3 Things on Your Website That Make You Look Less Professional
You know that moment when you share your website with someone new, and immediately afterward you want to clarify what they’re about to see? You’re mentally preparing them. “It’s a little outdated,” you say. Or, “I know the photos are old.” Or, “I’m working on an update.”
That feeling, that little apologetic preface you add before anyone clicks, that’s what I’m talking about.
Your website is supposed to show up for you when you’re not in the room. Instead, you’re doing damage control before anyone even lands on it. That’s exhausting. And it’s unnecessary.
Here’s the thing: I’m not going to tell you your website is broken or that you’ve failed at this. You haven’t. But I do see a lot of opportunities for improvement, and some of those opportunities are probably hiding in plain sight. Small details that, once you notice them, suddenly make everything feel a little less polished than you actually are.
Let me walk you through three of the biggest ones I see. Because once you fix these, you won’t need that apologetic preamble anymore. Your website will do the talking for you.
The Outdated Photo That’s Carrying a Story You’ve Outgrown
This is the number one credibility killer I see, and it breaks my heart because the women who have this problem usually don’t even realize how much it matters.
You’ve grown. You’ve evolved. You’ve learned things. You’ve refined your approach. You’ve become even better at what you do. But there’s a photo of you on your website from 2015, or 2018, or even earlier. Maybe it’s your headshot. Maybe it’s the one in your “About” section. Maybe it’s both.
And here’s what happens: a potential client lands on your page, and they’re thinking, “Okay, I’m interested in working with her.” Then they see that photo, and something shifts. It’s not a conscious thought, but it’s real. The photo doesn’t match the energy of your copy. It doesn’t match who you are now. It whispers, “This business might not be actively maintained.”
In my experience, this is one of the fastest ways to create doubt where there doesn’t need to be any.
The opportunity here is simple: your website photo should be current enough that anyone who meets you in person won’t do a double-take. I’m not saying you need a professional photoshoot (though you can if you want to). But I am saying that a clear, well-lit, recent photo of you, one that looks like you actually look now, is one of the easiest trust-builders you have.
This is especially important if you’re in coaching, consulting, or any service where people are hiring you. They want to know what they’re getting. An outdated photo says, “I’m not paying attention to the details,” even if that’s absolutely not true about your work.
New photo = immediate credibility boost. It’s that simple.
Broken Links, Missing Pages, or That “Coming Soon” That’s Been There for 18 Months
This one is more common than you’d think, and it’s almost always an accident. But accidents have a cost.
Maybe you redesigned your website a couple of years ago and forgot to update the navigation link on your homepage. Now clicking on “Resources” takes people to a 404 page. Or you meant to create a “Testimonials” page and built it, but never linked to it from anywhere. Or, my favorite accidental crime: you have a “Coming Soon” message somewhere on your site from a project you started in 2022 and never finished.
A lot of business owners I talk to don’t realize how visible these little gaps are to visitors. They’re not obvious to you because you live inside your website every day. But to someone landing on your page for the first time, a broken link or a placeholder that’s been there for years feels like being invited to a party and finding the door locked.
It says, “I’m not actively managing this.” And that matters more than you think.
The opportunity is to do a full audit of your site. Click every link. Navigate to every page. Are there any dead ends? Any old placeholders? Any pages that promise something but don’t deliver? This is what I mean by owning your sh!t, your website should be fully functional and ready to work for you, not a construction site.
This doesn’t have to be a massive project. It’s often just a few minutes of cleanup. But those few minutes will make your entire site feel more current and more intentional.
Outdated Copy That Sounds Like an Older Version of Your Business
This is a subtle one, but it’s powerful.
Your voice has changed. The way you describe what you do has probably changed too. But your website might be using language from the last time you rewrote it, maybe three or four years ago. It sounds a little stiff, or overly corporate, or maybe it uses industry buzzwords that you’ve stopped using because you’ve learned they don’t actually resonate with your ideal clients.
Or maybe the entire positioning is off now. You started out as a general life coach, and now you specialize in mid-career transitions for women over 50. But your website still sounds like it’s trying to help everyone with everything. The copy doesn’t match who you actually serve anymore.
This is where your website stops sounding like you and starts sounding like someone’s generic template.
In my experience, this is one of the most common reasons why accomplished women feel like frauds when they share their website. The words don’t match. The positioning doesn’t match. The tone doesn’t feel like them anymore. So they apologize before anyone reads it.
The opportunity here is to refresh your copy so it actually sounds like you and describes what you actually do now. This isn’t about reinventing everything. It’s about making sure the words on your website reflect who you’ve become.
When your copy matches your current energy, you won’t feel that little cringe before you share your website. You’ll feel like it finally represents you.
Why These Three Things Matter So Much
Here’s what ties all three of these together: they’re all about maintenance and attention to detail.
Your website doesn’t have to be fancy. It doesn’t have to be the latest, trendiest design. But it does have to feel like it’s been cared for. It has to feel current. It has to feel intentional.
When someone visits your website and sees an outdated photo, broken links, and copy that doesn’t match who you are now, they’re not consciously thinking, “This person isn’t professional.” But they are subconsciously thinking, “This business might not be actively running,” or “This feels abandoned,” or “I’m not sure I trust this.”
And those little doubts add up.
The beautiful part? These aren’t hard fixes. You don’t need to rebuild your website from scratch. You don’t need to hire someone to do a complete redesign. You need to update a photo, fix a few links, and refresh some copy. That’s it.
Once you do, the website actually matches the professional you are. And you won’t need that apologetic preamble anymore.
What to Do Right Now
If you’re reading this and recognizing yourself in any of these three things, here’s your action list:
Step 1: Look at your current website photo. When was it taken? Is it recent enough that someone meeting you in person wouldn’t be surprised? If not, plan to take a new one this month. It doesn’t have to be professional. It just has to be current.
Step 2: Spend 15 minutes clicking through every link on your website. Start from the homepage and follow every navigation link you can find. Does everything work? Are there any broken links, missing pages, or old placeholders? Make a list and fix them this week.
Step 3: Read your homepage copy out loud. Does it sound like you? Does it describe what you actually do? If you’ve evolved since the last time you wrote it, that’s an opportunity to refresh it so it feels current.
These three things won’t make you look professional because you’re not already professional. You are. They’ll just make your website finally match the professionalism that’s already there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I hire a professional photographer for a new headshot?
Not necessarily. A clear, well-lit, current photo of you is what matters most. You can do this with a smartphone in good natural light. The goal is that anyone meeting you in person recognizes you, not that you have magazine-quality photos.
How often should I audit my website for broken links?
I suggest doing a quick click-through every time you make any changes to your site, and a full audit at least once a year. But honestly, if your site isn’t actively getting updates, do this once now and you’re set for a while.
Do I need to rewrite my entire website if my business has evolved?
No. You might just need to update your homepage and your “About” section. The key is making sure your positioning and your voice match what you actually do now. Sometimes it’s a paragraph change. Sometimes it’s a few sentences.
What if I don’t feel ready to update my copy because I’m still figuring out my positioning?
That’s valid. But here’s the thing, the best time to have updated your website was yesterday. The second best time is today. You don’t have to have it perfect. You just have to have it reflect where you are right now.
If your website no longer feels like you, let’s talk about it – Book a Free Website Clarity Call with Beth →