Why 97% of websites don’t work – despite heavy investment
- Just Do Ad
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Every year, billions are invested in digital advertising.
In SEO, Google Ads, social media, and more.
Visibility is no longer a matter of chance.If you invest, you get found.
And that part works. Websites get traffic. People click. They land on the page.
And then?
On average, around 97 out of 100 visitors leave a website without taking any action. Most websites don’t fail because of their design. They fail because no one understands them.
Or put differently: Looking good and constantly communicating isn’t enough. Not even online. Studies have shown a similar pattern for years: see studie
It becomes even more frustrating where everything seems to be done right.
There is a strategy. A marketing concept. SEO, ads, content.And yet, the result is often the same.
The average conversion rate is around two to three percent.
That means:
out of 100 visitors,
97 leave.
Without clicking.
Without buying.
Without staying.
So the question is not only how to get people to a website, but what needs to happen for them to stay – and care at all.
One reason lies in a well-known pattern
Anyone who looks into user research quickly comes across a simple insight:
„Users don’t read. They scan.“
(Nielsen Norman Group)
With increasing digitalisation and new formats, this behaviour is becoming even more pronounced. People read websites less and less. They skim. They look for orientation.
The same applies to video: within the first few seconds, people decide whether to stay or move on. Studies suggest that this decision often happens within 3 to 5 seconds.
Users transfer this behaviour to websites.
And they unconsciously compare what they see with what they are used to from other sites. They stay where they immediately find their way.
This leads to a central problem: many websites are created from an internal perspective.
From questions like:
What do we want to show?
How do we see ourselves?
What matters to us?
But not from the key question: What are users actually looking for and what do they need?
The result is rarely a clear mistake. But something more diffuse: a lack of clarity about what you actually want to say. Often, the website comes first. Then, at some point, a headline follows. And a clear vision only when it becomes absolutely necessary.
When in fact, that should be the starting point.
Because a website also needs:
a clear message
a recognisable structure
a design
Competition in the digital space is becoming stronger and stronger –
and something very concrete is happening online:
In – and out…
Too much information and no clear direction –that’s what turns into chaos.
And a quick “in – and out” –I’m gone in three seconds.
Users compare like in speed dating.
Often not consciously,but within seconds. One tab, another tab, maybe three. One sentence too many – and they’re gone.
People only stay if they have to. Like in school 😉And even then, only until a better option appears.
When the same product or a similar service is available on multiple websites, it’s not just the price that decides. What matters is which site is easier to understand – and leads to the goal faster.
A widely cited study by the Baymard Institute, for example, shows that around 70% of online purchases are abandoned during the checkout-process often due to unnecessary complexity or lack of clarity.
The real question is a different one: How complex does a website actually need to be?
Discussions about websites quickly turn to tools: WordPress, headless CMS, custom solutions, mobile-first, and so on.
But what often becomes clear is something else:successful websites don’t perform because of the tools they use –but because they are clearly and consistently aligned with their target audience.
They contain all relevant information – but not all at once on the homepage.
That’s why many companies work with reduced landing pages:clearly structured, focused on one message, with a clear next step.
Often deliberately separated from the actual product.And that’s exactly what makes them effective.
Which tool is the right one?
When talking about tools in the early stages, much less is needed today than most assume.
For example, for:
company websites
personal branding
simple e-commerce setups
booking systems
content platforms with blogs, videos or downloads
Website builders like Wix have evolved significantly in recent years. They now offer features that previously required custom development.
This is especially relevant for freelancers and SMEs. Many invest thousands – sometimes tens of thousands – into websites whose functionality could be much simpler.
In such cases, the question is not which system is best,but what offers the best balance between effort and impact.
For getting started, a lean solution is often enough: clearly structured, easy to understand, quick to adapt – and above all, manageable independently.
At the same time, there are clear limits.
As soon as systems need to:
handle complex logic
process large amounts of user data
function as platforms
or require highly customised features
simple solutions reach their limits.
In those cases, different architectures make sense.
But what matters is not the technology –it’s understanding
what is actually needed at each stage.
Because especially in the beginning, one thing matters most:
gaining your first customers with manageable effort –
and building a business that works.
But what does that actually mean in practice?
Whether it’s a redesign or a complete rebuild.
Start with simple questions:
What is this about?
Who is this for?
What am I supposed to do?
If these three points aren’t clear within a few seconds, it becomes difficult.
Because users decide quickly.
The problem rarely lies in the details. It lies in trying to say too much at once.
And this is exactly where it becomes challenging for many:you hold on to things that feel important to you.Texts, images, ideas you don’t want to let go of.
But for visitors, none of that matters. They see the page for the first time – and decide in the moment.
That’s why one thing often helps: letting go of your own assumptions.
And testing.
With people who are part of your target audience –or with professionals who can consistently put themselves in that perspective.
Without explaining in advance what you mean –or what they are supposed to understand.
That small changes can have a big impact is shown by concrete examples.
At Performable, conversions increased by 21% just by making the call-to-action button more visible. No extra content. No new features. Just clarity.
At Viesso, conversion rose from 0.8% to 3.1% by improving structure, navigation and product presentation. No new platform. Just better guidance. Link to website Link to case
At Viesso, conversion rose from 0.8% to 3.1% by improving structure, navigation and product presentation.
No new platform. Just better guidance. Link to website
In the end, it’s rarely a question of technology. The tools are better than ever. So are the possibilities.
The problem is not that everything is done wrong. It’s that clarity is missing – from the very beginning.
What is actually being offered here?
For whom?
And why should anyone care?
As long as these questions aren’t answered, the result stays the same:
People come. And leave again. And if you’ve made it all the way to the end of this article,
it’s proof that we’re doing something right.
You can do the same.
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