Why Your Website Isn't Getting Leads: A Technical Audit Checklist

A Nottingham electrician was spending £1,800/month on Google Ads and getting 3-4 enquiries. When I audited his site, I found five critical problems:

• Site took 14 seconds to load on mobile
• Contact form was broken on phones
• Phone number was hidden in the footer
• No clear call-to-action on service pages
• Google Analytics wasn’t installed correctly (no data)

After fixing these issues, same ad spend generated 31 enquiries the following month. Nothing changed except the website itself.

Your site might be getting traffic, but if it’s not converting visitors into leads, something in the technical experience is broken. Here’s how to diagnose exactly what’s wrong.

The Lead Generation Funnel

Before we start diagnosing, understand where people drop off:

1. Visitor lands on your site ← 40-60% leave if it’s too slow
2. They browse content ← 60% leave if mobile experience is poor
3. They decide to contact you ← 30-50% abandon broken forms
4. They submit an enquiry ← You lose 20% if there’s no confirmation
5. You follow up ← Without tracking, you don’t know this happened

Each stage has failure points. We’ll check all of them.

Audit #1: Page Speed (Do This First)

Slow sites lose half your visitors before they see any content. This is the single biggest conversion killer.

How to Check

1. Go to Google PageSpeed Insights
2. Enter your homepage URL
3. Wait for mobile and desktop scores
4. Note your scores and main issues

What the Scores Mean

Mobile score (most important):

• 90-100: Excellent - speed isn’t your problem
• 70-89: Good - minor improvements would help
• 50-69: Poor - losing 20-30% of visitors to speed
• 0-49: Critical - losing 50%+ of visitors before page loads

Desktop score:

Less critical since desktop users have faster connections, but should still be 80+.

Common Speed Problems

Problem 1: Huge images

Your hero image is 8MB when it should be 200KB.

How to spot it: PageSpeed Insights will say “Properly size images” or “Serve images in next-gen formats”

How to fix it:

• Use TinyPNG or Squoosh to compress images
• Convert to WebP format (70% smaller than JPEG)
• Use max width of 1920px (anything larger is wasted)
• Aim for under 200KB per image

Problem 2: Too many plugins/scripts

Every plugin adds code that slows your site.

How to spot it: PageSpeed says “Reduce unused JavaScript” or “Remove unused CSS”

How to fix it:

• Review installed plugins - remove anything you don’t actively use
• Disable social media widgets if you don’t need them
• Remove “related posts” plugins if you don’t have a blog
• Check if your theme includes features you never use

Problem 3: No caching

Your server rebuilds the page from scratch for every visitor.

How to spot it: PageSpeed says “Serve static assets with an efficient cache policy”

How to fix it:

• Install a caching plugin (WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache for WordPress)
• Enable browser caching in your hosting control panel
• Consider Cloudflare (free CDN with caching)

Problem 4: Slow hosting

Budget hosting struggles under even light traffic.

How to spot it: PageSpeed says “Reduce server response time” or your score is low despite fixing images/scripts

How to fix it:

• Upgrade hosting plan
• Move to better hosting provider
• Consider managed WordPress hosting (WP Engine, Kinsta)

Page Speed Checklist

• Mobile PageSpeed score above 70
• Desktop PageSpeed score above 80
• Homepage loads in under 3 seconds on mobile
• All images under 300KB each
• Less than 10 plugins installed (WordPress)
• Caching enabled
• Using a reputable hosting provider

Audit #2: Mobile Experience

67% of UK website visits happen on mobile devices. If your site doesn’t work perfectly on phones, you’re losing your largest audience.

How to Check

Pull out your phone right now. Visit your website and try these tasks:

1. Find your phone number (should take under 10 seconds)
2. Navigate to a service page (can you tap menu items accurately?)
3. Read content (is text readable without zooming?)
4. Fill out contact form (can you see what you’re typing?)
5. Tap all buttons (are they big enough to hit with a thumb?)

Take screenshots of any problems you find.

Common Mobile Problems

Problem 1: Text too small

Body text should be minimum 16px on mobile. Anything smaller requires zooming.

How to spot it: You need to pinch-zoom to read text

How to fix it:

• Set base font size to 16px minimum
• Use rem units for scaling (don’t use fixed pixel sizes)
• Test on real devices, not just browser resize

Problem 2: Buttons too small

Touch targets need to be minimum 44x44 pixels (Apple guideline) or 48x48 pixels (Google guideline).

How to spot it: You miss-tap buttons or tap the wrong thing

How to fix it:

• Add padding to buttons (not just text size)
• Space clickable elements apart
• Use full-width buttons on mobile for important actions

Problem 3: Horizontal scrolling

Content or images extend beyond screen width.

