What ‘Foggy Messaging’ Looks Like on a Real Website
You know that feeling when you pull up your own website and something just feels… off? You can’t quite put your finger on it. The colors are fine. The photos are decent. But when you try to read it through a stranger’s eyes, you realize you have no idea what it’s actually saying. That’s foggy messaging – and it’s one of the most common reasons a website fails to connect with the people it was built for.
I’ve been building websites for women in business for over 15 years, and I can tell you this: foggy messaging isn’t a design problem. It’s not a tech problem. It’s a clarity problem. And it shows up in ways that most business owners don’t even recognize until someone points it out. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do in this article – show you what foggy messaging actually looks like on a real website, so you can start seeing it on your own.
The Homepage That Tries to Say Everything
This is probably the most common version of foggy messaging I see. Imagine a business owner who offers coaching, a course, a membership, and one-on-one consulting. She’s proud of everything she’s built – and she should be. But when someone lands on her homepage, they’re hit with all of it at once.
There’s a slider with three different offers. Below that, a paragraph about her story. Then a section about her podcast. Then testimonials from three different types of clients. Then a blog feed. Then a newsletter signup. Then a footer with links to everything.
Here’s the problem: when you say everything, you say nothing.
A first-time visitor to your website doesn’t know you. They don’t know your story, your offers, or your journey. They showed up because they have a problem – and they’re scanning your site in seconds to figure out if you can help them. When every section of your homepage is competing for attention, nothing wins. The visitor leaves, not because your business isn’t great, but because your website didn’t give them a clear path to follow.
In practice, the most effective homepages do one thing really well: they tell the visitor exactly who you help, what problem you solve, and what to do next. That’s it. Everything else is noise until those three things are crystal clear.
The “About Me” Page That Forgets the Reader Exists
I love a good About page. It’s one of the most visited pages on most small business websites – which makes sense, because people want to know who they’re working with. But foggy messaging on an About page looks like this:
- A long personal story that doesn’t connect to the reader’s problem
- Credentials and certifications listed without context
- Phrases like “I’m passionate about helping people transform their lives” without saying how
- No mention of who the ideal client actually is
Consider a business owner who writes three paragraphs about her corporate career, her burnout, her pivot, and her love of hiking – and then ends with “I’d love to work with you!” The reader is thinking: work with me on what? For whom? Why should I care about your hiking?
I’m not saying your personality doesn’t matter – it absolutely does. Your About page should feel like you. But the best About pages weave your story into the reader’s story. They say, “Here’s what I went through, and here’s why that means I understand exactly what you’re dealing with.”
If your About page reads like a resume or a journal entry, that’s foggy messaging. The fix isn’t to delete your story – it’s to connect it to the person reading it.
If you’re not sure whether your website is speaking to the right people, let’s have a conversation about it.
The Service Page That Describes the Process but Not the Problem
This one is sneaky because it feels like you’re being helpful. You lay out your three-step process, your package options, your session lengths, your pricing tiers. Everything looks organized and professional. But there’s one critical piece missing: you never told the visitor what problem this solves.
Imagine a service page that says:
“My Signature Program includes 6 weekly sessions, a custom workbook, email support between sessions, and a final integration call.”
That tells me what I get. But it doesn’t tell me why I need it. It doesn’t name the struggle I’m in right now. It doesn’t say, “If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and invisible in your business, this is the program that gets you unstuck.”
Foggy messaging on a service page happens when we describe the deliverables instead of the transformation. Women who visit your website aren’t buying sessions or workbooks – they’re buying relief. They’re buying the feeling of finally having their problem handled. Your service page needs to speak to that feeling before it ever gets to logistics.
I’ve seen this pattern over and over again in the websites I review. The business owner knows her work is powerful. Her clients rave about her. But her service page reads like a menu instead of an invitation. That’s the fog.
Words That Sound Good but Mean Nothing
Let me share some phrases I see on websites all the time that are classic foggy messaging:
- “I help you step into your power”
- “Unlock your full potential”
- “Live your best life”
- “Create aligned abundance”
- “Holistic transformation for modern women”
Do any of these tell you specifically what the business does? Who it’s for? What problem it solves? No. They sound inspiring, but they’re empty. They could apply to a life coach, a yoga teacher, a nutritionist, a financial planner, or a candle company.
This is what I call “inspiration fog.” It feels meaningful when you write it. But to a stranger reading your website for the first time, it’s just pretty words with no anchor.
