A Fancy Looking Website Serving No Purpose Is Just a Very Expensive Brochure

Here is the short version. A fancy looking website serving no purpose is just a very expensive brochure. When I build a website, I ask myself two things. How can we convert more prospects into paying customers, and how do we gain trust quickly? That is the job whether you are a local service business in Lake Havasu City, somewhere else in Arizona, or you get customers from all over.

In the world of web design, one thing a lot of people don't take into account is data and analytics. Bounce rate, how many people leave the page and how quickly that happens, who fills out a form, where they did it, and most importantly where they didn't. Web designers have a tendency to focus on how the page looks, but do they ever really consider all the things to bring the customer to that point?

How a customer finds a business in the first place

Let's be honest, a lot of local businesses still get most of their work from word of mouth or social media. Then the person hears the name and they Google you. Same pattern if someone finds you from another city or another country — they still look you up before they reach out. That's where I want to step in.

If you serve a local area and your Google Business Profile is set up right, you can show up in that "local map pack" at the top of the search. I'm not quoting my own clients here. A 2022 study found businesses in that map pack get 126% more traffic and 93% more calls, clicks, and direction requests than the ones sitting just below them. Google doesn't publish many data points on their own software and algorithms but even their official research found that 76% of people who search for something nearby on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours. Consider what that could mean for your business.

How a website helps with Google and the map pack

Some of you are probably asking yourselves right now, okay that's cool and all, but how does a website help me with that? Rightfully so...

Think of your Google Business Page, your social media and your website acting like a giant digital net, designed to capture as much traffic as possible. More eyes = more conversion = more money. That is also why showing up on Google Maps and having a site that actually converts visitors into customers have to go together. One without the other leaves a hole in the net.

Your website is the digital storefront

First impressions matter in person, even more so online where there are a plethora of options for someone to choose from and zero obligation to choose your business. Your website (if designed by me) is purpose built to build trust and to guide a customer to a "call to action".

There are a few things the site has to do:

• Make the call to action impossible to miss. "CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE" in this example. You cannot go to this website and not see it. Intentionally noticeable, but not overpowering.
• SELL YOU. Your business. Why should they choose you?
• Show the work if you have it. A portfolio or gallery helps.
• Tell your story. In my experience people buy people. They want someone reliable. Someone they can trust.
• Capture the lead before they wander off to the next tab.

That is what your website does. We establish trust by telling your story, we create a pleasant and intuitive viewing experience and we capture the lead. If you want the longer version of why a brochure site falls short, I wrote that too: why Lake Havasu businesses should stop treating their website like a brochure.

Ads, Google, and catching the lead while it's still warm

When we run ads, they're designed in the same regard, and the Google Business Page ties it all together. I have also created a Lead Engine which ensures whenever a customer uses your form, which we design to be frictionless and high converting, they can opt into SMS notifications and get a text right away so they know you're going to reach out while the lead is still warm. You the business owner are also sent a text with the person's information as well as an email stating the same.

If you want it tied into a CRM so nothing falls through the cracks, that's there too. If you don't want to use the software, no big deal, you can utilize the texts and emails and use it however you like. The important part is we capture it quickly and effectively.

Beyond that we also design the website to have an AI chat bot integrated onto the website, specifically trained on your business. It can answer the usual questions a customer might have before they ever reach out, and it has hard limits built in that will never quote a price to a customer. Instead it guides them to provide their contact information so you can reach out to them yourself.

Google, your website, and lead capture have to work together

A pretty website with no Google presence, or a Google page with a website that doesn't convert, doesn't do you much good. You can also look at the numbers and tell pretty quickly if the site is actually doing its job — I wrote about how to know if your website is working if you want the simple version of that.

It all comes back to those two questions I asked at the start. Are we converting more prospects into paying customers, and are we gaining trust quickly?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a brochure website?

A brochure website looks finished but does not do a job. It might have a logo, some photos, and a contact page, but it does not build trust, show why someone should choose you, or make it obvious what to do next. Pretty with no purpose is just a very expensive brochure.

What is the local map pack?

It's the map and the three businesses Google puts near the top of a local search. That is usually where the calls, clicks, and direction requests come from. Your Google Business Profile is what feeds it, and your website is what has to finish the job once someone taps through.

Does this only work for local businesses?

The map pack is a local Google thing. A website that converts, a clear call to action, and catching the lead while it's still warm applies to any business that needs customers — whether they are down the street, somewhere else in Arizona, or finding you from another country.

Do I need ads if I already have a website?

Not always. When we run ads, they point at a site built to convert. Ads without a good landing spot are just paid traffic bouncing. If you want the honest breakdown, I wrote about whether Google Ads are worth it and whether Facebook and Instagram ads actually work for local businesses.

Will the chat bot quote a price to my customers?

No. It is trained on your business and it can answer the usual questions, but it has hard limits. It will not quote a price. It points people to leave their info so you can talk to them yourself.

The Bottom Line

A fancy looking website serving no purpose is just a very expensive brochure. If that's what you've got right now and you're tired of it, send me a message. I'll take a look at where you stand and let you know if it's even worth doing — or start with a free Local Visibility & Lead Audit and I'll show you the gaps in plain English.