There’s something powerful about being part of the beginning. About seeing the messy middle, the behind-the-scenes, and still choosing to show up and say, “I believe in this.” That’s what you’ve done. Whether you’ve cast a vote, shared your thoughts, or simply made an account to explore—you’re not just watching something grow. You’re helping build it. And that kind of support? It’s not just appreciated. It’s the heartbeat of everything we’re doing. We didn’t create Billi to chase trends or mimic the giants in the industry. We created it because we knew small business owners like you deserve better—something built with real people in mind, shaped by feedback, and rooted in community. We’re not backed by venture capital. We don’t have a 30-person dev team or deep pockets. We’re going into this 100% bootstrapped. No outside investors. Just two small business owners who saw a gap and decided to build what we wish existed. Something simpler. Smarter. Built for the way we actually work.

And here’s what makes this story different:

We’re not building Billi alone.
We’re building it with you.

When you don’t just build for your users, but with them.

The direction we’re taking Billi is directly influenced by what you told us matters. We’re listening. We’re building fast. And more importantly, we’re building in the right direction, because it’s your direction too.

The Reality of Starting Something From Scratch

Let me be real with you.

Building something from the ground up isn’t always glamorous. It’s early mornings and late nights. It’s learning as you go. It’s celebrating small wins while staying focused on the big vision. It’s patching together what you can with the time and resources you have, and then showing up again tomorrow to make it better.

We don’t have a massive team. We’re not a polished tech company with a full-scale support department and a never-ending marketing budget.

We’re a team of two with big hearts and a whole lot of ambition. And yet, because we’re small, we get to do something that the big platforms can’t always do:

We get to stay close to the people we’re building this for.

And that, I truly believe, is our biggest strength.

Success doesn’t just come from how hard you work, it comes from how well you know yourself. We spend so much time chasing the next big strategy or trying to DIY everything ourselves that we rarely pause to ask: What kind of entrepreneur am I really? If you’ve ever felt stuck, scattered, or strangely disconnected from your own business, even when it’s technically “working” this might be the reason. Knowing whether you’re a Visionary or a Strategist can change everything. It shapes how you lead, what you focus on, and who you need by your side.

What It Really Means to Be a Visionary or a Strategist

When I talk about being a visionary or a strategist, I’m not talking about job titles or personality tests. I’m talking about the core wiring that drives how you think, operate, and grow a business.

Both are powerful in their own right, but they serve completely different functions.

The Visionary:

Visionaries are driven by possibility.
They’re the idea generators, the dreamers, the big-picture thinkers. They often have a strong sense of mission, see opportunities others miss, and can rally people around a vision with infectious energy.

But while they’re incredible at getting the ball rolling, they often struggle to keep it moving without support. Visionaries tend to get distracted by new ideas, avoid structure, and feel frustrated when they’re forced to operate in a rigid system.

The Strategist:

Strategists are builders.
They’re the people who take abstract ideas and turn them into step-by-step plans. They thrive on structure, efficiency, and making things work. They know how to reverse-engineer a result and love nothing more than seeing a plan come to life, clean and streamlined.

But they’re often not the ones dreaming up new paths or pivoting quickly. Without a clear direction or strong vision, they can get stuck perfecting systems instead of growing them.

Why This One Shift Will Change How You Grow

If you’ve ever felt like your growth stalled, or like running your business became more draining than energizing, it’s probably because you’re trying to operate outside your natural zone of genius.

Visionaries burn out when they’re buried in backend operations, trying to set up automations and structures they don’t understand.

Strategists get stuck when they’re forced to constantly innovate without direction, chasing ideas that don’t align with the long-term plan.

But when you know which one you are? You can make smarter decisions:

You can design your role around what lights you up.

You can hire (or partner with) someone who fills your gaps.

You can finally stop feeling like you’re bad at business, because it turns out, you’re just playing the wrong role.

