How to Diagnose and Treat a Decline in Your Website Traffic

Now more than ever, local businesses depend heavily on their websites. Whether it’s your main tool for attracting new customers or it’s used primarily as an online portfolio, it’s important you’re getting eyes on your site as often as possible. 

But what happens when your website traffic starts to decline?  New leads will dwindle and your sales might take a nosedive. In short, your business could take a major hit. So, what should you do next? Read on to learn what might be causing a decline in your website views and what you can do about it. 

Google Updates

It’s common knowledge that Google deploys updates frequently; some are minor tweaks and some are major changes. When these updates involve changes to Google’s algorithms, it may have an effect on your website ranking which, in turn, will have an effect on your site’s traffic. 

How can you prevent ranking fluctuations when Google releases an update? In short, you can’t. But you can make an effort to stay up-to-date on Google’s changes. (If you work with a marketing partner, there’s a good chance they’ll keep track of this for you.) Knowing when an algorithm change is deployed will allow you to anticipate variations in your ranking and traffic. 



In most cases, these fluctuations will even out and you’ll see your ranking and site traffic return to normal.  However, if you’ve waited a sufficient amount of time and your rankings aren’t recovering, it’s time to take a look at your SEO strategy and make changes that coordinate with Google's updated algorithms. 

Consumers want to see fresh, current websites that are visually pleasing and easy to navigate. Not to mention, Google favors sites with up-to-date content. With this in mind, there’s a good chance you’re always looking for ways to make your website look better. Small tweaks and updates are usually a good thing because they keep your site looking well-maintained. But major changes to your site, like an entire overhaul of the design, should be taken seriously. 

If you’ve made drastic changes to the look of your site and you notice traffic begins waning, it’s likely there’s a correlation there. Consider the changes you’ve made.  Is your new website disconnected from your brand or not in line with the image your customers want to see? Remember your brand’s message should be consistent throughout your business and across all marketing efforts. Think of it this way: If you walk into Target, you expect to see Target’s trademark red and white décor and bullseye logo. You don’t expect to see your neighborhood Target decorated like a Walmart. If you did, you’d probably turn around and walk out of the store.   

The same is true for your website. No one is suggesting you can’t make big changes to your site – especially if the changes will improve user experience – but keep in mind the feel of your site, the intent of your message, should stay constant.   

 10 years ago, most websites were viewed from a good old fashion computer. The majority of online shopping was done from a desktop or laptop computer and not many sites were optimized for mobile devices. But that’s changed a lot.  As of early 2021, more than 55% of internet traffic is from a mobile device.  And mobile devices make up about 44% of total time spent online.  You can probably see where I’m going here. If your website is not optimized for mobile viewing, you’re almost certainly going to lose visitors. 

The solution to this particular problem is easy – Fix your site so it’s responsive on mobile devices. Getting there, however, can be more of a challenge. If you’re a small business owner who maintains his own website, you’ll likely need to dedicate some time learning what you need to do to get your site mobile optimized. 

If you’re lucky enough to work with a digital marketing team like Locallogy, then the mobile aspect of your site has already been taken care of for you.  Locallogy and similar marketing firms make mobile optimization a priority during your website build. It’s not a supplemental service or secondary task. And if you notice problems down the road with your mobile site, the fix is just a phone call away to your marketing partners. 

As a small business owner, you know it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on what your competitors are doing. This is especially true if you notice a dip in your website stats. Check out the competition’s websites. Are their sites easier to navigate than yours?  Are they providing better content or higher quality images?  And don't forget about user experience. Are your competitors offering customer-centric services like online scheduling or live chat? 

Consumers are fickle and their attention spans are short. If your competitor’s site offers tools that make the shopping experience easier, you can bet they’re going to win the customer. 



Stay informed of the latest online trends in your field. Use the tools and applications available to you to keep traffic flowing to – and staying on – your website. Remember, your site should outperform your competition’s. 

 When your website’s traffic is on a downward path, don’t put off addressing the problem. Many small businesses can trace a direct line between their site traffic and foot traffic through their doors. Fewer visitors on your website = fewer customers spending money with you. 

If you can’t pinpoint the issue causing a decline in your site traffic, or if you’ve tried to fix the problem yourself but failed to do so, consider consulting an expert. Marketing firms like Locallogy are specialists in reviewing your website and recommending changes to maximize its performance.   

Is your website losing visitors? Not sure what to do? Get in touch with us at Locallogy. We can help!