I speak to a lot of business owners who think their problem is traffic. Sometimes it is. But often when I look at the numbers, people are getting to the website fine. They’re just leaving without ringing, messaging or filling anything in. More visitors won’t fix that. You’d just be pouring more water into a leaky bucket. This post is about plugging the leaks, so more of the people who already find you actually get in touch.
Why do people visit your website and not get in touch?
Usually because something made it harder than ringing the next business on Google. They couldn’t tell straight away if you did what they needed. They couldn’t find your number. The page took ages to load on their phone. Or nothing on the site made them feel you were a safe pair of hands.
None of those are big, expensive problems. They’re small bits of friction, and each one loses you a few people. Fix a handful of them and the difference in enquiries can be bigger than a jump in rankings.
What should people see in the first five seconds?
What you do, where you do it and how to get hold of you. That’s it. If someone lands on your site from a search for “electrician Wallasey”, the top of the page should say you’re an electrician covering Wallasey. Not “Welcome to our website” or a slideshow of stock photos.
Check it on your own phone, not your laptop. Most of your customers are looking on a phone, and the top of a mobile screen is very small. If the first thing they see is a giant logo and a menu button, a lot of them won’t scroll to find out more. I go into this more in why your website must work on a phone.
How do you make it easy for people to get in touch?
Put your phone number at the top of every page and make it tap to call on a phone. It sounds obvious. I still see plenty of sites where the number is only on the contact page, or it’s an image that can’t be tapped.
Then give people more than one way in. Some will ring. Plenty won’t, especially younger customers or anyone at work. A short form and a WhatsApp button catch those people. WhatsApp works really well for trades, because customers can send a photo of the job and you can quote without a visit. Whichever options you offer, put a button for them at the end of every page, so nobody has to go looking.
How do you get website visitors to trust you?
Show them you’re real. Photos of you, your team, your van and your actual work do far more than any stock image. Real reviews matter a lot too. I’d put a few of your best Google reviews on the pages people land on, with the customer’s first name. My post on why Google reviews matter explains how to keep them coming in.
Be clear about the things people worry about. Roughly what does it cost? How quickly can you come out? Are you insured or accredited? If you can’t give a fixed price, say how you work it out. People are much more likely to get in touch when they’re not worried about a nasty surprise.
Why does each service need its own page?
Because people search for a specific job, and they want to land on a page about that job. Someone looking for “garage door repair” doesn’t want your home page listing twelve services. They want a page that says you fix garage doors, shows a few you’ve fixed and tells them how to book.
It helps your SEO as well, because Google can match that page to that search. Each page should answer the questions people ask you on the phone about that job, and finish with a clear way to get in touch. If you’re not sure which jobs to build pages for, start with how to choose the right SEO keywords.
How do you make a form people will fill in?
Keep it short. Name, phone or email and a box for what they need is plenty to start the conversation. Every extra box you add loses you a few people. You can ask for the rest when you speak to them.
Tell people what happens after they press send, and how soon they’ll hear back. Then actually test it. I’ve lost count of the forms I’ve found that were sending enquiries to an old email address, or straight to a spam folder. If you haven’t had a form enquiry in a while, that’s the first thing I’d check.
How do you know if your website is bringing in more enquiries?
Track the calls, forms and WhatsApp clicks, not just the visits. With Google Analytics set up you can see which pages people get in touch from and which ones they leave from. That tells you where to focus.
For the businesses I work with, all of that shows up in a live reporting portal they can log into any time. So when I change a page, we can both see whether the enquiries from it go up. If you’re thinking about a new site to fix all this in one go, read questions to ask a web design company first. Plenty of sites only need a few changes, not a rebuild.
Getting visitors but not enough calls?
Send me your website and I’ll look at it on a phone, the way your customers do. I’ll tell you where people are dropping off and what I’d change first.
If you want me to crack on, it’s £125 a week, about £18 a day, on a 30 day rolling basis.
Free website check
Checked by me, not a tool.
Rather message? WhatsApp 07463 631121 or call 0151 402 0925.
Questions people ask me
Why is my website getting visitors but no enquiries?
Usually it’s friction. People can’t see what you do, can’t find your number or don’t feel sure about you. Small fixes often help a lot.
Where should my phone number go?
At the top of every page, as a tap to call link on phones.
Should I add WhatsApp to my website?
For most local businesses, yes. Plenty of people would rather message than ring.
How many boxes should my contact form have?
As few as you can get away with. Name, contact details and what they need is enough to start.
Do I need a new website to get more enquiries?
Not always. A lot of sites need a few changes, not a rebuild.
Should I show prices on my website?
If you can, yes. If not, explain how you price jobs. People hate guessing.
How do I know if my form is working?
Send yourself a test enquiry every now and then, and check your spam folder.
Can you track where my enquiries come from?
Yes. I set up tracking and you can see it in a live reporting portal.
Keep reading
If your site is slow, that’s often the biggest leak of all, so read why a slow mobile site costs you customers. If you’re getting plenty of enquiries but want more people finding you in the first place, how to get more clicks from Google is the next step. And my web development page explains how I build sites with enquiries in mind from day one.
Hi, I’m PeteWant more calls from the visitors you already get?
Send me your website. I’ll look at it on a phone and tell you the three changes I’d make first.
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