A few months ago, I said yes to something I never planned for. Not a launch, not a rebrand, not even a new business idea (although, you know I love a good one). This time, I said yes to stepping into someone else’s business. Not just as a consultant, but as a true strategic partner. A hybrid of coach, COO, systems architect, trusted advisor, and personal hype woman. The kind of role that supports the visionary while quietly building the foundation that helps the entire business rise.

It started with a phone call.

I was catching up with an old friend from Maui, someone I used to meet for long lunches at Mama’s Fish House. We’d talk life, dreams, and business goals over ocean views and the best food. If you’ve ever run your own business, you know how rare and refreshing it is to talk to someone who just gets it. The big ideas, the late nights, the juggling of 24 roles under one job title.

Our friendship was always grounded in that mutual understanding. The kind that only comes from two entrepreneurs who know what it feels like to carry a dream and the weight of keeping it alive. Even after I moved, we stayed in touch, cheering each other on from afar.

A few months ago, she reached out after reading more about my shift away from social media and my focus on evergreen marketing. She told me how much she admired the way I built my business. How I always had a clear strategy, how I made it look simple (even when it wasn’t), and how she’d looked up to the way I did marketing for years.

On our call, she started opening up about the state of her business. Things were going well. But also, she was holding so much on her own. The pressure. The day-to-day chaos. The long list of things that weren’t getting done because she didn’t have the bandwidth to do them herself or the right person to trust with the work. She shared the frustration of wanting to grow but not knowing the next steps. And how much it took her away from focusing on the things she loved doing. The loneliness that comes from not being able to find someone who could truly see her business and help move it forward in a meaningful way.

As she was talking, I had this moment. That internal lightbulb flicker that happens when something just clicks. Because everything she was struggling with? That’s my sweet spot. The planning. The strategy. The organizing. The behind-the-scenes mapping that most business owners either avoid or just don’t have time for.

So, I said it.

“I think I can help you with that.”

Not in a passive “I’ll send a few resources your way” kind of way. But in a let me roll up my sleeves and get into the heart of this with you kind of way.

And that “yes” turned into one of the most fun things I’ve done in a long time.

When You Realize Your Business Skills Can Be a Service

Here’s the thing: I’ve started multiple businesses over the years. Some big. Some small. One even got acquired (which still feels surreal). I’ve done the whole build-from-scratch thing, and I’ve done the grow-from-momentum thing. Every time, the part that lights me up is the planning, the structure, the execution.

I love seeing the big picture. Then breaking it down into manageable steps that actually get done.
That’s my lane. That’s what I’m really really good at.

If you’re a small business owner, you know how unpredictable things can be. Some months feel like magic. Payments come in, new clients say yes, and you’re riding that wave of “This is working.” Other months? Not so much. You’re still working hard, showing up for your people, but the cash flow isn’t quite cooperating.

This is where most CRMs completely miss the mark. They expect you to pay a monthly fee no matter what. Whether you’re onboarding five clients or zero, the bill still shows up like clockwork. It doesn’t matter if you’re on vacation, revamping your services, on maternity leave, or in a quiet season of business. You still have to pay.

That never felt right to us.

So we built something very different. We built Billi to be a tool that actually supports the way small businesses really work. It’s completely free to use, and we only take a small 1% fee when you get paid.

Let’s walk through exactly what that means.

What “Only Pay When You Get Paid” Actually Looks Like

With Billi, you can create invoices, send contracts, manage clients, track projects, and stay organized—all without ever entering a credit card. There’s no monthly fee. No free trial countdown. No subscription that sneaks up on you.

We only make money when you do. So if you send an invoice for $100 and your client pays through Billi, we take 1%—that’s $1. You keep the rest.

That’s it.

No setup fees. No hidden charges. No pressure.

If you’re in a slower month, you’re not paying anything. And when the money is coming in, our platform simply takes a small portion so you’re never paying out of pocket just to keep things running.

There was a time in my business when I believed I needed to be everywhere, all the time. Posting daily on Instagram, replying to comments within minutes, managing busy Facebook groups… the social media hustle was nonstop. And truthfully? It was exhausting. Most business owners (including me at some point in the past) hope to grow a bigger audience on social media. They think, their sales will increase, launches will sell out, and all their marketing problems will be solved.

