“We need a redesign. The site just doesn’t convert.”
I hear this constantly. The client is convinced they have a design problem.
Then I look at their site and immediately see the real issue: Nobody knows what they’re selling, why it matters, or what to do about it.
No amount of beautiful design will fix that.
After 18 years of diagnosing conversion problems, I’ve learned: 90% of what clients call “design problems” are actually clarity problems.
The interface isn’t the issue. The message is.
What Clarity Problems Look Like
Problem 1: Users Don’t Understand What You Do
Example from a real client:
Their homepage headline: “Empowering businesses through innovative digital transformation solutions”
What they actually do: They’re a consulting firm that helps companies implement CRM software.
Test: I showed their homepage to 10 people for 5 seconds each.
Question: “What does this company do?”
Responses:
- “No idea. Something with technology?”
- “Consulting? Maybe software?”
- “Digital transformation… so like, websites?”
- “I have no clue.”
10 out of 10 couldn’t tell me what they actually do.
This isn’t a design problem. It’s a clarity problem.
The fix wasn’t a redesign. It was a new headline:
New headline: “CRM Implementation Consulting for Manufacturing Companies”
Test with 10 new people:
Responses:
- “They help manufacturing companies set up CRM software”
- “CRM consultants for manufacturers”
- “They implement CRM systems for factories”
10 out of 10 got it immediately.
Result: Bounce rate dropped 34%, contact form submissions increased 57%.
Same design. Better clarity.
Problem 2: Users Don’t Understand Why They Should Care
Example from an e-commerce client:
Their product page for premium blender:
Headline: “Professional-Grade Blending Power”
Features:
- 1,500-watt motor
- Stainless steel blades
- 10 speed settings
- 64-oz container
So what? These are features, not benefits.
Why should I care about 1,500 watts? I don’t know what that means.
I showed this to potential customers:
Question: “Why would you buy this instead of a cheaper blender?”
Responses:
- “I guess it’s more powerful? But I don’t know if I need that.”
- “It looks professional, but my current blender works fine.”
- “Is 1,500 watts good? I have no idea.”
They didn’t understand the value.
The fix:
New approach (features → benefits):
Headline: “Blend Anything in Seconds Without Stopping to Stir or Shake”
Benefits:
- Crush ice instantly (1,500W motor means no more ice chunks in smoothies)
- No stopping to stir thick blends (powerful enough to blend nut butter without overheating)
- Make large batches (64oz capacity = 8 smoothies at once, save time meal prepping)
- Control texture perfectly (10 speeds from chunky salsa to silky soup)
Same features. But now they understand why those features matter.
Result: Conversion rate increased 43%.
Same product. Same design. Better clarity about value.
Problem 3: Users Don’t Know What to Do Next
Example from a SaaS client:
Their pricing page had three tiers:
- Starter: $29/month
- Professional: $79/month
- Enterprise: Contact us
But it didn’t say:
- Which plan is right for different use cases
- What happens after you click “Sign up”
- Whether you can switch plans later
- If there’s a free trial
- What “Contact us” actually means (demo? quote? custom pricing?)
Users were paralyzed by uncertainty.
We watched session recordings. Common patterns:
- Scrolled up and down between plans repeatedly
- Hovered over “Sign up” buttons without clicking
- Left the page and came back multiple times
- Abandoned without selecting anything
This is decision paralysis caused by unclear next steps.
The fix:
Added clarity:
-
Clear plan recommendations:
- “Best for freelancers and solopreneurs” → Starter
- “Best for growing teams (5-20 people)” → Professional
- “Best for companies with custom security and compliance needs” → Enterprise
-
Clear signup process:
- “Start 14-day free trial” (not just “Sign up”)
- “No credit card required”
- “Cancel anytime”
-
Clear enterprise path:
- “Schedule a demo” (not “Contact us”)
- “See custom pricing for 50+ users”
- “Learn about SSO, audit logs, and dedicated support”
Result:
- Conversion rate: +61%
- Enterprise demo requests: +89%
- Support questions about pricing: -72%
Same pricing. Same design. Better clarity about next steps.