How to spot it: You can scroll sideways (should only scroll up/down)

How to fix it:

• Set max-width: 100% on all images
• Use responsive CSS (avoid fixed pixel widths)
• Test at different screen sizes (small Android phones to large iPhones)

Problem 4: Phone number not clickable

Visitors have to memorise and manually dial your number.

How to spot it: Tapping phone number doesn’t start a call

How to fix it:

<a href="tel:+441234567890">01234 567890</a>

Problem 5: Forms unusable on mobile

Keyboard covers input fields, dropdown menus cut off, or validation errors hide off-screen.

How to spot it: Try filling out your contact form on your phone

How to fix it:

• Use appropriate input types (type=“tel” for phone, type=“email” for email)
• Ensure form labels are visible
• Test on both iOS and Android
• Make submit button highly visible

Problem 6: Hidden navigation

Important pages buried in hamburger menu that visitors never open.

How to spot it: Main service pages or contact info require multiple taps to find

How to fix it:

• Keep phone number visible in header
• Consider exposing 3-4 main links outside hamburger menu
• Use sticky header so contact info stays accessible

Mobile Experience Checklist

• Text readable without zooming (16px minimum)
• All buttons easy to tap (48px minimum touch target)
• No horizontal scrolling
• Phone number visible and clickable
• Contact form works perfectly on mobile
• Navigation easy to use with thumbs
• Images fit screen width
• Page layout doesn’t break at any screen size

Audit #3: Forms (Your Conversion Point)

If visitors can’t easily contact you, nothing else matters.

How to Check

Test your forms like a customer:

1. Go to your contact page on mobile
2. Fill out the form completely
3. Submit it
4. Note: Did it work? Did you get confirmation? Did you receive the email?

Then test edge cases:

• What if someone enters invalid email format?
• What if they skip required fields?
• What if they use special characters in their name (O’Brien, José)?
• What if they submit from a company email with strict spam filters?

Common Form Problems

Problem 1: Form doesn’t work

It looks fine but submissions never arrive.

How to spot it: Submit a test enquiry - if you don’t receive it within 5 minutes, it’s broken

Common causes:

• Form emails going to spam folder
• PHP mail() function disabled on server
• Email address typo in form settings
• Form plugin not configured properly
• Hosting provider blocking form emails

How to fix it:

• Use SMTP plugin (WP Mail SMTP for WordPress)
• Configure with your actual email provider credentials
• Add SPF/DKIM records (ask hosting provider for help)
• Test again after changes

Problem 2: Asks for too much information

The more fields you require, the fewer people complete the form.

How to spot it: Count required fields - anything over 5 is too many

Fields you actually need:

• Name
• Email or phone (pick one, not both required)
• Message

Fields you probably don’t need:

• Address (unless you’re scheduling on-site visits)
• Company name (unless you only work B2B)
• Job title (irrelevant for most service businesses)
• Website URL (why would you need this?)
• Phone AND email (give options, don’t require both)

How to fix it:

• Make only essential fields required
• Make phone OR email required (not both)
• Remove fields that don’t change how you respond

Problem 3: No confirmation message

Form submits successfully but visitor doesn’t know if it worked.

How to spot it: After submitting, you see nothing or stay on same page with no feedback

How to fix it:

• Show clear confirmation message: “Thanks! We’ll respond within 24 hours”
• Include what happens next: “We’ll call you at the number provided”
• Consider redirect to thank-you page
• Send auto-reply email so they have written confirmation

Problem 4: Spam protection too aggressive

Legitimate enquiries blocked by CAPTCHA or spam filters.

How to spot it: You’re using visible CAPTCHA or math challenges

How to fix it:

• Use invisible spam protection (Google reCAPTCHA v3)
• Use honeypot fields (hidden from humans, caught by bots)
• Avoid making customers solve math problems or puzzles

Problem 5: Error messages unclear

Form says “Error” but doesn’t explain what’s wrong.

How to spot it: Enter invalid data and see what feedback you get

How to fix it:

• Highlight which fields have errors
• Explain what’s wrong: “Email address must include @”
• Show errors next to relevant fields, not just at top
• Keep correctly-filled fields populated (don’t make them start over)

Form Checklist

• Form actually works (test it yourself)
• Only essential fields required (3-5 maximum)
• Clear confirmation after submission
• Auto-reply email sent to submitter
• Works perfectly on mobile
• Error messages are helpful
• Spam protection is invisible
• Phone OR email required (not both)
• Forms submit to correct email address
• Submissions don’t go to spam folder

Audit #4: Call-to-Action (CTA) Clarity

Visitors need to know exactly what to do next. Vague or hidden CTAs kill conversions.