But something happened. I started looking closer at where my sales were actually coming from. The analytics behind my business. And surprise, it wasn’t social media.

Are Followers Really the Key to Success?

Have you ever felt like your success is tied to your follower count? Like if your social media presence doesn’t blow up, then your offers won’t either? Or you think that those that have the massive followers on social media, somehow know how have an easier time to create sold out offers?

What if I told you that the most successful launches I’ve ever had came from email lists with fewer than 1,000 people?

And what if the key to a sold-out offer wasn’t more visibility, but deeper connection?

This post will walk you through how I’ve built some of my best sale days and offers without relying on social media and how you can too. You’ll learn the tools I use (spoiler: email lists and Pinterest play a big role), the mindset shifts that helped me stop chasing followers, and why sustainable marketing always wins.

Why Smaller Email Lists Can Outperform Big Followings

Here’s the thing. Social media is loud, crowded, and constantly changing. One algorithm shift can tank your reach. One viral post doesn’t always translate into sales. But building your own list? That’s an asset you own.

Your email list is the only direct line you have to your audience without any middlemen. You’re not at the mercy of an app deciding whether or not your content is shown. You hit send, and it lands in their inbox.

And guess what? You don’t need 10,000 people to make a living. You probably just need 100 solid customers or clients.

Let’s Do the Math: You Don’t Need 10,000 Followers

Let’s break it down for a second. If you have an offer that’s $200 and 50 people buy, that’s $10,000. If it’s $500 and 20 people buy, that’s the same. Most of us don’t need a massive audience. We just need the right people in our corner.

When you start seeing your goals in numbers instead of followers, things get a lot clearer. You realize that what you’re building is possible and within reach.

How I Shifted from Social to Sustainable Marketing

Over the years, I started paying attention to the backend. I noticed that my evergreen blog content, optimized for SEO and paired with Pinterest traffic, was driving more consistent sales than anything I did on social media.

At first, it felt strange to pull back from platforms that had helped me grow. Social media was how I built my early audience. But I also knew I was tired. Tired of chasing visibility. Tired of feeling behind. I wanted strategy over noise. I wanted long-term growth instead of temporary wins.

So I pivoted.

For the longest time, I believed running ads was something reserved for them. Big brands with even bigger budgets. Companies with full-blown marketing departments. People in fancy offices who had “strategist” in their job title and knew how to decode a spreadsheet like it was their second language. And then there was me. I assumed ads weren’t for someone like me. Someone who didn’t have thousands to throw at a campaign or hours to pour into learning a new platform.

But eventually, I got tired of waiting for organic reach to do the job. I wanted to grow faster, reach new people, and stop relying on the hope that an Instagram post might go viral.

So I dipped my toe in. Nervously. Imperfectly.

And what I discovered?
Ads aren’t just for big brands. They’re for real people building real businesses.
Just like you.

Feeling Like Ads Are Only for the “Big Players”? Let’s Talk.

Have you ever looked at an ad and thought, “That’s not for me. I can’t afford it, and I wouldn’t even know where to start”?
Do you assume that only people with teams, tech skills, and ten thousand followers can actually make ads work?
Have you been quietly wishing you could grow faster… but believing that ads are out of reach?

Friend, you’re not alone.

But here’s what I’ve learned—from actual experience, not theory:
Ads aren’t reserved for million-dollar marketing teams.
They’re a tool. And just like any tool, you can learn to use it.

Today, I want to walk you through the truth about running ads. What I wish I knew before I ever hit “launch,” and how you (yes, you) can use them to grow your business on your terms.

I Thought Ads Were for “Them” Until I Gave It a Shot

The first time I ever opened up an ad manager, I felt like I had entered a foreign country without a translator.

Pixels? Audiences? Conversions?
No one warned me I’d need a secret dictionary just to make sense of it.

I almost closed my laptop.

Because all I could think was: This is what real marketers do. This isn’t for me.

But something in me said to just try. Just test. Boost one tiny post to see if you can get a return. Just see.

