Welcome to our Main Street Marketing series! Recently, as part of my volunteer work with SCORE here in Oregon, we’ve gathered the most common marketing questions from business owners. The challenges they shared—ranging from website optimization to social media strategy—are ones we know many business owners face.

That’s why we created this series: to provide practical, no-nonsense answers to the marketing questions that matter most. Over the coming months, we’ll tackle a dozen key topics, covering everything from content marketing and paid ads to SEO and social media.

For our first post, we’re starting with websites—because whether you’re attracting new customers or nurturing existing ones, your website is the foundation of your entire marketing strategy. Done right, it can be a powerful business driver. Done wrong, it can send potential customers straight to your competitors.

Let’s dive in.

What does my website need to do to better attract customers and drive business results?

Your website is by far your most important marketing asset. It’s the hub for all your marketing activities and serves prospects and customers alike. For it to perform well, it should focus on these things.

1. Talk Less About You, More About Them

The biggest mistake businesses make is talking endlessly about themselves. While your expertise matters, visitors primarily care about how you can solve their problems. Frame your content around customer pain points and solutions.

Example: Instead of “We’ve been in business for 20 years with award-winning service,” try “Get your plumbing emergency fixed within 2 hours – guaranteed.”

2. Give Visitors a Clear Next Step

At its core, what is the primary purpose of your website? Think of your ideal visitor—what action do you want them to take? It’s likely submitting a contact form, making a purchase, scheduling a consultation, etc. Whatever it is for your business, make that action super clear and easy to find. Avoid trying to create too many calls-to-action, or none at all. 

3. Make Navigation a No-Brainer

Reminds me of my favorite book on website UX, “Don’t Make Me Think” (by Steve Krug).  Visitors should find what they need in 3 clicks or less. Keep your menu structure simple with standard naming conventions. Complex navigation frustrates users and increases bounce rates.

4. Let Your Customers’ Voice Shine

Prospects trust what other real people have to say about you more than your brand. Lean into this psychological truth by highlighting what others have said about your business: testimonials, reviews, case studies, awards, and credentials. 

5. Accept that Few Will Read Your Copy

OK, a small percentage do but most graze through web content looking for something that grabs their attention and then they dig deeper. Short circuit that by packaging what you’re all about in video and engaging visuals. A short (under 2.5 minutes) video introducing your business can dramatically increase engagement. 

6. Design for Phones

With over 60% of web traffic on mobile, your site must be visually appealing and easy to navigate. Google rewards websites that perform well in mobile.

7. Have a Quick-loading Site

If your site takes longer than a couple of seconds to load, it’s game over. Test your website’s page-loading time and use online tools to optimize images, code, and plugins.

8. Don’t Hide Contact Details

Make your phone number, email, and address (if applicable) visible on every page—preferably in the header or footer.

9. Connect All Your Marketing Dots

Your website should connect all your marketing channels. Include:

• Social media integration (not just icons, but meaningful content showcasing)
• Blog or resources section with valuable, problem-solving content
• Email sign-up opportunities offering genuine value
• Customer portal or account area for returning clients (if applicable)

10. Track What Matters

Install Google Analytics and Google Search Console to understand not just traffic but engagement patterns. Use this data to continually refine your site and improve conversions (ensuring to set up Key Events in GA4).

11. Help Local Customers Find You

Ensure your website includes location-specific keywords, an embedded Google Map, and consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information to boost local search visibility. 46% of search traffic has local intent so take full advantage of that!

Remember this:

• Focus relentlessly on customer problems and solutions – not on talking about yourself
• Prioritize one primary conversion action – and make it impossible to miss
• Show evidence of your value – through testimonials, case studies, and concrete results
• Design for how people actually use websites – simple navigation, mobile-friendly, and fast-loading

Try this:

Review your website through your customers’ eyes today. Better yet –– sit down with one as they go through it (You’ll be surprised at what you learn!). What questions come to mind? What stumbling blocks pop up? Are you showing proof—or just rambling about how much of an expert you are?

Even small improvements—like simplifying your messaging, adding clearer CTA buttons, or incorporating customer testimonials—will help improve your website’s performance.

Free Resource: Download our Website Power Checklist—a 30-minute assessment to identify your site’s strengths, weaknesses, and quick opportunities for improvement.

Have website or marketing questions? Let’s chat! We help businesses build marketing strategies that actually work. We’d love to hear from you. At Funk/Levis, we combine strategic creativity with practical, results-driven solutions to help businesses achieve their marketing goals.

• Share