Most customers don’t arrive on a website looking for something to critique. They arrive curious, interested, and quietly evaluating whether this feels like the right next step. When hesitation shows up, it’s rarely because something is obviously wrong. It’s usually because one small question hasn’t been answered yet. Over time, those unanswered questions are what cause people to pause instead of move forward.
Below are six moments where customers commonly hesitate, each tied to a different part of the decision process, along with ways to support them more intentionally.
Belonging: feeling unsure if this is for them
What’s Happening
Customers land on a site and can’t quickly tell if the service is meant for someone like them. The offering may look solid, but the fit feels uncertain.
How to Support Them
Be clear about who you help and the situations you’re best suited for. Specific language and examples help people recognize themselves without guessing.
Effort: needing to figure things out alone
What’s Happening
When basic context is missing, customers anticipate extra effort. They assume reaching out will require a lot of explaining just to get oriented.
How to Support Them
Offer a clear sense of how things work and what comes next so people don’t feel like they’re on their own figuring it out.
Experience: not sure what working together looks like
What’s Happening
Even when customers like what they see, they may hesitate because they can’t picture the experience of working with you. Uncertainty around communication, involvement, or expectations slows decisions.
How to Support Them
Give people a feel for how you work and what they can expect so the experience feels familiar before they take the next step.
Timing: feeling like reaching out might be premature
What’s Happening
Customers sometimes hesitate because they’re unsure if now is the right moment to make contact. They don’t want to jump in too early or waste time.
How to Support Them
Use gentle cues that help people feel when it makes sense to reach out, so taking that step feels welcome, not rushed.
Credibility: the website feels out of date
What’s Happening
When a website feels outdated or incomplete, customers question whether it reflects the business as it exists today.
How to Support Them
Keep content, examples, and proof current. Even small updates signal care, relevance, and attention.
Direction: feeling unsure what matters most right now
What’s Happening
Customers feel unsettled when it’s not clear where to focus. Too much information or competing messages make it harder to take the next step.
How to Support Them
Create a calm, guided experience that highlights what matters most and makes the next step feel obvious.
Customers don’t usually think about what’s wrong with a website. They simply pause when something doesn’t quite feel settled. When a website supports people at each of these moments, the experience feels thoughtful rather than demanding. That sense of ease helps curiosity turn into confidence, and confidence into action.