So I set a tiny daily budget.
Picked one product I knew like the back of my hand.
And created a simple graphic and copy that came straight from my heart.

And then I clicked “publish.”

That tiny campaign led to clicks. The clicks led to sales. And the sales gave me proof:
Ads could work for me.

What If Ads Aren’t for “Big Brands” They’re Just for Brave Ones?

I spent years assuming ads were part of someone else’s playbook.

But here’s the shift that changed everything:
Ads are not about having a big budget. They’re about having a clear message and knowing how to target the right audience.

Big brands might have more dollars, but they don’t have your story.
They don’t have your passion, your scrappiness, or your people.

The moment I stopped thinking I had to be “ready” or “professional” to run ads—and just focused on sharing the heart of my offer with the right people, everything changed.

You don’t need a marketing agency.
You don’t need to be a tech genius.
You just need to believe in what you’re offering… and be willing to put it in front of the people who need it.

5 Truths That Made Ads Feel Possible (Even for Me)

1. You Don’t Need a Big Budget to Start Seeing Results

I started with $5 a day. That’s it.

Running Pinterest ads can feel like you’re playing a game where no one explained the rules. You log in, glance at all those numbers, and immediately ask yourself… “Is this working? Am I wasting money? What should I even be looking at?” I’m about to walk you through the exact metrics that actually matter, and how to use them to make smarter decisions (without needing a marketing degree or a Google rabbit hole).

First Things First: Let’s Break Down the Most Common Pinterest Ad Metrics

Here’s what you’ll see inside your dashboard, and what each metric is actually trying to tell you:

Impressions: How many times your ad showed up in someone’s feed. This tells you your targeting and keywords are being triggered — but impressions alone don’t mean it’s working.

Clicks: The number of times someone clicked on your ad to learn more. This is the first real sign of interest. It means your creative is catching attention. But it’s not the final word…

Outbound Clicks: These are the golden clicks — the ones that send people off Pinterest and onto your site. These clicks tell you your pin is doing its job: sending people into your world.

Saves: When someone saves your pin to a board. Saves are intent. It means they’re interested — maybe not ready to buy, but keeping it for later. If your saves are high, your ad might be too good for just one glance.

Conversions: When someone signs up, buys, or takes the action you asked for. This is what we’re here for, right? Conversions tell you if your whole ad + landing page combo is working.

So… Which Metrics Actually Matter Most?

If I had to pick the ones to watch like a hawk, it would be these:

Outbound Clicks

This is the biggest signal that your ad is truly working. Pinterest is a traffic platform, and if you’re not getting people to your site, we need to adjust your creative or targeting.

Conversions

This is the actual number of people who took the action you wanted. Whether that’s signing up for your list, buying your product, or filling out a form. It’s easy to obsess over impressions or saves, but conversions are the real proof that your ad is doing its job. No fluff, just results. And tracking this number over time tells you exactly which offers are working.

Cost per Click (CPC)

This is how much you’re paying for every single click on your ad — and it’s where Pinterest really shines. Compared to platforms like Instagram or Facebook, Pinterest clicks are often way more affordable. That means you can get in front of more potential customers without blowing your ad budget. Low CPC with high outbound clicks? That’s a winning combo.

What You Can Worry Less About

Impressions are good for brand awareness, but they’re not what pays the bills.

Saves are a lovely compliment, but you can’t take them to the bank.

Clicks are a first step, but outbound clicks are the real MVP.

Think of impressions, saves, and clicks as breadcrumbs. They’re part of the journey — but not the destination.

If Your Metrics Aren’t Where You Want Them To Be… Don’t Panic

One of the most common questions I get when it comes to Pinterest ads: Where do I even start? You’ve probably heard that Pinterest can be a goldmine for passive traffic and sales (spoiler: it totally can be). But when you finally sit down to launch your first ad, it’s easy to get overwhelmed—there are different ad formats, audience types, budgets, pins, targeting strategies… it’s a lot.

Here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be complicated.
But you do need to start with the right strategy—for where you are right now.

Because truthfully? The best first ad to run on Pinterest depends on whether you already have traffic coming in… or you’re starting from zero.

