Is your website giving customers enough confidence to choose you?
When a business needs more customers, it is easy to assume the answer is more marketing. More posts, more adverts, more work on Google.
But before you spend more, look closely at your website. When somebody lands on it, can they quickly understand what you do, whether you can help them and why they should choose you?
Your website is often the first proper look someone gets at your business. It needs to do more than look nice. It should help the right person feel that they have found the right place.
Make it clear what you do
A visitor should not have to piece together what your business offers from several pages.
Use clear words to explain your services. Say who you work with and where you work, if location matters. Avoid relying on phrases like “solutions for every need” or “a service you can trust”. They sound fine, but they do not tell a customer much.
Imagine someone who has never heard of you reading your homepage. Could they explain what you do after a few seconds? If not, make the main message simpler.
Answer the questions people are already asking
Before contacting a business, people often want to know the basics. How much might it cost? Do you cover their area? What is included? How long does it take? What happens after they get in touch?
You do not have to publish every price, especially if each job is different. But you can explain how pricing works, what affects the cost and whether you offer a quote. A little useful information can save both you and the customer time.
Think about the questions you answer on the phone every week. If several people ask the same thing, add the answer to your website.
Show the real business behind the website
People want to know who they might be dealing with. A short introduction to you and your team can make a business feel more approachable. Real photographs of your people, premises or work are usually more reassuring than generic stock pictures.
Reviews can help too, especially when they say what you did and how the customer felt about the experience. If you have qualifications, years of experience or examples of completed work that matter to your customers, include them.
You do not need to make big claims. Give people something real that helps them feel comfortable choosing you.
Make it easy to use on a phone
Many people will visit your website on their phone, often while they are out and about. Check that the writing is easy to read, buttons are easy to tap and the important information is not buried halfway down the page.
Try it yourself. Open your website on your phone and find your phone number, service details and contact form. Then fill in the form. If it is fiddly for you, it may be putting customers off too.
Make the next step clear. If you want someone to call, show the number clearly. If you want them to ask for a quote, tell them what details to include and when they can expect a reply.
Give each service room to be understood
If you offer several services, make sure each one has a clear explanation. A single page that briefly mentions everything may not give a customer enough detail to know whether you do the job they need.
A useful service page explains what the service involves, who it is for, what the customer can expect and how to take the next step. Keep it focused on the questions a real customer would have. You do not need to fill it with technical terms or repeat the same phrase over and over.
Take an honest look at your website
Ask someone who does not know your business to look at your site and tell you:
1. What do you think this business does?
2. Who do you think it helps?
3. What would you want to know before contacting it?
4. Was it clear what to do next?
Listen to the answers. If they are unsure, your customers may be unsure too. You could also check which pages people visit most and whether they reach the contact page, but start with the basics: is the information clear and useful?
If the website is doing its job, check your reply
If the site explains your service well, answers the main questions and makes contact simple, then look at what happens after someone gets in touch.
Are you replying promptly? Are you answering the question they asked? Do you explain what happens next? A good website can encourage someone to contact you, but they still need a helpful response from a real person.
The order matters. First make sure the website gives people a reason to enquire. Then make sure you are there to help when they do.
Before spending more on marketing, give your website a proper look from the customer’s point of view. A few clear answers, real proof and an easier next step may make more difference than simply trying to send more people to the site.