You’ve got a website. Maybe you’re even getting some traffic. But the phone isn’t ringing. No enquiry forms coming through. What’s going wrong?

This is one of the most common problems we see with trades websites. The issue isn’t always a lack of traffic — it’s a lack of conversion. Visitors are landing on your site and leaving without taking action. Here are the seven most common reasons why, and what to do about each one.

1. Your Phone Number Isn’t Prominent Enough

This sounds obvious, but the number of trades websites where you have to hunt for the phone number is genuinely staggering. Your phone number should be:

  • In the header of every page
  • Large enough to read at a glance
  • Clickable on mobile (a tel: link)
  • In the footer
  • On your contact page (obviously)
  • Near every call-to-action button

Most trade jobs are booked by phone. Make it as easy as possible to call you.

2. Your Website Loads Too Slowly

53% of mobile users abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. For trade customers — who are often searching in a hurry — slow load times cost you jobs. Check your speed at Google’s PageSpeed Insights. If you’re scoring below 70 on mobile, you’re losing leads.

Common causes of slow trades websites:

  • Uncompressed images (hero images should be under 150kb)
  • Cheap, slow hosting
  • Too many plugins or scripts
  • No caching in place

3. Your Website Doesn’t Build Trust Quickly Enough

A customer landing on your website for the first time knows nothing about you. They need to quickly see that you’re legitimate, local, and trusted. The most effective trust signals for trades websites are:

  • Google reviews — display your star rating prominently
  • Accreditations — Gas Safe, NICEIC, NAPIT, Which? Trusted Trader, Checkatrade
  • Photos of your work — real, high-quality photos (not stock images)
  • Years in business — “Serving Leeds since 2008” builds instant credibility
  • Local signals — your area, your face, your van, your team

4. Your Call to Action Is Weak or Unclear

“Contact Us” is the world’s weakest call to action. Compare it to:

  • “Book a Free Survey”
  • “Get Your Free Quote Today”
  • “Call Now — We Aim to Answer Within 3 Rings”
  • “Book Your Emergency Call-Out”

Be specific about what the customer gets when they take action. Reduce the perceived risk. “No call-out charge” and “free quotes” remove objections before they’re raised.

5. Your Contact Form Asks for Too Much

Every extra field on a contact form reduces the completion rate. If your form asks for name, email, phone, address, service required, date required, and a message — you’re going to lose people halfway through. Ask for the minimum: name, phone number, and a brief message. That’s it. You can get the rest when you call them back.

6. Your Website Isn’t Mobile-Optimised

Over 70% of trade searches happen on mobile. If your website looks broken on a phone, or if buttons are too small to tap, or if text runs off the edge of the screen — you’re failing the majority of your visitors. Test your website on your own phone right now. If anything looks wrong, fix it immediately.

7. There’s No Social Proof “Above the Fold”

“Above the fold” means what’s visible without scrolling. Research consistently shows that most users don’t scroll — they make their decision based on what they see immediately. If your hero section is just a generic photo and a vague headline with no social proof, you’re losing people before they even see your services.

Move your review count, star rating, and key accreditations above the fold. Show them immediately who you are and why they should trust you.

The 5-Second Test

Ask someone who doesn’t know your business to look at your homepage for 5 seconds, then close it. Ask them: What does this company do? Where do they operate? Why should I call them? If they can’t answer all three questions, your homepage needs work.

Turning Traffic Into Leads

CRO (Conversion Rate Optimisation) is the discipline of making more of your existing traffic take action. Even a 1% improvement in conversion rate can double your leads if you’re getting meaningful traffic. It’s often the fastest and cheapest way to grow your trade business — because you’re not paying for more traffic, you’re just making better use of what you already have.

At Grwthhub, CRO is one of our six core levers. We analyse how visitors behave on your site, identify exactly where they’re dropping off, and make targeted improvements that increase enquiries.

Learn more about our CRO service or book a free website audit.