Let me explain…

Part One: If You Already Have Website Traffic (Even a Little)

If you’ve already got visitors landing on your site—maybe from your blog, SEO, Pinterest content, or even social media—then listen up, because this is where Pinterest ads can really shine.

💡 Start with a remarketing ad.
This is hands-down the best ad to run if you’ve got even a little bit of traffic already trickling in.

Why?
Because it’s targeting people who’ve already seen your brand. Maybe they clicked through to a product, added something to their cart, or read one of your blog posts. These people are already warmed up—and a well-placed Pinterest ad might be the nudge they need to finally hit “buy.”

Real Talk: What Remarketing Can Actually Do

Let me give you a quick example.
In one day, I spent $11 on a remarketing ad and made $470 in return. (Yep, I triple-checked.) That’s the beauty of this type of ad—it’s not trying to introduce you to new people, it’s gently reminding someone who’s already been in your world that your offer is still there. Still helpful. Still worth it.

And when your ad shows up while they’re planning, searching, and making decisions on Pinterest? Magic. And the best part? Since this ad only gets shown to those who have visited your site, it’s a much smaller audience size, which means you really don’t have to spend much.

There it is—that little notification that someone unsubscribed from your list. Maybe you just hit send on a heartfelt email that you poured your energy into. Maybe it was full of value, a personal story, or a reminder about something you’re truly excited to share. You check the stats and see… someone opted out.

Cue that twinge in your chest, the voice in your head that whispers, Was it too much? Was I too much?

Let’s hit pause on that thought spiral.

Because friend? I’m here to remind you: unsubscribes are not the enemy.

They’re actually a gift.

You’re Not Alone in This

Someone I was working with recently told me how frustrating it was to send an email and instantly see people leave her list. And I get it. That initial reaction is so real. It can feel personal.

But here’s the shift I want you to take with you:

An unsubscribe isn’t rejection—it’s refinement.

It’s someone saying, “This isn’t for me right now.” And guess what? That’s okay. Because when you’re running a values-driven business and building a list that reflects your heart, you don’t need everyone. You need the right people.

The Positives Of Someone Unsubscribing

Here’s what happens when someone unsubscribes from your email list:

Your open rates go up because your audience is more engaged

Your click rates improve

Your deliverability score stays healthy

And most importantly? You get to serve a list full of humans who are actually excited to hear from you

Doesn’t that sound like a dream?

Think about it: every unsubscribe is one step closer to a more engaged, more aligned audience. It’s like pruning a plant. You’re not hurting it—you’re helping it grow stronger, healthier, more beautiful.

The Bigger Picture

When we cling to numbers—followers, subscribers, views—we forget the point of it all: connection.

You’re not building a business to reach the most people. You’re building a business to reach the right people. The ones who light up when your email lands in their inbox. The ones who hit reply to say “thank you.” The ones who buy, refer, and stick around.

Those are your people. And the more you show up as you, the easier it will be for them to find you.

So let them go. Let the unsubscribes unsubscribe. Let the unfollows unfollow.

Because when you stop trying to be for everyone, you start deeply serving someone.

A Gentle Reframe for the Next Time You Hit Send

The next time you send a piece of content—whether it’s an email, a post, or a story—and someone unfollows or unsubscribes?

Try saying this to yourself:

“I’m not here to be liked by everyone. I’m here to serve the people who need what I have.”

This morning, I got an email from a reader (hi, friend!) who replied to one of my newsletters with a question that made me stop and smile. It’s such a good question. And it’s one that so many people shy away from asking because the online space has made it seem like we should all already have an audience, a list, and 10,000 followers by day one. When in reality, we all start at 0.

She wrote:

“Hi Elena, first, your email is the only email I receive that I look forward to opening. 🫶🏼 I have a follow up question for this email, if you’re absolutely new, with zilch traffic and just launching your business online, where do we gain email subscribers? I am trying to avoid social media like a plague as much as possible (aside from Pinterest and just showing up on Instagram, because I know I’m easy to squirrel and get sucked in the vortex.) I see this often where online creatives talk about traffic from their email list or sales, but I don’t see much of how they are getting the subscribers in the first place… I feel a lot are buying ads or have incredible SEO?”