The antidote to inspiration fog is specificity. Instead of “step into your power,” try “stop second-guessing your pricing and start charging what you’re worth.” Instead of “holistic transformation,” try “a 90-day program that helps burned-out therapists build a private practice without working 60-hour weeks.”
Specificity isn’t boring. Specificity is what makes someone think, “Oh my gosh, she’s talking to me.”
If you want to dig deeper into how your website’s messaging might be holding you back, take a look at more articles on the blog where I break this down from different angles.
The Call to Action That Doesn’t Actually Call Anyone to Action
You’d be surprised how many websites I see that don’t have a clear next step. Or worse – they have too many.
Foggy calls to action look like this:
- A “Contact Me” button buried at the bottom of a page no one scrolls to
- Three different buttons on one page: “Book a Call,” “Join the Waitlist,” “Download the Freebie”
- A button that says “Learn More” but takes you to another page that also says “Learn More”
- No call to action at all – just a page that ends and leaves the visitor wondering what to do
Here’s what I know after 30-plus years in sales and marketing: people need to be told what to do next. Not in a manipulative way – in a helpful way. If someone reads your service page and feels a spark of recognition, you need to make it easy and obvious for them to take the next step.
One clear call to action per page. That’s the goal. And the language should match where the reader is emotionally. If they’re just discovering you, “Book a Free Call” feels right. If they’ve been following you for months, “Let’s Get Started” might be better. But whatever you choose, it should be visible, specific, and singular.
How Foggy Messaging Affects More Than Just Your Visitors
Here’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough: foggy messaging doesn’t just confuse the people visiting your website. It confuses you.
When your website doesn’t clearly reflect what you do and who you do it for, it creates a ripple effect. You hesitate to share your website link. You over-explain your business in networking conversations because you know your site doesn’t do it justice. You feel a little embarrassed when someone says, “Oh, I checked out your website!”
Many business owners I work with tell me they’ve stopped sending people to their website altogether. They use Instagram or word of mouth instead – not because those are better strategies, but because their website makes them cringe.
That’s not a small thing. Your website should be your most confident employee – the one who knows exactly what to say, never gets tired, and represents you perfectly at 2 AM when someone is Googling for help.
If your website makes you want to apologize instead of share, foggy messaging is almost certainly part of the problem. Learn more about how I approach this work and why I care so much about getting it right.
Clearing the Fog – Where to Start
If you’ve been reading this and nodding along, here are a few things you can do right now:
- Read your homepage out loud. Does it make sense to someone who has never met you? Could a stranger tell you exactly what you do after reading the first three sentences?
- Ask a friend to visit your site for 10 seconds. Then ask them: what does this person do, and who do they help? If they can’t answer clearly, you have fog.
- Count your calls to action. If any page has more than one primary action, simplify.
- Look for jargon. Words like “aligned,” “authentic,” “transformational” – are they doing actual work, or are they just taking up space?
- Check your About page. Does it talk about the reader’s problem, or is it all about you?
Clearing foggy messaging isn’t about dumbing things down. It’s about honoring your reader’s time and attention by being direct about how you can help them. That’s not less creative or less soulful – it’s more respectful.
And if you’re sitting there thinking, “I know my messaging is off, but I have no idea how to fix it” – that’s exactly the kind of thing I help with. Reach out and let’s figure it out together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is foggy messaging?
Foggy messaging is when your website’s words don’t clearly communicate what you do, who you help, and why it matters. It’s not about bad writing – it’s about a lack of specificity that leaves visitors confused about whether you’re the right fit for them.
How do I know if my website has foggy messaging?
The simplest test is to show your website to someone who knows nothing about your business and ask them to tell you what you do in one sentence. If they can’t, or if they get it wrong, your messaging needs work.
Can I fix foggy messaging myself, or do I need help?
You can absolutely start on your own by reading your site out loud, cutting jargon, and making sure every page answers “who is this for and what problem does it solve.” But sometimes you’re too close to your own business to see the fog, and that’s when a fresh set of expert eyes makes a huge difference.
Does foggy messaging affect my Google rankings?
It can. When your website doesn’t clearly communicate what you do, search engines have a harder time understanding what your pages are about – which means they’re less likely to show your site to people searching for the help you offer. Clear messaging helps both humans and search engines understand your business.
If your website no longer feels like you, let’s talk about it – Book a Free Website Clarity Call with Beth →