Something in your marketing isn't working.

Before you say you need more leads, tell me what's actually going on. Are you currently advertising? Posting organically on social media? Sending emails? Running paid social ads? Do you have landing pages built? What are you already doing, and is any of it working?

Or do you have an offer you think is a really good idea, but you haven't actually told anyone about it? Because sometimes the problem isn't that you need more leads. Sometimes you're sitting in a room with no windows, no doors, and no way for anyone to find you. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, you may or may not exist.

I always start by looking at what you're already doing, what's working, and where things are breaking down. And if you are getting leads, are those leads actually converting into customers? Or are you simply collecting names and email addresses in exchange for free lead magnets?

More leads aren't always the answer. Sometimes you need more visibility. Sometimes you need a stronger offer. Sometimes you need better follow-up. And sometimes you need to fix what happens after the lead comes in before you spend another dollar trying to get more of them.

Let's find out what's actually happening

I love this question because it usually means something about what you're doing is working. You're piquing their curiosity. You've gotten their attention. But they haven't decided they trust you yet, or they're not fully convinced your offer is going to solve their problem.

That could come down to your messaging, how clearly you speak to their pain points, the way you position the offer, or whether you've done enough to reduce the risk of saying yes. It also comes down to how you're showing up. Are you someone they can trust? Have you demonstrated that you have real experience? Do you have social proof, testimonials, case studies, or anything else that backs up what you're claiming?

Or are you a newer company they've never heard of, asking them to believe promises they have no way to verify? Unfortunately, the internet is still a little like the Wild West. Anyone can create a Facebook page, run a few ads, and claim they'll make you $100,000 overnight. But the market has gotten much wiser. People can sniff out fake news faster than you can burn a biscuit.

So when people are interested but not buying, we need to examine two things: your offer and the way you're positioning it. And if you're only ever standing on a soapbox telling people to buy, buy, buy, you probably haven't done the legwork required to build an engaged audience that is ready to buy and has decided you're the business they want to buy from.

Let's fix the trust gap

Ah, yes. This one happens all the time. In my world, I never really consider a website finished. It is simply the current iteration of your business. As your business evolves, your website should evolve with it. You should be adding new content, refining your services, updating photos, testing headlines, and sometimes even moving a button around.

But those changes should not be based on a random feeling you had at 11:00 on a Tuesday night. They should be backed by data. Which pages are getting traffic? Which pages are being ignored? Are people clicking the button? Is the button too big, too small, or in the wrong place? Are visitors taking the action you want them to take?

And most importantly, does the website still represent who you are today? Or does it look like you built it ten years ago and are still using your 1995 glamour shot as the profile picture? Your website needs to keep up. Markets evolve. Styles change. Your audience changes. Your business changes.

When a website looks outdated, people may assume one of two things: either you are no longer in business, or you do not need any new business because you have not put any effort into your digital presence. Neither assumption is helpful.

That does not mean you need to completely rebuild your website every year. Sometimes you just need to update the photos, refresh the colors, improve the messaging, and take a look at what other businesses in your market are doing. What does the competitor down the street look like online? If their website feels current, trustworthy, and easy to use while yours does not, that is a problem. And through all of it, keep coming back to the data. If you are not tracking what people do on your website, you cannot possibly know what needs to be fixed or what your market actually wants.

Let's look at what your site says about you

This one is pretty common because it is basically how we handle almost everything in life. We start with one direction, and then we slowly accumulate stuff. Think about your closet. How many T-shirts, hoodies, and random things have you collected over the years that you know you are never going to wear again? Business tools work the same way.

You sign up for one platform because somebody said it was great. Then you try another tool because it solves one specific problem. Before long, you have disconnected systems, duplicate information, random automations, and Zaps running in the background just to move data from one place to another. Sometimes you have simply gotten so used to patching everything together that you do not realize how complicated it has become. This is very normal.

What you really need is someone to go in, look at the entire system, and figure out your minimum viable tool stack. At the most basic level, you need a place where people can learn about your service and give you their information. Then you need a system that captures that information and follows up with them. That is really as simple as it gets.

We can make the system as complex or as simple as your business requires. There are always nuances depending on your industry. Some of my healthcare clients, for example, need to think about HIPAA and how they protect private patient information. But even with additional requirements, there is almost always a way to simplify your tools, clean up your follow-up, and create a system that works without needing twelve platforms held together by digital duct tape.

Let's simplify your stack

This is probably my favorite question of all time. Because yes, most of us have grand goals, a long list of ideas, and a slightly unrealistic belief that we can get all of it done in the next six to eight weeks. But realistically, doing anything well requires a strategy and a clear execution plan.

Most marketing rehabs and website overhauls take three to four months because we have to slow down long enough to make the right decisions. Who is your audience? What do they actually need? What should your messaging say? What needs to be fixed first, and what can wait? If you are going to spend the time and money to change something, you want to make sure you are doing it with the person you want to sell to in mind.

Everything should be built for them. Nobody is sitting around excited to read a list of your features and benefits. They want to know whether you can solve their problem, how quickly and easily you can solve it, whether they can trust you, and whether you have proof that you know what you are doing.

So I always start with two questions: What does your current system look like, and what are you trying to build? Then we lay it all out realistically. Is this a six-month process? A twelve-month process? Or are most of the pieces already in place and you simply need a better follow-up system?

I have worked with businesses that were able to make major improvements in four to six weeks because the foundation was already there. They had a strong offer, good messaging, and a solid website. Their biggest issue was that nobody was following up consistently. I have also worked with companies that had excellent customer service and strong internal systems, but their online presence did not reflect the quality of the business at all.

Things can move quickly, but only when the right pieces are available. The best place to start is with the end result in mind. Decide what you are trying to build, then work backward and create a plan that gets you there without trying to do everything at once.

Let's build the plan