are high, and it doesn’t take much to cause frustration. A slow-loading page, unclear messaging, too many checkout steps, being asked for too much information too early on, or hidden delivery costs appearing at checkout.
Before increasing marketing spend, start by reviewing what customers actually see and experience once they land on your website. Even small changes can have a noticeable impact.
Questions to ask before increasing marketing spend
Is it immediately clear what you offer?
Customers shouldn’t have to work hard to understand what your product or service is and why they should care.
Is the next step obvious?
Whether it’s booking, purchasing or requesting a quote, customers should immediately understand the action you want them to take.
Does the experience feel consistent?
If your advert feels polished but the website experience feels completely different, it can create uncertainty and reduce trust. Customers are much more aware of scams and poor online experiences now, so consistency matters more than businesses sometimes realise.
Is the journey simple?
Too many distractions, unnecessary pages or overly complicated forms can lead customers to abandon the process altogether.
Is the website mobile-friendly?
For many businesses, the majority of website traffic now comes from mobile devices, so a poor mobile experience can have a big impact on performance.
Does the page load quickly?
Customers are used to getting things fast. Even a few extra seconds can be enough for someone to leave.
Test before you invest
It’s also important to test any changes you make, rather than relying purely on assumptions. Sometimes small adjustments can have a much bigger impact than expected, but the only real way to know is by monitoring performance and customer behaviour over time.
Once you can confidently say the experience after the click is working as effectively as possible, your next step is to look at your marketing activity.