How to Write Effective Messages to Website Visitors: Data from 10,000+ Conversations

Website visitors who don't convert aren't dead ends – they're opportunities. After analyzing 10,000+ outreach messages, we've identified what actually works to get responses and start meaningful conversations.

Discovery Over Conversions

Most visitors have a reason for not converting – wrong timing, need more info, or lack of authority. Instead of pushing for a demo, focus on understanding their situation. Skip the "I saw you on our website" and open with a question about their challenges:

Are you currently using any tools for [specific problem]? We've noticed most [industry] companies still rely on spreadsheets for this.

Think of it this way: These visitors already know who you are and what you sell. If they didn't convert, they need something else from you first – insights, validation, or guidance. Your job isn't to sell; it's to help them buy.

The key is asking questions that are easy to answer – aim for yes/no responses or quick one-liners. Some effective discovery questions we've seen work:

• "Has your team tried automating [specific task] before?"

• "Does your team struggle with [common pain point]?"

• "Do you see [common challenge] as a key blocker?"

• "Is [specific outcome] a priority for your team?"

Relevancy Over Personalization

Let's be honest – adding someone's name or mentioning their company isn't "personalization" anymore. It's 2025, and buyers can spot mail-merge fields from a mile away. What they actually care about is relevancy – connecting their specific situation to your solution.

True relevancy comes from making a connection between what you observe about their world and the challenges your solution addresses. Here's the formula that works:

Unique observation + Problem-focused question = Relevant conversation starter

For example, instead of:

Hi [Name], I noticed your company [Company] is in the [Industry] space...

Try this:

I see you're hiring three SDRs this quarter – are you also looking at ways to help them spend less time on research and more time talking to prospects?

Why This Works

The difference? The second message connects a specific observation (hiring SDRs) with a relevant challenge (SDR productivity) that ties to your solution. The key is making the connection feel natural, not forced. Your observation should logically lead to the question you're asking about their challenges.

When our customers switched from traditional "personalized" outreach to this relevancy-first, discovery-focused approach, their response rates jumped from 8% to 36% on average. But more importantly, the quality of conversations improved dramatically – prospects were more open, engaged, and ready to discuss their real challenges.

Key Takeaway

Stop trying to convert website visitors into meetings. Instead, convert them into conversations. The meetings will follow naturally when you focus on being helpful first.