The Core Truth
Why Your Website Actually Matters
Here's the journey most customers take when they need a contractor:
They search "electrician near me" (or plumber, roofer, etc.)
Usually on their phone
They see the Map Pack (Google Business Profiles)
Reviews and star ratings are front and center
They click through to your website to learn more
This is where your site either helps or hurts you
They decide whether to call
Based on how professional you seem and how easy it is to contact you
Your website is the credibility check between "saw you on Google" and "decided to call." A bad website creates doubt. A good website confirms their decision to reach out.
Yes, Your Customers Are Using Mobile
This isn't speculation—it's reality:
60%+
of local searches happen on mobile devices
76%
of local mobile searchers visit a business within 24 hours
53%
of mobile users leave sites that take over 3 seconds to load
The Reality Check
What Your Website Actually Needs
The list is shorter than you might think:
Fast Loading
Under 3 seconds, ideally under 2. Every extra second loses a chunk of visitors. This means optimized images, clean code, and decent hosting.
Test yours: Google "PageSpeed Insights" and enter your URL. Aim for 90+ on mobile.
Mobile-Friendly
Text is readable without zooming. Buttons are easy to tap. The phone number is a link you can click to call. Navigation works with a thumb.
Test yours: Pull up your site on your phone and try to find your phone number. Can you tap it to call?
Obvious Contact Info
Phone number visible on every page. Contact form that works. Email or text option. Don't make them hunt for how to reach you.
Best practice: Phone number in the header, sticky on mobile. A "Call Now" button that's impossible to miss.
Clear Service Area
What cities/areas do you serve? Put this on the homepage. People want to know immediately if you cover their neighborhood.
Professional Appearance
Clean design, readable fonts, not obviously a template from 2012. You don't need to be flashy—just look like someone who takes their business seriously.
The Problem With Your Old Website
If your website is more than 5 years old, it probably has some of these issues:
| Problem | Why It Hurts |
|---|---|
| Not mobile-friendly | Loses 60%+ of visitors immediately; Google penalizes in rankings |
| Slow loading | Half your visitors leave before seeing anything; hurts Google ranking |
| Outdated design | Makes you look less professional than competitors with modern sites |
| Hard to edit | Info stays wrong/outdated; can't update photos or services |
| No SSL (https) | Browser shows "Not Secure" warning; Google penalizes |
| Flash or old tech | Literally doesn't work on most devices anymore |
Should You Add Live Chat?
Live chat can be valuable—but only if you can actually respond. Here's the honest breakdown:
When Live Chat Works
- •You have staff who can respond quickly (under 1-2 minutes)
- •You use a service with 24/7 live agents
- •You set up a good chatbot for basic questions
- •You clearly show offline hours and capture messages
When Live Chat Backfires
- •You add it but rarely respond
- •Response times are inconsistent (sometimes fast, often hours)
- •It shows as "online" when no one's watching
- •The chatbot is dumb and frustrating
Our Recommendation
What Doesn't Matter as Much as You Think
Fancy animations and effects
They slow down your site and rarely impress customers. Clean and fast beats flashy and slow.
A blog you never update
An empty or stale blog looks worse than no blog. If you won't maintain it, don't have one.
Stock photos of generic workers
People can tell. Real photos of you and your work are better, even if they're not professional quality.
Long paragraphs about your history
Customers want to know: What do you do? Do you serve my area? How do I contact you? Lead with that.
Quick Checklist: Does Your Site Pass?
- Loads in under 3 seconds on mobile
- Phone number visible at the top of every page
- Phone number is clickable (tap to call)
- Easy to find what services you offer
- Clear service area listed
- Contact form that actually works
- SSL certificate (https, no "Not Secure" warning)
- Looks good on a phone screen
- All information is current and accurate
If your site checks all these boxes, you're ahead of most competitors. If it fails on multiple, you're losing potential customers who are clicking away to someone with a better site.
The Bottom Line
Your website is a trust signal. When someone clicks through from Google, they're deciding in seconds whether you seem professional enough to call. A slow, ugly, or confusing website creates doubt. A clean, fast, mobile-friendly site confirms you're the real deal.
You don't need a fancy website. You need one that works: loads fast, looks professional, and makes it dead simple to contact you. That's the bar.
If your current site doesn't clear that bar, it's costing you calls—probably more than you realize.