The dream of the perfect website
You’ve finally launched your website. Weeks of work, nerves, and maybe a few hundred euros for design and tech — and now you expect bookings to roll in, inquiries to skyrocket, and Google to push you to page one. And then… nothing happens. Silence. At best, your spam filter reacts or your best friend tests the contact form. At this point, many people give up in frustration, thinking their website isn’t working. But that’s not true. In most cases, it’s false expectations standing in the way — blocking real success.
Realistically, a website isn’t a magic button…
…it’s the starting point. In the beginning, you have almost zero visibility. People need to discover you, build trust, and even find out that you exist — through social media, referrals, SEO, or your newsletter. Especially if you built the site yourself, there’s almost always room for improvement: clearer messaging, sharper copy, more focused design, better audience research, emotions that resonate. You’re at the starting line — and that’s okay.
Think of your website as a shop window: it may look nice, but without foot traffic, it stays empty. You have to bring people to the street, find out what draws them in, which offers stay on the shelf, and what actually sells. And you make sure that those who come in want to return.
That doesn’t happen the moment you click “Publish.” Right after launch, it’s worth running a small campaign with social posts and personal emails to your network. Then set up a clear lead magnet — for example, a freebie with newsletter integration — to build relationships. Track how many people visit your homepage and how many click on your freebie or offer — that metric will be worth gold later on.
Nothing happens overnight with Google either
SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Google needs to find, index, and categorize your site. Visible rankings come from great content, relevant backlinks, and continuous optimization. Even with well-researched, high-quality blog posts, Google won’t fully trust you at first. It checks whether you stay consistent, maintain your content, and how visitors respond — do they bounce or stay and read? Visibility for competitive keywords takes months, sometimes longer. That’s why you should start with your customers’ most common questions, use the right search terms, optimize step by step — and be patient. A specific strategy beats a broad one: instead of “Coaching Hamburg,” focus on precise search queries like “Coaching for returning to work after parental leave Hamburg.”
Plan realistically — for example, one blog post per month with a clear main keyword. And don’t forget the technical side: fast loading times and mobile optimization are basic essentials that are often underestimated.
Beautiful design alone doesn’t sell
Of course, design shapes the first impression and determines whether someone stays. But without strong copy, a clear structure, and obvious calls to action, even the most elegant layout will fall flat.
Check whether every important page offers a clear next step — book, get in touch, subscribe to the newsletter. Test with someone you trust to see if your main offer is recognizable within seconds. And take a critical look at your homepage: anything that doesn’t support your main goal is decoration — and it costs you attention.
A website is never “finished”
It’s a living project that needs updates, fresh content, and occasional tweaks. You don’t have to rebuild it constantly, but you should know how well it performs. Measure how many out of every hundred visitors sign up for your newsletter, how often contact is made, and how long people stay on each page. Only those who know their numbers can improve effectively — those who operate in the dark are just guessing.
Your website will only start selling when you treat it like a sales team
People who randomly discover a great website rarely remember its name or come back on their own. That might work for favorite online shops, but not for service-based businesses. That’s why you bring interested visitors into your newsletter — with a fitting freebie such as a PDF, audio training, video series, mini-course, or short quiz. After they sign up, you deliver real value, introduce yourself, explain your work, and show how you improve lives and businesses. This turns attention into connection — and connection into clients. The website isn’t the final destination; it’s the core of a system that includes a freebie, newsletter, social media, and clear offers.
Therefore, focus on clarity:
Your website is the foundation, not a set-and-forget project. Patience, consistency, and solid marketing pay off. Content, design, newsletter, and visibility go hand in hand. Ask yourself honestly whether your target audience is clearly defined, whether your site offers clear calls to action, whether you’re visible beyond your website, and whether you actively create content for Google and your readers. False expectations lead to frustration and cause many to quit just before the first real results appear. That would be a shame. If you stay realistic and keep going step by step, your website won’t just look good — it will actively work for you and help you consistently win new clients.