Our Own Website Is Costing Us Business.

Someone told us our website looked like an animal shelter. The wrong response to feedback like that can quietly drain your pipeline.

Let’s read you into the full picture before going too far. About a month ago, we commented on a Reddit thread where a business owner asked for help with Google search ads. We offered some advice, then provided our website for future contact. Our post received some”helpful” yet unsolicited feedback from another marketer (not the original poster). Here’s what they had to say:

“From a marketing perspective I’m probably not hiring a company whose own website has a 3:1 ratio of dog metaphors to helping me understand their marketing services, lol. Just friendly advice.

If I have to scroll multiple times and click on multiple pages just to figure out if you’re a marketing agency or an animal shelter, there’s a problem.”

Imagine you got this feedback. How should you handle it?

1. Understand the advice and ensure it’s right.

Before making any changes, we need to make sure the advice given is actually correct. Let’s use this feedback as our example. Yes, it’s important for your customers and clients to know what you actually do. And yes, it’s imperative that they can find that information immediately when arriving at your website. 

The most cited study says people take 50 milliseconds to form an impression when landing on your site. Let’s be generous and say you get 5-10 seconds. 

Confusing us with an animal shelter instead of an ad agency and needing multiple scrolls and clicks to other pages to figure out who we are is a real problem.

2. Critically review what’s being critiqued.

You’ve received the feedback. Now, go see if it’s applicable. Take a look at your website and see where you’re falling short. Does your website actually leave off who you are and what you offer? Is it buried multiple pages in? Does your messaging do what it needs to in that 5-10 seconds of time?

If no, consider how you can fix the problems. Is there a line you can add to your hero image? A section that could be added right underneath? Maybe your headline needs to be updated. Or, worst case scenario, maybe you need a new website with a better structure and improved messaging.

3. Check the advice against your core audience.

Whether we’re crafting messaging for White Hound or your brand, the focus is on resonating with your core audience. The real “fans” of your business who are repeat customers, who get the “why” behind what you do. It’s not about connecting with every person who comes across your business, even if they are potential clients. It’s about the people who resonate with you, refer you and support and grow your business for you. If they get it, you’re good.

4. Recognize who the feedback is coming from.

Feedback is great. Especially when it’s critical. Tension between what we believe and what others perceive can help us get better. But there’s an important caveat - who is giving us this feedback? Ensure the feedback is coming from someone that understands your audience and is trying to help you. Context matters.

Using these steps, let’s walk through how White Hound handled the feedback.

Starting with step one, did we receive advice based off best practices? Like we established earlier, we shouldn’t have a 3:1 ratio of dog metaphors to what we actually do. The website also shouldn’t take multiple scrolls or clicking through multiple pages to figure out who we are and what we offer. Recognizing the advice was based on best practices, we quickly pulled the website up for a double check.

On to step two. How did this one play out for us?

Well, it doesn’t actually apply to our website. Take a look at our homepage header in the image below. What do you see?

A headline that talks about “results.” Not taking in dogs or cats. More importantly, there’s an exact description of the audience we’re looking to work with: “a small business owner looking to stand out or a growing brand aiming for more.” There aren’t many pet owners that would identify themselves that way when searching for a new furry family member. We also mention a pain point for our audience: “reaching the right people while making every dollar count.” And it takes less than 10 seconds and no scrolls to read all of this.

Objectively, this website is fairly hard to confuse us with an animal shelter right from the hero section. We even mention advertising related terms/phrases like strategy, creativity, delivering results, helping businesses grow, and campaigns roughly 13 times on our homepage alone. 

Now for step three - checking the advice against our core audience. We already know that we’re good on best practices, but is our messaging too dog heavy?

Well, when we unveiled our website last year, many of our existing clients told us they absolutely loved it. Roughly 3/4ths of our new clients in 2026 shared that they reviewed our website before a first meeting and resonated deeply with the style and philosophy throughout. Beyond that, people connected with our brand have literally asked us to create a clothing line around it. Those who love us, get it, even before we talk.

Step four is where we see the final break. 

In this case, the feedback came from a marketing agency. Moreover, the comment came in a Reddit thread where agencies are not only providing help, but offering their services to the original poster, the small business owner. This feedback didn’t come from a client, potential client, or even partner. That matters, because the site wasn’t created for them. Our messaging wasn’t meant to resonate with them. And, they likely have very different ideas of how to do things.

In the end, we didn’t change a single thing.

Not because the site is perfect, but because what we do have is working.

White Hound talks about specific targeting, personality and a “why” in nearly everything we do. This is no different. Your website and marketing should share what makes you, you. Of course, it needs to do it quickly. And yes, personality may turn potential buyers off. But those customers or clients weren’t going to be the ones that stick around.

Be you. Make sure your loyal core gets it, then move with confidence. 

At White Hound Co, we help businesses grow, particularly those who keep a mission or passion at the center of all they do. We make your budget work for you, whether it’s branding, a new website, messaging, or an ad campaign that you need. After all, we’re here to help.

Curious about what that looks like? Let’s talk!