How to Check

Load your homepage and each main service page. For each page, ask:

1. Is there a clear next step? (“Call us”, “Get a quote”, “Book consultation”)
2. Is it visible without scrolling? (Above the fold on desktop and mobile)
3. Is it obvious? (Stands out visually, not same colour as body text)
4. Is it specific? (“Book Free Consultation” not “Learn More”)

Common CTA Problems

Problem 1: No clear action

Page has lots of information but no obvious way to contact you.

How to spot it: Read homepage - what are you supposed to do after reading?

How to fix it:

• Add prominent CTA button at top of page
• Repeat CTA at end of content sections
• Use specific action words: “Get Your Free Quote”, “Call Now”, “Book Consultation”

Problem 2: Generic CTAs

Buttons say “Learn More”, “Click Here”, “Submit” instead of describing the action.

How to spot it: Your buttons don’t tell visitors what happens when they click

How to fix it:

Replace generic text with specific outcomes:

• “Learn More” → “See Our Service Pricing”
• “Click Here” → “Request Your Free Audit”
• “Submit” → “Get My Free Quote”
• “Contact Us” → “Book a Call Today”

Problem 3: Too many options

Page has 5+ different CTAs competing for attention.

How to spot it: Count clickable things on your homepage - links, buttons, forms

How to fix it:

• Choose one primary action per page
• Make primary CTA visually dominant (colour, size, placement)
• Secondary actions should be less prominent
• Remove CTAs that don’t serve clear purpose

Problem 4: Hidden contact information

Phone number buried in footer, contact page hidden in menu.

How to spot it: Time yourself finding phone number on mobile - takes more than 5 seconds

How to fix it:

• Put phone number in header (desktop and mobile)
• Make it clickable on mobile
• Consider sticky button on mobile: “Call Us” always visible at bottom
• Add phone number in multiple places (header, hero section, footer)

Problem 5: Wrong CTA for the stage

Asking for sale commitment before establishing value.

How to spot it: Homepage hero says “Buy Now” or “Sign Up Today”

How to fix it:

Match CTA to visitor awareness:

• First visit: “See How We Work”, “View Our Services”, “Get Free Guide”
• Considering: “Request Quote”, “Book Free Consultation”, “See Pricing”
• Ready to buy: “Get Started”, “Book Service”, “Schedule Installation”

CTA Checklist

• Primary CTA visible without scrolling (desktop and mobile)
• Buttons use specific action words, not “Learn More”
• Phone number visible in header (and clickable on mobile)
• One dominant CTA per page (not 5 competing options)
• CTA matches visitor stage (not asking for sale immediately)
• Contrasting button colour (stands out from page)
• CTA repeated at logical points throughout page
• Clear benefit stated (“Free”, “No obligation”, etc.)

Audit #5: Tracking and Analytics

You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Without tracking, you don’t know where visitors come from, what they do, or when they leave.

How to Check

Test if Google Analytics is installed:

1. Visit your website
2. Open Google Analytics (if you have account)
3. Go to Real-time report
4. See if your visit shows up

Don’t have Google Analytics account?

Right-click your homepage, select “View Page Source”, search (Ctrl+F) for “google-analytics” or “gtag”. If you find nothing, tracking isn’t installed.

Common Tracking Problems

Problem 1: No analytics installed

You have no idea how many visitors you get or what they do.

How to spot it: Can’t see your traffic data anywhere

How to fix it:

1. Create Google Analytics 4 account (free)
2. Install tracking code on your website
3. For WordPress: Use plugin like GA Google Analytics or Site Kit
4. Verify it’s working (check real-time report)

Problem 2: Analytics installed incorrectly

Tracking code on some pages but not others, or installed multiple times causing duplicate counting.

How to spot it: Visit several pages, check if they all appear in real-time report

How to fix it:

• Ensure tracking code is in site-wide header/footer
• Check for duplicate tracking codes (common when switching plugins)
• Use Google Tag Assistant extension to verify

Problem 3: Not tracking form submissions

You know people visit, but don’t know how many submit enquiries.

How to spot it: Can’t see conversion data in analytics

How to fix it:

• Set up conversion tracking for form submissions
• Use Google Tag Manager for advanced tracking
• Or use form plugin with built-in analytics integration
• Track thank-you page views as conversion proxy

Problem 4: Don’t know traffic sources

Can’t tell if visitors come from Google, ads, social media, or direct traffic.

