You can usually improve website conversion without a new website. Most sites that get visitors but few enquiries have the same handful of problems: it isn’t obvious what to do next, the form is a chore, the site doesn’t look trustworthy enough, or it’s slow on a phone. Each one has a small, specific fix. Here are twelve, grouped by the problem they solve.
Key takeaways
- Start by measuring enquiries, so you know whether each change helps.
- Make the next step obvious: a clear headline, one main call to action and a tappable phone number.
- Shorter forms convert better. Cut every field you don’t need before the first call.
- Trust comes from specifics: real photos, prices or ranges, and reviews from outside your own site.
- Speed and phone usability affect every other fix on this list.
Do you need a redesign to get more enquiries?
Usually not. A redesign makes sense when the site no longer fits the business or runs on outdated technology. Our flowchart for website redesign vs refresh helps you decide. If your site passes that test, targeted improvements cost far less and start working sooner.
Work through the list below in order. The early items are quick and help every page. Change a few things at a time, then watch the results for a month before changing more.
| Problem | Improvements |
|---|---|
| You can’t tell what’s working | 1. Track enquiries as key events |
| Visitors don’t know what to do | 2. Headline · 3. One main call to action · 4. Tappable phone number |
| Enquiring is a chore | 5. Shorter form · 6. Form that actually arrives · 7. A useful contact page |
| Visitors aren’t convinced | 8. Real photos · 9. Prices or ranges · 10. Outside reviews |
| The site is slow or awkward | 11. Lighter pages · 12. Phone fixes |
How do you know what’s working?
1. Track enquiries before you change anything
If you don’t count enquiries, you can’t tell whether a change helped. In Google Analytics 4, mark form submissions and phone link taps as key events, which Google describes as actions that are important to your business (Google Analytics Help). Record a month of results first. That’s your baseline.
How do you make the next step obvious?
2. Rewrite the headline at the top of the page
The first words a visitor sees should say what you do, for whom and where. “Welcome to our website” wastes the most valuable space you have. “Licensed electricians for homes and offices across Brisbane’s north” does the job. Our website copywriting tips go further.
3. Give every page one main call to action
Decide what you want a visitor to do on each page: call, book or request a quote. Make that one button stand out, and repeat it after the main content. Five equal buttons compete with each other.
4. Put a tappable phone number in the header
Plenty of customers would rather ring than type. Put the number at the top of every page and link it so a phone can dial it with one tap. Check it works on your own mobile.
How do you make enquiring easier?
5. Cut your form down
Nielsen Norman Group’s form guidelines are blunt: “Every time you cut a field or question from a form, you increase its conversion rate” (Nielsen Norman Group). Ask for a name, a way to reply and the job. Collect the rest on the first call. The same guidelines recommend one column, labels above or beside each field rather than inside it, and clear error messages.
6. Make sure the form actually arrives
A broken form loses every enquiry it should have caught. Forms fail quietly when the server’s email isn’t set up properly. Send yourself a test every month. If messages go missing, our guide to a WordPress contact form not sending email explains the fix.
7. Answer the questions people ask before they enquire
Your contact page should show the areas you serve, your hours and how quickly you reply. People hesitate when they can’t tell whether you’ll come to their suburb.
How do you make visitors trust you?
Nielsen Norman Group lists four credibility factors: professional design, being upfront about information customers care about, thorough and current content, and connections to the rest of the web, such as reviews (Nielsen Norman Group). Three cheap fixes cover most of them.
8. Replace stock photos with real ones
Photos of you, your team, your vehicles and your work show there’s a real business behind the site. A phone and good daylight are enough to start.
9. Show prices, or at least ranges
“From $180” or “most jobs cost $1,500 to $3,000” filters out poor-fit enquiries and reassures good ones. If every job is different, explain what affects the price.
10. Show reviews from outside your site
Visitors trust third-party reviews more than testimonials you wrote up yourself. Show a few recent Google reviews with names, and link to your full profile.
How much do speed and phones matter?
11. Make pages lighter
Speed affects every visitor before they read a word. Deloitte found a 0.1-second improvement in mobile speed lifted retail conversions by 8.4% and travel conversions by 10.1% (web.dev). Images are the usual culprit, so start by learning how to optimise images for web. Hosting matters too: WordPress hosting in Australia keeps the server close to your customers.
12. Fix the phone experience
In October 2026, 48.6% of Australian web traffic came from mobiles (StatCounter). Fill in your own form on a phone. Check that text is readable without zooming, buttons are easy to tap and nothing pops up over the content. Our guide to a mobile friendly website lists the usual problems.
Which improvements should you do first?
Start with tracking, then the fixes that touch every page: headline, call to action, phone number and form. Those are often an afternoon’s work. Photos, pricing and reviews take a little longer because you need the material. Speed work comes next, as it’s more technical.
All twelve are part of our website speed and improvement work, and none of them needs a redesign. Once they’re done, our website maintenance plans keep forms tested and pages working after every update.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good conversion rate for a small business website?
It varies too much by industry, traffic source and price to give one number. A plumber’s emergency page and an architect’s portfolio behave very differently. Measure your own rate for a month, then aim to beat it. That comparison is more useful than any industry average.
How long before I see more enquiries?
Fixes like a working form or a tappable phone number can help from the first day. For changes to headlines, photos or pricing, give it at least a month, so you’re comparing a fair amount of traffic. Seasonal businesses should compare with the same period last year.
Should I put prices on my website?
Usually yes, even as a range or a starting price. Being upfront is one of the credibility factors Nielsen Norman Group identifies. A range saves you time on enquiries that were never going to go ahead, and reassures the people who are a good fit.
Is a contact form or a phone number better?
Offer both. Some people want to talk straight away, while others prefer to enquire after hours or in writing. Make the phone number tappable on mobile and keep the form short. Your enquiry tracking will show which one your customers prefer.
Can I make these changes myself?
Many of them, yes. Headlines, photos and prices are content changes most owners can make in WordPress. Tracking, speed work and form delivery are more technical, and mistakes there can break things quietly. Take a backup before you start either way.
Sources
- Key events, Google Analytics Help
- Website forms usability: top 10 recommendations, Nielsen Norman Group, May 2016
- Trustworthiness in web design: 4 credibility factors, Nielsen Norman Group, May 2016
- Milliseconds make millions, web.dev (Deloitte research, 2020)
- Desktop vs mobile vs tablet market share, Australia, StatCounter, October 2026