The Five Clarity Questions Every Page Must Answer
When users land on any page, they have five immediate questions:
1. “What is this?”
Users need to instantly understand what they’re looking at.
Bad examples:
- “Revolutionizing the way you work”
- “The future of productivity”
- “Innovation meets excellence”
These say nothing.
Good examples:
- “Email marketing software for small businesses”
- “Online payroll for teams under 50 people”
- “CRM built specifically for real estate agents”
Specific. Clear. Unmistakable.
2. “Why should I care?”
Users need to understand the value immediately.
Bad examples:
- “Award-winning platform”
- “Best-in-class solution”
- “Industry-leading features”
These are claims without substance.
Good examples:
- “Cut payroll processing time from 4 hours to 10 minutes”
- “Stop losing deals because you forgot to follow up”
- “Save $4,000 per year on email marketing costs”
Specific. Measurable. Relevant.
3. “How does it work?”
Users need to understand the process.
Bad examples:
- Just showing features without context
- Assuming users understand your industry jargon
- Making them dig through documentation to understand basics
Good examples:
- “1. Upload your contacts → 2. Choose a template → 3. Send your campaign”
- “Connect your calendar, we’ll find time both of you are free, they book instantly”
- “Import your products, we handle payments and shipping, you get paid weekly”
Simple. Sequential. Clear.
4. “Is this for me?”
Users need to know if this matches their situation.
Bad examples:
- Generic “for businesses” (what kind of businesses?)
- No indication of who it’s designed for
- Trying to be everything to everyone
Good examples:
- “Built for Shopify stores doing $10K-$500K/month”
- “Designed for solo consultants billing by the hour”
- “Made for sales teams of 5-50 people”
Specific audiences. Clear fit indicators.
5. “What do I do next?”
Users need clear, confident next steps.
Bad examples:
- “Learn more” (vague)
- “Get started” (started with what?)
- “Submit” (submitting what, to whom, for what purpose?)
Good examples:
- “Start your 14-day free trial”
- “Schedule a 15-minute demo”
- “Download the buyer’s guide (PDF)”
- “Calculate your savings”
Specific actions. Clear outcomes.
Real-World Case Study: SaaS Homepage Redesign
Client: B2B project management software
Problem: 10% conversion rate from homepage to trial signup (industry average: 25-35%)
Their hypothesis: “The design looks dated. We need a visual refresh.”
My hypothesis: “The message is unclear. Users don’t understand what you do or why it matters.”
Their homepage:
Headline: “Transform Your Team’s Productivity”
Subheadline: “The all-in-one platform for modern teams”
CTA: “Get Started”
The clarity audit:
Question 1: “What is this?” ❌ Not clear. “All-in-one platform” could mean anything.
Question 2: “Why should I care?” ❌ “Transform productivity” is vague. No specific value.
Question 3: “How does it work?” ❌ No explanation of what you actually do with it.
Question 4: “Is this for me?” ❌ “Modern teams” is not specific enough.
Question 5: “What do I do next?” ❌ “Get Started” doesn’t tell me what happens.
Failed all five clarity questions.
The Fix: Clarity Before Design
New headline: “Project Management for Marketing Teams Who Run 50+ Campaigns Per Year”
Subheadline: “Stop losing track of deliverables, deadlines, and creative assets across multiple campaigns. Everything in one place, organized the way marketing teams actually work.”
How it works:
- Create campaign briefs with automated templates
- Assign tasks to designers, writers, and stakeholders
- Track progress with visual timelines
- Store all assets in campaign-specific folders
- See every campaign’s status at a glance
CTA: “Start 14-Day Free Trial” (with “No credit card required” below)
The clarity audit:
Question 1: “What is this?” ✅ Project management software for marketing teams
Question 2: “Why should I care?” ✅ Stop losing track of campaigns, deadlines, and assets
Question 3: “How does it work?” ✅ 5-step process clearly explained
Question 4: “Is this for me?” ✅ Marketing teams running 50+ campaigns/year
Question 5: “What do I do next?” ✅ Start 14-day free trial, no credit card needed
Passed all five clarity questions.
