Most business owners only look at their website on a big computer screen, at work, on fast wifi. Your customers usually don't. They find you on a phone, often in a hurry, and decide in a few seconds whether to call you or go back to Google. Here are five checks you can do yourself in ten minutes.
- Check your website the way customers see it: on a phone, on mobile data.
- A tap-to-call button and an easy enquiry form matter more than fancy design.
- Fix speed first, because it affects everything else.
1. Speed on a phone
Turn off wifi, open your website on your phone and count how long it takes for the main content (usually your headline) to appear.
Google's own guideline is that the main content of a page should appear in under 2.5 seconds. If yours takes noticeably longer, some visitors will give up before they see it, and Google may show your competitors ahead of you.
Our free 60-second website check measures your speed on a phone using Google's own tool, and shows you the top things to fix.
2. Can they call you in one tap?
On a phone, your phone number should be a button that starts a call when tapped, at the top of every page. If customers have to scroll to the footer, copy your number, or squint at text in an image, many won't bother.
While you're there, check the number itself. Is it the one you actually answer?
3. Is there an easy way to enquire on every page?
Not everyone wants to call, especially after hours. A short enquiry form (name, phone or email, and a message) on every page catches the people who would rather type. If your only form is hidden on a contact page, you're making customers hunt for it.
Forms that ask for too much (address, budget, how they heard about you) before someone can send them get abandoned. Ask for the minimum and collect the rest when you reply.
4. Do you show up on Google Maps?
Search for your service and suburb, for example "plumber Norwood", on your phone. Do you appear in the map results? If not, your Google Business Profile probably needs work. It's free and it's often where local customers decide who to call.
5. Would a stranger trust you?
Look at your homepage as if you'd never heard of your business. Within a few seconds, can you tell:
- What you do, and where?
- That you're a real, local business (a photo of you or your team helps)?
- That other customers have been happy (reviews or testimonials)?
- What to do next (a clear button like "Get a free quote")?
If any of these are missing or buried, add them near the top of the page.
What to fix first
If you only do one thing, fix speed on a phone: a slow site loses people before they see anything else. Next, make sure calling and enquiring are one tap away on every page. Then work on your Google Business Profile and reviews.
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Rhys builds and looks after every Reactive Web website himself, from Redwood Park in Adelaide, for local service businesses that want more calls, bookings and enquiries.