How to spot it: All your traffic shows as “direct” in analytics

How to fix it:

• Use UTM parameters in marketing links
• Connect Google Search Console to see organic search data
• Track ad campaigns properly (Google Ads, Facebook, etc.)
• Tag email newsletter links

Problem 5: Not reviewing data

Analytics installed but you never look at it.

How to fix it:

Set monthly calendar reminder to review:

• Total visitors (trending up or down?)
• Top traffic sources (where do people find you?)
• Most visited pages (what content resonates?)
• Bounce rate (are people engaging or leaving immediately?)
• Conversion rate (enquiries divided by visitors)

Tracking Checklist

• Google Analytics installed and working
• Tracking code on every page
• Form submissions tracked as conversions
• Google Search Console connected
• Can identify traffic sources
• Monthly review scheduled
• Know your conversion rate (enquiries ÷ visitors)
• Can see mobile vs desktop traffic split

Priority Order for Fixes

You’ve identified problems. Now what? Fix them in this order for maximum impact:

Priority 1: Critical Issues (Fix This Week)

These lose you leads immediately:

1. Broken contact form - You’re getting zero enquiries
2. Site won’t load on mobile - Losing 60% of visitors
3. PageSpeed score under 30 - Losing 50%+ of visitors to speed
4. No phone number visible - People can’t contact you

Priority 2: Major Issues (Fix This Month)

These significantly hurt conversions:

1. PageSpeed score 30-50 - Losing 30-40% of visitors
2. Poor mobile experience - Hard to use but technically works
3. Form asks too much - Working but conversion rate is low
4. Weak or hidden CTAs - People don’t know what to do
5. No analytics tracking - You’re flying blind

Priority 3: Optimisations (Fix When Possible)

These improve performance but aren’t critical:

1. PageSpeed score 50-70 - Could be faster
2. Generic CTA text - Works but could convert better
3. No form submission tracking - You’re getting leads but can’t measure
4. Poor error messages - Occasionally confuses people

Measuring Improvement

After implementing fixes, you need to know if they worked.

Track these metrics before and after:

Metric	How to Measure	Good Improvement
Page speed	Google PageSpeed Insights	+20 points or more
Bounce rate	Google Analytics	Drop of 10%+
Mobile traffic	Google Analytics	Should be 55-65% of total
Form submissions	Count enquiries per month	30%+ increase
Conversion rate	Enquiries ÷ visitors × 100	1-3% is typical for service businesses

Give it time: Wait 2-4 weeks after implementing fixes before measuring impact. Single weeks can be anomalies.

When to Get Professional Help

Some problems require expertise:

Hire a developer if:

• PageSpeed score won’t improve despite trying fixes
• Forms are broken and you can’t figure out why
• Site has deep technical problems (database errors, server issues)
• You need custom functionality
• Multiple issues and you don’t have time

Hire a marketing consultant if:

• Traffic is high but conversion rate is still low after technical fixes
• You need help with messaging and positioning
• Your CTA strategy needs overhaul
• You’re not sure what “success” looks like for your business

Expected costs:

• Technical audit: £200-500
• Speed optimisation: £300-800
• Form fixes: £100-300
• Full site rebuild: £3,000-8,000 (if beyond repair)

Quick Wins (30 Minutes Each)

Don’t have time for full audit? Start with these high-impact quick fixes:

1. Add phone number to header (visible on every page)
2. Compress all images (use TinyPNG, upload compressed versions)
3. Test your contact form (submit enquiry, verify it arrives)
4. Install Google Analytics (if missing)
5. Check mobile view (pull out phone, check all pages)

Each takes 30 minutes or less and can significantly improve results.

The Follow-Up Audit

After fixing issues, schedule a follow-up audit in 3 months:

• Re-run PageSpeed test (should maintain good scores)
• Test forms again (updates can break things)
• Review analytics (are improvements holding?)
• Check mobile on new devices (screen sizes change)
• Verify tracking still works (plugin updates can break it)

Website maintenance isn’t one-and-done - it’s ongoing. Schedule quarterly reviews to catch problems before they cost you leads.

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Most businesses getting traffic but no leads have one or more of these five problems: slow speed, poor mobile experience, broken forms, weak CTAs, or no tracking.

The good news? All of them are fixable. You don’t need to rebuild your site - you need to identify the specific problems and fix them systematically. If you’d like professional help optimizing for conversions, our growth service focuses on turning visitors into leads.

Start with the speed test, check mobile on your phone, test your form, and verify your tracking. Within a week, you’ll know exactly what’s losing you leads. Within a month, you can fix most of it yourself or hire targeted help for what you can’t.

Your website should work for your business, not against it. Use this checklist to find where it’s failing, fix those issues, and start converting the traffic you’re already getting.