Systems that work while you sleep

Let's talk about something that can really help your business: making your website work for you, even when you're not actively promoting it.

It’s a cliché, but your website should be like your best employee - working 24/7 to qualify leads, answer questions, and guide the right people toward working with you. But most websites just sit there looking pretty without actually doing any heavy lifting.

Set Boundaries Through Your Website

One of the biggest mistakes I see business owners make is letting anyone and everyone contact them. Then they wonder why they're spending so much time on discovery calls with people who aren't a good fit or can't afford their services.

Your website should act as a filter, attracting your ideal clients and gently steering away the ones who aren't ready.

How to do this:

• Be specific about who you work with: "I help creative business owners who cringe when they think about tracking their numbers and are ready to get organized."

• Call out your ideal client's situation: "Perfect if you're tired of shoebox bookkeeping and ready for systems that actually work."

• Mention your investment level: "Monthly bookkeeping packages starting at $300" saves everyone time.

The more specific you are, the more likely the right people will pay attention and trust that you understand their situation.

Improve Your Contact Forms

Your contact form is doing more work than you think. Instead of just collecting names and email addresses, use it to qualify leads and save yourself time.

Instead of:

• Name

• Email

• Message

Try:

• Name

• Email

• What services are you interested in?

• What's your budget range?

• What's your biggest challenge with your current bookkeeping?

These questions help you understand if someone is a good fit before you even hop on a call. You can prioritize responses from people who are ready to move forward and have realistic budgets.

Create an FAQ Section That Handles Objections

Pay attention to the questions you get asked over and over again in discovery calls or emails. Those repeated questions are telling you what your website should address upfront.

Common questions that should be on your website:

• How long does the process take?

• Do you work with people in my industry/location?

• What happens after I contact you?

• Do you offer payment plans?

• What if I need changes after the project is done?

When your website answers these questions upfront, you spend less time explaining logistics and more time talking about the actual work.

Make Your Process Crystal Clear

Don't make people guess what it's like to work with you. Walk them through your process step by step:

"Here's what working together looks like: First, we'll have a 30-minute discovery call to make sure we're a good fit. If we are, I'll send you a proposal and contract. Once you sign and pay the deposit, we'll schedule your strategy session. Then..."

This does two things: it makes people feel more confident about moving forward, and it sets clear expectations about what's involved.

Be careful here though - you want the process to feel engaging, not like it's just one more step after another.

Use Strategic CTAs Throughout Your Site

Don't just have one "contact me" button and call it a day. Think about where people are in their decision-making process and give them appropriate next steps.

• Homepage visitor (just learning about you): "Download my free website checklist"

• Services page visitor (considering hiring you): "Book a free consultation"

• About page visitor (getting to know you): "See my recent work" or "Read what clients say"

• Blog reader (engaged with your content): "Want more tips like this? Join my newsletter"

Meet people where they are instead of asking everyone to take the same action.

Automate What You Can

Once someone fills out your contact form or downloads something from your site, what happens next? If the answer is "I manually email them back," you're missing opportunities.

Set up simple email sequences that:

• Thank people for downloading your freebie and deliver it immediately

• Send helpful resources to people who inquire about your services

• Follow up with people who've shown interest but haven't booked yet

You don't need complicated funnels - just basic follow-up that keeps you top of mind.

Your Website Should Solve a Business Problem

Remember: your website isn't a digital brochure. It's a business tool that should be working to grow your business every day.

If your website isn't generating leads, qualifying prospects, or making it easier for people to work with you, it's not doing its job.

Your Turn

This week, look at your website with fresh eyes and ask: "How is this helping my business?"

Pick one area to improve - maybe it's adding qualifying questions to your contact form, creating an FAQ section, or being more specific about who you work with.

Small improvements compound over time.

TL;DR: Your website should work like your best employee - qualifying leads, answering questions, and guiding the right people toward working with you. Set boundaries, improve your contact forms, and make your process crystal clear.

Next week: Quick wins you can implement this week to make your website more strategic (without a complete overhaul).

Talk soon!
Stacey