A lot of small business websites look fine and still do not bring in customers. Looking good and working hard are two different things. A website that converts is built around getting the call, not around winning a design award, and most owners only find out theirs is not converting after months of quiet phone lines.
What does a website that converts actually look like?
It answers three questions above the fold, gives one obvious next step on every page, loads fast on a phone, and asks for as little information as possible. That is most of it. The design matters far less than whether a stranger can work out in five seconds that you solve their problem.
What should a homepage say in the first five seconds?
What you do, who you do it for, and where you do it. A visitor decides in seconds whether they are in the right place, and a clever tagline standing in front of that answer costs you customers. Put the plain version at the top and save the personality for further down the page.
How many calls to action should a page have?
One primary action per page. Call now, get a quote, or book online. A page offering four equal choices leaves the decision to the visitor, and most visitors will not bother deciding. They leave instead. Repeat the same single action a few times down a long page rather than offering different ones.
Does website speed really affect conversions?
Yes, and more than most owners expect. Most visitors arrive on a phone, and a page that takes more than about three seconds to load loses a large share of them before they read a word. A slow site or one that is hard to tap through on mobile fails before your pitch ever gets read.
How many fields should a contact form have?
Three or four. Name, phone, and what they need is enough to start a conversation. Every extra field is another reason for someone to give up halfway through, and you can ask the rest of your questions on the call.
When is it time to rebuild instead of patch?
When fixing one thing keeps exposing another, or when the site was never built around getting the call in the first place. Target Marketeer builds and runs marketing for small businesses in Greensboro and the Triad, and a rebuild is usually the cheaper answer once you are on the third patch. Our website design service covers this from the homepage down to the contact form, starting with a Basic Website at $1,995.
Quick answers
How long does it take to build a small business website?
A straightforward small business site usually takes about two to four weeks once the content is ready. Content is almost always what holds up the timeline, not the build.
What is a good conversion rate for a small business website?
Roughly 2 to 5 percent of visitors taking action is typical for a local service business. If you are well under that with steady traffic, the problem is usually the offer or the next step, not the traffic.
Do I need a blog for my website to convert?
No. A blog helps you get found, which is a separate job from converting. If your traffic is already fine and the calls are not coming, fix the pages before you write posts.
Should my phone number be in the header?
Yes, and it should be tappable on mobile. For most local service businesses the phone number in the header is the single highest performing element on the site.
Is a one page website enough?
It can be, for a single service business with a simple offer. Once you sell several distinct services, separate pages help you rank for each one and let you speak to each customer properly.
If you want an honest look at what your current site is missing, start with our Plan Builder. It is also worth reading how a slow website quietly loses local customers.