Results:
Homepage to trial conversion:
- Before: 10%
- After: 34%
- Improvement: +240%
Trial to paid conversion:
- Before: 18%
- After: 26%
- Improvement: +44%
Why? Better qualified leads.
When the homepage was vague, everyone clicked “Get Started” out of curiosity. Most weren’t the right fit and never converted.
When the homepage was specific, only the right people started trials—and they converted at higher rates because they already understood the value.
Total revenue impact: +312% from homepage traffic.
We changed the words, not the design.
How to Audit Your Own Site for Clarity
Step 1: The 5-Second Test
Show your homepage to someone unfamiliar with your company for 5 seconds.
Then ask:
- “What does this company do?”
- “Who is it for?”
- “What can you do with it?”
If they can’t answer, you have a clarity problem.
Step 2: The Mom Test
Explain your product to your mom (or someone completely outside your industry).
If they don’t understand it, your messaging is too jargon-filled or vague.
Step 3: Session Recording Analysis
Watch 20 session recordings of users on your site.
Look for:
- Hesitation before clicking CTAs
- Scrolling up and down repeatedly (looking for clarity)
- Quick exits (didn’t understand value)
- Clicking FAQs immediately (confused about basics)
These are clarity problems, not design problems.
Step 4: The Five Questions Test
For every critical page (homepage, pricing, product pages), ask:
- Does this page immediately answer “What is this?”
- Does it clearly communicate “Why should I care?”
- Does it explain “How does it work?”
- Does it indicate “Is this for me?”
- Does it provide clear “What do I do next?”
If any answer is “no,” fix clarity first.
Step 5: The Jargon Audit
Go through your copy and highlight:
- Industry jargon
- Buzzwords (“innovative,” “revolutionary,” “cutting-edge”)
- Vague claims (“best-in-class,” “industry-leading”)
- Unclear benefits (“empower,” “transform,” “optimize”)
Replace with specific, clear language.
Common Clarity Mistakes
Mistake 1: Clever Instead of Clear
Bad: “We put the ‘you’ in unified communications”
Good: “Phone, video, and chat in one app”
Clever headlines might win design awards. Clear headlines win customers.
Mistake 2: Features Without Benefits
Bad: “Advanced AI-powered algorithms”
Good: “Automatically suggests next steps based on past projects, saving you 2 hours of planning per week”
Users don’t care about your technology. They care what it does for them.
Mistake 3: Vague CTAs
Bad: “Learn more,” “Get started,” “Discover”
Good: “Download free guide,” “Start 14-day trial,” “Schedule demo”
Tell users exactly what happens when they click.
Mistake 4: Assuming Knowledge
Bad: Talking about “omnichannel solutions” without explaining what that means
Good: “Sell on your website, Instagram, and Amazon—manage everything from one dashboard”
Don’t assume users understand your industry terminology.
Mistake 5: Burying the Value
Bad: Talking about your company history and mission before explaining what you do
Good: Leading with the specific problem you solve and for whom
Users don’t care about your story until they understand your value.
The Bottom Line
Beautiful design can’t compensate for unclear communication.
If users don’t understand:
- What you do
- Why it matters to them
- How it works
- Whether it’s for them
- What to do next
…then no amount of visual polish will make them convert.
Before you redesign, audit for clarity:
- Run the 5-second test
- Do the mom test
- Watch session recordings
- Answer the five clarity questions
- Remove jargon and vagueness
You might discover you don’t need a redesign at all.
You just need clearer communication.
After 18 years of fixing “design problems,” I’ve learned: Most conversion issues are solved by better words, not better layouts.
Don’t hire a designer until you’ve fixed your clarity problem.
You’ll save time, money, and get better results.
