Your Website Should Work Harder Than You Do: 5 Fixes to Help It Perform

Last Updated: 

September 4, 2025

You work hard to grow your business and your website should be doing the same.

But too often, small business websites are just digital brochures: static, slow, and unclear. They don’t drive leads, they don’t show up in search, and they don’t reflect the quality of your work.

Here are five high-impact fixes to help your site do more without burning more of your time and money.

Key Takeaways on Making Your Website Perform

  1. Clarify Your Message: Ensure your homepage immediately tells visitors what you do, who you serve, and what action they should take next. Simplicity and a clear call-to-action are vital.
  2. Design for AI and Humans: Structure your content for AI agents (Agent Experience or AX) as well as for search engines. This means using clear headings, avoiding vague language, and linking internally.
  3. Fix the User Flow: Guide visitors intentionally through your site. A strong user experience (UX) makes key information and calls-to-action easy to find and consistent.
  4. Make Accessibility a Priority: An accessible website reaches a wider audience, is better understood by AI, and tends to perform better in search results. Use semantic HTML and add alt text to images.
  5. Maintain Backend Health: Regularly check for technical problems like broken links, slow page speeds, and outdated code. A healthy backend is crucial for a high-performing site.
Discover Real-World Success Stories

1. Clarify Your Message (Fast)

When someone lands on your homepage, they should understand three things immediately:

  • What you do
  • Who it’s for
  • What they should do next

Use a clear headline (not clever), one focused CTA, and simple language. If you confuse, you lose.

Composite website

2. Think Beyond SEO—Design for AI, Too

Google isn’t the only way people find you anymore.

Tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and SGE are summarising websites instead of listing them. That means your content needs to be understandable by AI agents, not just crawlers.

That’s called AX (Agent Experience), and it matters more every day.

Make sure your site:

  • Uses clear headings and structure
  • Avoids vague, filler-heavy content
  • Links internally to show relationships between pages
  • Includes an llms.txt file to guide AI models
ChatGPT chat thread

3. Fix the User Flow (It’s Usually Broken)

Does your site guide visitors toward action or leave them wandering?

UX (User Experience) isn’t just a big-business buzzword. It’s how people experience your brand online. And even small fixes can make a big difference.

Ask yourself:

  • Is your contact or booking form easy to find?
  • Are CTAs consistent across the site?
  • Are key services or offerings buried too deep?

4. Make Accessibility a Priority

Accessibility isn’t just about compliance, it’s about reach, trust, and inclusivity.

Accessible sites are:

  • Easier for everyone to use (including those with disabilities)
  • Better structured for AI agents and screen readers
  • More likely to perform well in search rankings

Start by:

  • Using semantic HTML (like headings, buttons, and lists)
  • Writing alt text for all images
  • Avoiding low-contrast text or color-only signals

Thumbnail image alt text screenshot

5. Don’t Forget the Backend

Your site might look fine, but is it healthy under the hood?

Check for:

  • Broken links and 404s
  • Slow page speeds
  • Missing meta descriptions or titles
  • Outdated plugins or bloated code

Tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or even PageSpeed Insights can help. Set a reminder to run a health check every quarter.

Final Thoughts

Your website doesn’t need to be huge, fancy, or full of bells and whistles.
It just needs to be clear, fast, accessible, and structured for both humans and machines.

Fix the foundation, and your website will stop sitting idle and start actively supporting your business goals.

FAQs for Your Website Should Work Harder Than You Do

Why is a clear message on my homepage so important?

A clear message is crucial because you have only a few seconds to capture a visitor's attention. If they can't quickly understand what you offer and how it helps them, they are likely to leave. A simple headline and a clear call-to-action prevent confusion and guide users effectively.

What is AX (Agent Experience) and why does it matter now?

AX, or Agent Experience, refers to how easily AI models like ChatGPT can understand and summarise your website's content. It matters because people are increasingly using these tools for information. A site optimised for AX is more likely to be accurately represented in AI-generated answers.

How can I improve my website's user flow without a big budget?

You can start with small but impactful changes. Ensure your main call-to-action is consistent on every page. Check that your contact form is easy to find from anywhere on the site. Also, make sure your most important services aren't hidden several clicks deep in your navigation menu.

Is website accessibility just for avoiding legal issues?

No, it's about much more. While it helps with compliance, an accessible site provides a better experience for all users, including those with disabilities. It also improves your site's structure, which benefits both SEO and its readability for AI agents.

How often should I check my website's backend health?

A good practice is to perform a health check every quarter. Regular checks using tools like Google Search Console or PageSpeed Insights help you catch issues like broken links, slow loading times, or outdated plugins before they negatively impact your visitors' experience and search rankings.

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