Smart Website Solutions · Utah

How people will find your website

Sometimes it is easier to find a company’s phone number than its website. A site nobody visits does nothing for you, so once it is built, people need to be pointed at it. Some of that happens online, and some of the best of it happens face to face.

When someone nearby searches for what you do, you want to be on the list. That starts with the site itself: pages that use the words your customers actually type, clear titles, and a site that loads quickly and works on phones. I build sites this way and help local service businesses write pages that search engines can understand. Results take time, but it is still one of the steadiest sources of new customers.

For more, read five local search strategies for small businesses and what Core Web Vitals are, Google’s measure of how fast and smooth your pages feel. To see what a faster site does to those measures, I rebuilt one WordPress site three different ways and timed each. The write-up has the numbers, for anyone who likes the details.

  • Email your customers. A short, useful email keeps you in mind for the next job. My beginner’s guide to Mailchimp walks through the first one.
  • Earn links from other websites. Ask suppliers, partners and local groups to link to you. Good links send visitors directly, and they help search engines trust your site.
  • Advertise where your customers look. Local Google Ads campaigns put you in front of people searching nearby right now. I set up and run these.
  • Use social media in your own voice. Share what you do and answer questions, so people already know you when they need you.

Offline: the habits people forget

  • Put your web address on everything. If your phone number is on it, your website should be too: business cards, invoices, brochures, vehicles, ads, press releases and the signature at the bottom of your emails.
  • Ask happy customers to tell people. Word of mouth is free and trusted. People love to share a good experience, so ask.
  • Announce your new site. A small mailer or email to existing customers and contacts tells them it is there.
  • Go back to the customers you have. They already trust you, and they are the easiest source of new work.
  • Be visible locally. Join the chamber of commerce, show up at trade shows, and mention your website when you talk about your business.
  • Use traditional ads you can afford. Newspaper, magazine and TV ads still work. A press release or a local interview can work too, and costs nothing.

Questions people ask

How do customers find a local business online?

Mostly by searching for what you do near them, so your site needs pages that use the words they type, clear titles, quick loading and a layout that works on a phone.

Do you run Google Ads?

Yes. I set up and run local Google Ads campaigns that put you in front of people searching nearby right now.

What can I do to be found without paying for ads?

Put your web address on everything that has your phone number, ask happy customers to tell people, email the customers you have, and ask suppliers and local groups to link to you.

Why does Google care how fast my site is?

Google wants to send people to pages that feel good to use, so it measures how fast and smooth your pages are for real visitors. Those measures are called Core Web Vitals.

Where should I start?

Search for what you do plus your town, and see whether your site comes up and loads quickly on your phone. Then tell me what you find and who you want to reach, and I will suggest the next step.