So if you’re in the same boat—starting something new with no audience and no clue how to grow—I want to share exactly what I did when I launched my last big idea.

Spoiler: I didn’t use my email list, my website, or even my name. I launched it in the scrappiest way possible. And it still worked so I know it will work for you too!

The Backstory: Launching Without the Safety Net

When I launched Wordsmith, I made a pretty bold decision: I didn’t use my audience.

I had built up a list of over 60,000 subscribers, thousands of customers, and social media followers across multiple platforms. But I wanted to test a theory.

What if I launched something as a total nobody?

No list.
No followers.
No fancy website.
No name recognition.

Just a good offer, placed in front of the right people, using the strategies I’d been teaching and using for years.

So I uploaded Wordsmith to a simple course platform, didn’t link it to my main site, and didn’t even announce it publicly for months. Instead, I created a couple of Pinterest ads, turned them on, and waited.

What happened?

I scaled it to $10,000 MRR (monthly recurring revenue)—before I ever posted about it on Instagram, emailed my list, or updated my website.

The Shift: Why This Changed Everything for Me

This experience reminded me of something I think we all need to hear:

You don’t need a big audience to get started. You need a strategy.

I know that sounds like something plucked off a Pinterest quote board, but it’s true. When you focus on getting in front of the right people instead of everyone, your growth becomes intentional and scalable.

It’s not about being viral. It’s about being visible—strategically.

And in today’s world, when social media can feel like a treadmill you didn’t mean to hop on, this strategy is a breath of fresh air.

Whenever I talk about Pinterest ads, someone always asks: But how much do they actually cost? And it’s a fair question. If you’re running a small business—especially one that’s bootstrapped or run by one person wearing all the hats—every dollar counts. And when it comes to paid advertising, it can be hard to know what’s worth the spend… and what’s not.

So let’s break it down.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how Pinterest ad pricing works, what to expect in terms of budget and ROI, and how to get started without wasting your money.

How Pinterest Ad Costs Work

Pinterest uses a bidding system for ads, which means you can essentially choose how much you’re willing to pay to reach people. There are a few different objectives to choose from—like brand awareness, traffic, conversions—and the cost per result depends on which one you choose.

Here’s a general breakdown:

Traffic Campaigns: Expect to pay anywhere from $0.10 to $1.50 per click.

Conversion Campaigns: These vary more widely, often ranging from $0.75 to $5.00 per conversion (depending on your niche, landing page quality, and product).

Awareness Campaigns: You might pay around $2 to $5 per 1,000 impressions.

The good news? You can start with as little as $5 per day. And with the right strategy (more on that in a second), you can start seeing real results even at a small budget.

For example, my best-performing Pinterest ad cost me just $0.008 per click. That means if I spent $50, I’d reach over 6,000 people—6,250 to be exact.

But here’s the thing: it’s not just 6,250 random people scrolling social media and getting interrupted by an ad. These are 6,250 people actively searching for the exact thing I had to offer. That kind of marketing power—placing your product in front of someone who’s already looking for it—is what makes Pinterest so unique. That’s the kind of reach and efficiency that’s hard to beat on other platforms.

My Real Numbers (This Might Surprise You)

Want to know how much I’ve personally spent on Pinterest ads?

Over the last few years, I’ve spent just over $41,000 promoting one digital product. That’s not pocket change, but the return?

$684,000 in revenue.

That’s the kind of ROI that makes Pinterest ads not just worth it—but one of the smartest investments I’ve made in my business.

It’s not about dumping money into ads and hoping they work. It’s about strategy—knowing your produc

I was working with a client the other week, deep-diving into her website strategy. She felt stuck. Stuck in that place where traffic was coming in, but not much was happening after that. People were landing on her pages, but not clicking. Not signing up. Not buying. And as she said it all out loud, I could see how frustrated she was. Because she had done so much work already—the branding, the photos, the copy.

