Many small business websites look perfectly nice but bring in very few enquiries. The design is fine. The problem is usually the words. Visitors arrive, cannot quickly see whether the business can help them, and leave.
You do not need to be a professional copywriter to fix this. You just need to see your website through your customer’s eyes.
Answer three questions in five seconds
When someone lands on your home page, they want to know:
- What do you do?
- Is it for someone like me?
- What should I do next?
Your main headline and the first few lines underneath it should answer all three. “Friendly, reliable plumbers covering Kettering and Corby. Same-day call-outs available. Call now for a free quote” works far better than “Welcome to our website”.
Talk about them, not you
It is tempting to fill a website with your history, qualifications and values. These things matter, but they are not what visitors care about first. They care about their problem and whether you can solve it.
Try counting how many times your pages say “we” compared with “you”. If “we” is winning by a long way, rewrite some sentences to focus on the customer and the result they get.
Be specific
Vague claims like “high quality service” and “competitive prices” appear on almost every website, so they mean very little. Specific details are far more convincing:
- “Over 400 kitchens fitted since 2012.”
- “Most quotes sent within 24 hours.”
- “Fixed prices agreed before we start, so there are no surprises.”
Show proof
People trust other customers more than they trust you. Include genuine reviews and testimonials, ideally with names and locations. Add photos of real work, short case studies and any recognised accreditations or memberships.
Make sure your reviews are real. Invented testimonials damage trust and can break consumer protection rules.
Make the next step obvious
Every page should end with a clear call to action, such as calling, booking or requesting a quote. Put your phone number at the top of every page and make it tappable on mobile. Keep contact forms short. The more boxes there are to fill in, the fewer people complete them.
Give each service its own page
If you offer several services, give each one a dedicated page explaining what it involves, who it is for, typical prices or price ranges and answers to common questions. This helps visitors find exactly what they need and helps search engines understand what you offer.
Write for mobile
Most visitors will be on a phone. Keep paragraphs short, use clear headings and bullet points, and check every page on your own phone. If you find yourself pinching and scrolling to read something, so will your customers.
Keep it fresh
A website that has not changed in years sends a quiet message that the business may not be very active. Adding regular blog posts, updating photos and keeping prices and opening hours current all help. Search engines also tend to favour sites that are kept up to date.
Test and improve
Ask a few friends or customers to look at your site and tell you honestly what they think you do, and what they would do next. If their answers do not match what you intended, adjust the wording. Small changes to a headline or a button can make a noticeable difference to the number of enquiries you get.
