Every person who visits your website arrives with questions. They might not type them into your contact form or say them out loud, but they’re there, running quietly in the background like open browser tabs.
If your website answers those questions, visitors gain confidence and move closer to reaching out. If it doesn’t, they hesitate, and hesitation usually means they leave to find a business that makes the decision easier.
When I review a website, these are the five questions I check first. They’re the foundation of my analysis process because they’re the foundation of nearly every hiring decision.
1. “Am I in the right place?”
This is the first question visitors ask, and they want an answer within seconds. They need to know what you do, who you do it for, and whether that matches what they’re looking for.
Where to answer it: Your homepage headline and the first few lines below it.
How to answer it well: Be direct and specific. State your service, your ideal client, and your location if it matters. A visitor who reads “Brand photography for women-owned wellness businesses in Chicago” knows immediately whether they belong.
Red flag: Your headline is a slogan or abstract phrase that could apply to any business.
2. “Can you solve my problem?”
Once visitors know what you do, they want to know whether you can help with their specific situation. They’re looking for signs that you understand their challenges and have a clear way of addressing them.
Where to answer it: Your services pages and the service summaries on your homepage.
How to answer it well: Describe the problems your clients face in their own words, then explain how your services solve them. Focus on outcomes, not just tasks.
Red flag: Your services are listed by name only, with little explanation of what they include or what they achieve.
3. “Why should I trust you?”
Hiring someone new involves risk. Visitors want evidence that you’ve done this before, done it well, and won’t disappear halfway through the project.
Where to answer it: Throughout your website, especially near calls to action, on your about page, and on your services pages.
How to answer it well: Use testimonials, case studies, client logos, credentials, years in business, reviews, and examples of your work. Be specific, and place proof where people are making decisions.
Red flag: Your testimonials are hidden on a single page, or you don’t have any at all.
4. “What will it be like to work with you?”
Even when visitors believe you can do the job, they want to understand the experience. How does the process work? How long will it take? How involved will they need to be? Roughly what will it cost?
Where to answer it: Your services pages, a “how it works” section, and an FAQ.
How to answer it well: Outline your process step by step, share typical timelines, offer pricing guidance, and address common concerns. Transparency reduces uncertainty, and reduced uncertainty makes saying yes easier.
Red flag: Visitors have to contact you to learn anything about your process or pricing.
5. “What do I do next?”
Once a visitor is convinced, they need a clear path forward. If they have to hunt for a contact link or decipher what happens after they fill out a form, you risk losing them at the finish line.
Where to answer it: At the top and bottom of key pages, and anywhere a visitor might be ready to act.
How to answer it well: Use specific, inviting calls to action, like “Book your free strategy call,” and explain what happens next. Keep forms short and simple.
Red flag: Your only call to action is a generic “Contact Us” link in the navigation or footer.
Put your website to the test
Go through your website and, for each of these five questions, write down where it’s answered and how well. Better yet, ask a friend or colleague who doesn’t know your business well to do the same. Gaps will become obvious quickly.
- If a question isn’t answered at all, that’s your top priority.
- If it’s answered vaguely, revise it with more specific language and proof.
- If it’s answered well but buried, move it somewhere more visible.
Answer the questions, earn the client
Your potential clients aren’t looking for a perfect website (no such thing exists, I promise). They’re looking for confidence that you’re the right choice. When your site answers these five questions clearly and convincingly, you remove the friction between interest and action—and you start having sales conversations with people who are already ready to work with you.
These five questions are the starting point for every review I do through Make Your Website Work. If you’d like to know exactly how your website measures up, and what to fix first, I’d love to take a look.
