Growing beyond referrals

How do you get customers beyond word of mouth?

Start with one service you want more enquiries for. Use the words customers use, show work they can recognise and make it easy to ask about their own job.

A recommendation can give someone a reason to call. A person finding you on Google has to decide for themselves whether you can help.

Check your service page

What should you change first?

Choose a job you want more of and can take on now. Open its service page on your phone. Read it as someone who knows nothing about your company.

For example, a warehouse manager looking for an epoxy floor needs more than a page saying “flooring solutions.” They need to know whether you install that type of floor, what a completed job looks like and how to ask about their building.

  • Name the work. Say what you install, repair or advise on. Explain the details that decide whether a job fits, such as building type, project size or the services included.
  • Show a relevant example. Pair a real photograph with a short explanation of the work. A visitor should be able to tell what you did, rather than guess from a gallery.
  • Make the request straightforward. Use a specific action such as “Request an installation quote” or “Ask about bookkeeping.” Tell people what information to send and check that the request reaches your team.

Write down anything you still need to know before calling. Add the missing answers to the page. For a closer look at the contact process, follow our website enquiry walkthrough.

What does this look like on a real website?

The Riverpark Pet Hospital desktop preview below shows opening hours, a phone number and a “Schedule an Appointment” button. The pet portal and online pharmacy have their own links, so an existing client can find them without going through the appointment request.

Riverpark Pet Hospital homepage preview with opening hours, phone contact, appointment and online pharmacy choices
AMÁRQUEZ website workRiverpark Pet Hospital
Visit Riverpark website

AMÁRQUEZ created a new website and design, carried out SEO work and produced original media for Riverpark without stock photos. The preview shows how the page helps a visitor find information and choose an action; it is not a measurement of new appointments.

An accounting firm has different questions to answer. A prospective client may need bookkeeping, tax preparation or help with reports. Our accounting website checklist uses the MBS Accountancy website to show how a firm can explain those services before a consultation.

How do you get that page in front of new customers?

Find out how people discover the service now. In Google Search Console, look at the searches bringing impressions to that page. Separate searches for your business name from searches for the work itself. Someone typing your name may already know you; someone searching for the service may be meeting you for the first time.

If the page is absent from Google, start with our indexing and ranking checks. If it gets visits but few requests, check the page and contact process before assuming it needs more traffic. A quiet month alone does not tell you which part needs fixing.

Google Ads can bring searchers to a specific service page while you pay for those clicks. Choose one offer, agree what you can spend and record which enquiries turn into work. Our SEO and Google Ads comparison explains the costs and tradeoffs before you choose.

What changes when you want customers in another city?

You may have fewer customers there to recommend you. Explain how you will do the work before asking someone to enquire.

A contractor taking jobs farther from Fresno might accept a large commercial installation but decline a small repair that involves the same drive. An accounting firm may handle an engagement remotely. A supplier may deliver a product but leave installation to the buyer. Your page should explain the arrangement that actually applies to your business.

Give that information on the relevant service page. A list of California cities leaves the customer to work out the rest. Use our California service-area worksheet to decide where to promote each job and what an enquiry needs to tell your team.

Which service would you like more enquiries for?

Send us your website and tell us what work you want more of. Is the problem being found, getting people to contact you, or receiving requests you cannot take on? We can discuss the website, SEO or advertising work needed to address it.

Our team is based in Fresno. Website, SEO and advertising work can be delivered remotely across California; onsite work is agreed separately.

Tell us where you’re getting stuck