If your website gets visitors but no enquiries, the site is doing half its job. Google or social media is sending people. Something on the page is stopping them from getting in touch.
Research from Nielsen Norman Group found visitors decide in the first 10 seconds whether a page is worth their time. If they can't tell what you do, where you work and how to contact you in that window, most of them leave.
Below are the seven most common causes, what to check for each, and what fixing it looks like. Open your site on your phone and work through them in order.
1. Visitors can't tell what you do in 10 seconds
The top of your homepage should answer three questions: what you do, who it's for and where you work. "Excellence in every project" answers none of them. "Emergency plumber in Lane Cove and the Lower North Shore" answers all three.
2. The phone number and contact button are hard to find
Many sites hide the phone number in the footer or behind a Contact page. On a phone, that means scrolling past everything to find it.
- Phone number in the header: make it tappable, so one tap starts a call.
- One clear button: "Get a quote" or "Book now" near the top of every page.
- Repeat it: add the same button at the end of each service page, where a reader has just decided.
3. Your enquiry form asks for too much
Every extra field is another reason to give up. Baymard Institute's checkout research found the average online store asks for 11.3 form fields when most need only 8, and 17% of shoppers have abandoned a checkout because it was too long or complicated. An enquiry form is no different.
For a first enquiry you usually need a name, a phone number or email, and a message. Ask the rest when you call back.
4. The site is slow or awkward on phones
Most local searches happen on a phone. Google's guidance is that a good page shows its main content within 2.5 seconds and responds to a tap within 200 milliseconds. A page that loads slowly, jumps around or needs pinching and zooming loses people before they read a word.
5. There's no reason to trust you
People are handing over their details to a stranger. They look for proof you're real and good at the job before they do.
- Real photos of you, your team and your work, not stock images.
- Your Google reviews, linked or shown on the page.
- Your ABN, licence numbers and the suburbs you serve.
- A short "what happens next" so people know you'll call back.
6. You're attracting the wrong visitors
Sometimes the visitors aren't customers. A blog post that ranks nationally brings readers from other states. Ads with broad keywords bring people looking for something else. Traffic goes up, enquiries don't.
7. There's no price guide or clear next step
Visitors who can't get any sense of cost often leave to find a business that gives one. You don't need a fixed price list. A starting price, a typical range or "most jobs cost between" is enough to keep people reading.
Then tell them exactly what to do: call, book a time or send a photo of the job. A single next step converts better than five options.
Key takeaways
- (01)
Visitors decide within about 10 seconds. Say what you do and where at the top of the page.
- (02)
Put a tappable phone number and one clear button on every page.
- (03)
Cut the enquiry form to the fields you need for a first reply, and test it yourself.
- (04)
Check the searches bringing people in. More traffic doesn't help if it's the wrong traffic.
Frequently asked questions
How many enquiries should a small business website get?
There's no single benchmark that fits every industry. Track your own numbers instead: visitors per month from Google Analytics and enquiries per month from your inbox and phone. Then see whether each fix above moves the ratio.
Is it my website or my marketing?
Check the searches in Google Search Console first. If people are searching for what you sell in your area and still leave, it's the website. If the searches don't match your business, it's the marketing.
Should I add a chat box to get more enquiries?
Only if someone will answer it quickly. A chat box nobody replies to hurts trust. Fix the headline, the phone number and the form first.
Why does my contact form get spam but no real enquiries?
Bots find forms easily, so spam isn't a sign of real traffic. Add spam protection, then send a test enquiry to make sure genuine messages still reach you.
More answers on price, hosting and timing in our FAQ.