A new website only fixes the second problem. Before you spend money on one, run through these six checks. Most take a few minutes and cost nothing.
1. Is anyone visiting the website?
Open Google Search Console or your analytics and look at visits for the last month. If only a handful of people arrive each week, the website isn’t failing to convert. It has nobody to convert. That’s a traffic problem, and the fix is your Google Business Profile, reviews, local SEO or advertising.
2. Can a stranger tell what you do in five seconds?
Show your homepage to someone who doesn’t know your business. After five seconds, ask what you do, where you work and how to contact you. If they can’t answer all three, visitors can’t either.
3. Does it work on a phone?
- Does the phone number call you when tapped?
- Does the page load in a couple of seconds on mobile data?
- Can you fill in the contact form with one thumb?
Most local searches happen on a phone. A site that only works well on a desktop loses those people.
4. Does the contact form actually reach you?
Submit your own form today. Check that the message arrives, that it doesn’t land in spam, and how long it takes. Broken forms are common, and owners often don’t find out for months.
5. Does the website give people a reason to trust you?
- Real photos of your work, your team or your shop
- Real reviews with names
- Your service area, license or years in business
Stock photos and vague claims do the opposite. Visitors notice.
6. How fast do you answer?
People who request a quote usually contact more than one business. The first to reply often gets the job. If calls go to voicemail and form requests wait until tomorrow, the leads are arriving and then leaving. A missed-call text-back or an automatic reply closes that gap.
When is a new website the right fix?
When people are visiting but steps 2 to 5 fail: the site is unclear, hard to use on a phone, or doesn’t look trustworthy. If step 1 is the problem, fix traffic first. If step 6 is the problem, fix follow-up first. A new site won’t solve either one.
That’s the same check we run on every application. If the problem isn’t the website, we’ll say so. See what a Final Form build includes, or read what a small business website costs.