Most Project Based Businesses Get Their Website Wrong

PART 1: Mindshift

Rethinking what your website is actually for and how a few small mindset changes can turn curious visitors into confident buyers.

Let’s be honest. Announcing a shiny new website is almost like sharing pictures from your last project and asking, “Well? What do you think?” As if anyone is just waiting to shower us with compliments. If you’re in a project-based business, you’ve probably done it. I know I did.

But asking you, my clients, even my friends to wander through our new website and hand out gold stars doesn’t actually help anyone. It helps my ego, sure. But does it help you, the next client, or the person with a real-life problem to solve? Not for a second.

Somewhere along the line, I had a moment of clarity:

What if, instead of tossing confetti over our “big launch,” I focused on turning that ‘announcement’ into a practical guide for you? What if my website, and yours, became less about showing off and more about answering the real questions buyers have, especially those who have never worked with us before?

✨ Beautiful Sites Are Nice… But Too Often They Fall Flat

A few years ago, I learned an important lesson the slow, honest way. I’d poured my energy (and budget) into providing comprehensive, behind-the-scenes management, tech support, security, the works for a trusted client. I thought my detailed list of features would have them raving. But when it came time to expand services, that client paused, did the math, and hesitated.

I was talking about products and services (us and what we deliver). But what the client really wanted was clarity: What outcome do I get?

I realized I had to speak plain English, deliver tangible value, and be totally transparent—about everything from costs to expectations—in a way that’s easy to digest.

At the end of the day, I was talking to someone who’s come to us for help for a reason. They don’t understand what we do (not in the technical sense). Most of the time, they’re not interested in the back-end details—they just care about what their experience will feel like and what outcomes they’ll get.

This lightbulb moment led me to apply everything I’ve learned to our own website, making sure it speaks directly to you, answers your questions, and becomes a genuinely valuable resource.

💡 Who are Websites Actually For?

You might love a website that wows. (Heck, so do I.)

But your visitors have a different shopping list:

• Do you get my challenge?

• Can I trust you?

• What exactly can I expect, surprises included?

• How do I move forward with the least amount of risk?

And here’s the refer-a-friend kicker: Even when someone comes to you through a glowing referral, they still check your website first. Your site is the handshake before the handshake. If you nail clarity and trust, that first phone call is already halfway to a ‘yes.’ If you don’t, you are at a “maybe” at best.

🧺 The Laundry Machine That Changed My Mind

Let me detour for a second. Many years back, I needed a new laundry machine. Thrilling, right? I found myself on ABT’s website, and instead of endless sales pitches or vague promises, they laid it all out:

Every fee, every hose, every step in the process How delivery worked (on which days!), what add-ons such as extended warranty cost, and tips to make install smooth.

Nothing was “call us for details.” Everything was honest, present, and accessible right on the product page. No hunting, no surprises.

Guess what? That was the easiest purchase. One clear, transparent buying journey built so much trust, I’ve since bought from them again and again.

And am I saying you can just copy-paste that level of transparency into a project or creative-services business? Maybe not exactly but the answer is yes. Because to the uninitiated, what you do is just as mysterious as a laundry machine is to me. Your future clients aren’t looking for technical wizardry. They want clear answers to their real questions, a simple next step, and zero surprises hiding in small print.

🛫 Delight and Direction: The Airport Lounge and the Sign to Your Gate

Proud of the wow factor on your website and want to keep it? Sure! Just balance it with content and transparency. Right now, most project-based websites are all lounge, no signage. Clients are dazzled by visuals but afraid to walk in and often feel lost about what to do next. Don’t make them go on a hunt.

🎯 Ten Seconds to Win a Stranger’s Trust

Here’s a tiny challenge with big payoff: Find someone outside your industry. Show them just the top of your homepage for ten seconds. Have them answer:

• What do we actually do?

• Who is this for (and where)?

• What should you click next?

If their answer is anything but crystal clear, revise your headline, subhead, or call to action.

Pro tip: Make your headline sound the way your best clients describe what you do for them—not what you’d put on an awards submission.

📌 Plain English Wins

Your message above the fold should answer these, fast:

• What do you do?

• For whom, or where?

• What’s the single next step?

• Is there a tiny bit of social proof I can spot? (maybe a quote, logo, or key win?)

A few swaps to give you the idea:

• “Bespoke” becomes “Personalized approach that fits your space and expectations”

• “End to end solutions” becomes “From first idea to final walkthrough”

• “We are award winning” becomes “You get a team that hits deadlines and communicates clearly”

🚫 The Price Dilemma (and Why You Shouldn’t Dodge It)

I get it.

Your work is too custom for any talk of numbers without putting together a quote. But even general ranges build trust. “Projects typically start around…” is music to a buyer’s ears. If you don’t talk about price, your buyer will, and they’ll do it with someone else.

❗ Mistakes Most Project Based Firms Make on Their Websites

• Vague headlines. Everyone sounds great and fancy, no one is specific and stands out.

• Forgetting to say who your services are a perfect fit for and for whom you are not.

• No clear next step above the fold.

• Too many call to action buttons, making visitors stall, not act.

• Zero mention of basic costs or pricing ballparks. 💬

Your Website Is Not a Public Park, It’s a Guided Museum

(And the Right Clients Don’t Need Hype, They Need Answers)

Welcome your visitors at the door, lead them on the right path, and educate them along the way.

Remember: your website’s job is not to impress your peers or win the coolest looking project photos award. It’s there to help your right clients build trust, learn how you can help them, spot what it’s like to work with you, and know exactly where to click next—before you ever pick up the phone.

✅ Take the Ten Second Test Above Tonight

If your ideal client landed on your site tonight, would they think, “This is what I was looking for,” see a realistic ballpark of costs, and know exactly what happens next?

In Episode 2 of “Most Project Based Businesses Get Their Website Wrong,” I’ll break down must-have sections for project-based, creative businesses and what should be included in them. You will have all the knowledge you require to upgrade your clarity, speed, and trust without drowning in tech jargon.

👉 If you want a fast gut check, send me your website URL and who you serve. I’ll reply with one suggestion to make it clearer. Yes, for real!