But something still wasn’t clicking.

So I did what I always do in these moments: I opened up Hotjar.

And just like that, the fog cleared.

Have You Ever Wondered What People Actually Do on Your Website?

Like, not the page views. Not just the bounce rate. But the real, nitty-gritty stuff:

Where they scroll

Where they pause

What they click (or don’t)

When they drop off

Because while Google Analytics is great, it doesn’t tell the full story. Hotjar does.

Hotjar is a tool that gives you heatmaps, session recordings, and even on-page feedback from real users. It lets you watch how people move through your site like you’re peeking over their shoulder (but, you know, not in a creepy way).

The Moment I Fell in Love With Hotjar

Years ago, I had a product page that I thought was rock-solid. Great photos. Great copy. Clear call to action.

And yet… sales were slow.

When I watched the Hotjar session recordings, I noticed something wild: people were scrolling all the way to the bottom of the page… and never seeing the Buy Button. It was buried under a block of testimonials that looked, apparently, a little too much like a footer.

A five-minute tweak and a quick scroll test later?
Sales picked up almost overnight.

What I Learned From Watching Website Behavior

Working with clients (and on my own businesses), I keep coming back to this one simple truth: we’re too close to our own websites.

We know what we meant for someone to do.
But that doesn’t always mean that’s what’s happening.

I’ve seen clients with absolutely gorgeous homepages—stunning visuals, great design—only to find out their visitors never even make it halfway down the page. Or pages with forms that aren’t mobile-friendly, and 60% of traffic is coming from phones.

Hotjar gives you real-time clarity. And that’s something every business owner needs—especially if you’re:

Launching something new

Updating your offers or layout

Getting traffic, but no conversions

Rebranding or rebuilding your website

Trying to figure out why sales dropped (or never started)

Why Traditional Analytics Can Only Tell You So Much

Google Analytics can show you where your traffic is coming from and how long they’re staying. But it won’t show you what they’re doing while they’re there. Hotjar bridges that gap.

With session recordings, you can see the journey. You can watch someone move from your blog to your offer, hover on your pricing, scroll past a form, then leave. And that kind of data is what turns educated guesses into strategic action.

Here’s How I Recommend Using Hotjar (Without Getting Overwhelmed)

You don’t have to watch every single session or analyze every single scroll.
Instead, treat Hotjar like a seasonal check-in. Here’s how I do it:

1. Run It Once or Twice a Year

Especially after a website update or launch. Let it collect data for 2-3 weeks.

2. Watch 5–10 Session Recordings

Look for patterns. Are people clicking where you want them to? Are they confused? Getting stuck?

3. Review the Heatmaps

Where are most users focusing? What are they ignoring? Are your CTAs in the right spots?

4. Make One Small Change at a Time

Tweak your layout, button placement, headline, or form. Then run Hotjar again a few weeks later and compare.

5. Use It as a Decision-Making Tool

Thinking about a full website revamp? Use Hotjar first to see what’s actually working—and what’s not.

6. Repeat When Needed

This isn’t something you have to do constantly. But when you do it intentionally, it can give you some of the clearest insight you’ll ever get about your site.

The Real Power? Seeing Through Your Customer’s Eyes

Working with my current client reminded me of something powerful: sometimes all it takes is seeing your business through someone else’s eyes. When you’ve been building your business for years, you know every inch of your site. You stop noticing what’s confusing because it makes sense to you.

But to a first-time visitor? That navigation bar might be clunky. The headline might be vague. The form might feel too long.

Hotjar lets you step into their shoes. And from that place? You make way better decisions.

The Bottom Line?

You work way too hard on your business to let website confusion stand between you and your next sale.

Tools like Hotjar help you stop guessing and start seeing. They help you understand what people do on your website—so you can stop leaving conversions on the table.

And for me? It’s become one of those tools I recommend to every client. It’s like having a little marketing crystal ball. ✨

If you’ve never tried it, start simple. Install it. Let it run for a week or two. Watch a few recordings. I promise—you’ll never look at your website the same way again.