The Simple Website Fix That Could 2x Your Conversions (Most Businesses Miss This)

You’re getting traffic. Visitors are landing on your site. But the leads? The sales? They're trickling in—or worse, flatlining.

Before you rewrite your copy or launch another A/B test, pause.

There’s a less obvious issue that might be choking your conversions.

It’s called attention ratio.

And once you spot it? You won’t unsee it.

What’s Attention Ratio?

It’s the number of things someone can do on your website… compared to the one thing you actually want them to do.

Say your goal is simple: get someone to fill out a form. But your homepage has 30 clickable elements—links, buttons, menus, pop-ups. That’s an attention ratio of 30:1.

And that’s a problem.

Because the more options you throw at someone, the less likely they are to pick any.

This isn’t just opinion. It’s behavioural psychology. Barry Schwartz called it the Paradox of Choice — too many options lead to decision paralysis. People freeze or leave.

Web design isn’t immune. Cluttered pages, overstuffed nav bars, scattered CTAs… they all kill conversions.

It’s also the difference between a website that drives leads and one that just looks good in a Slack screenshot.

Why Too Many Options Kill Conversions

Think about it like this.

You walk into a store looking for a bottle of olive oil. The shelf has 67 brands. Infused, unfiltered, hand-pressed, award-winning… decision fatigue hits before you even read the second label. You walk out with nothing.

That same thing happens on your website.

Social icons. Blog sidebars. Floating pop-ups. Dropdowns. Unclear CTAs. They all pull attention away from the one job your page is supposed to do.

And in the process? They sabotage conversion.

What JRNY Digital Recommends

Whether you’re a law firm, specialist clinic or trades business, if the goal is leads, the rule is simple:

One page. One primary purpose.

We’ve reviewed hundreds of sites. The biggest issue? Pages trying to do too much.

If the goal is a form fill, phone call or quote request, everything should push toward that. No side quests.

Not five CTAs. Not a dozen links. Just one clear next step.

We’re not saying nuke your entire website and strip it bare.

But if the main goal of a page is ‘get leads,’ you shouldn’t have 27 distractions fighting for attention. Give people three or four clean, obvious choices. That’s it.

How to Improve Your Attention Ratio This Week

You don’t need a full redesign. Just a better filter. Here’s how to tighten your website’s attention ratio this week:

1. Kill unnecessary links

Social icons? Put them in the footer. They shouldn't compete with your CTA.

2. Stick to one primary CTA per page

You can mention supporting actions but don’t split attention.

3. Make your CTA consistent

Use the same wording and colour across the page. Repetition builds action.

4. Cut visual clutter

Whitespace is your friend. If it’s not helping someone decide, it’s a distraction.

4. Don’t assume people know what to do

Spell it out. ‘Start your free quote.’ ‘Book your 15-minute call.’ Clarity trumps cleverness.

Want More Conversions? Focus Beats Fancy

High-performing websites don’t always look flash. But they know exactly what they want a visitor to do. And they make sure nothing else gets in the way.

So if your analytics show solid traffic but soft conversions? Don’t guess. Don’t add more. Strip it back. Sharpen the focus.

JRNY Digital Helps You Turn Clicks Into Clients

At JRNY Digital, we help Australian businesses clean up their websites, refine their funnels and scale what works.

Sometimes that means redesigning a page. Other times, it’s rewriting a single headline.

Whatever the fix, our process is the same:

• Test fast

• Remove friction

• Scale what converts

Ready to stop leaking leads? Let’s chat. Your strategy call is free.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is attention ratio in web design?

It’s the ratio of clickable elements on a page to the single action you want someone to take. Lower is better.

Why does attention ratio affect conversions?

What’s a good attention ratio for lead generation pages?

Do I need to redesign my entire website to fix this?

How can JRNY Digital help with conversion issues?

Where should I start if my site has too many distractions?

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For more insights on effective digital marketing strategies, read our blogs at JRNY Digital.