You’ve got a website. It looks fine. But how do you get the right people to find it, and then actually get in touch once they’re there? And where should you start, when everyone seems to be selling something different? SEO, ads, social media, a new website, more content.
By the end of this article, you’ll have a simple order of work for marketing your website as a professional service firm. You’ll know what to fix before you spend anything on traffic. We’ll start with getting the website ready, then look at search, Google Business Profile, reviews, paid ads and your own contacts. We’ll finish with what to measure.
Key takeaways
- Get the website ready before you send anyone to it. Traffic to a confusing page is wasted.
- For most service firms, search and Google Business Profile are the steadiest sources of new enquiries.
- Reviews matter, and the firms that get them usually ask in a routine way.
- Paid ads work best once tracking is in place and the page is ready.
- Track enquiries by source, so you know what to do more of.
In this article
- Get the website ready before you market it
- Help people find you when they search
- Make your Google Business Profile work for you
- Ask for reviews in a routine way
- Use paid ads once the basics are in place
- Use the people who already know you
- Track enquiries, not only visitors
Get the website ready before you market it
This is the step most firms skip. They spend on ads or SEO, send people to the website, and the website doesn’t help them get in touch. Before you market anything, check these four things.
The five-second test
Show your home page to someone outside the business for five seconds. Can they say what you do and who you help? If not, start there.
Simple menus
Name menu items the way clients would. “Family law” is clearer than “Our expertise”. Keep the main menu short.
Trust near the next step
Put real reviews or results close to the button or form. That’s the moment people hesitate.
Easy contact on every page
A tappable phone number and one clear next step on every page. Keep the contact form short.
Not sure why the website isn’t bringing enquiries now? Our guide to why a website isn’t getting enquiries walks through the usual causes.
Help people find you when they search
When someone needs a firm like yours, they often type the problem and a place into Google. Your website needs pages that match those searches.
A page for each service, and for each place you serve
One page that lists everything you do is hard for Google to match to a search. A page for each main service gives it something clear to show.
If you serve more than one town, a page for each service in each main town can help. Each one needs real, local detail. Never reuse the same words with the town name swapped.
Articles that answer real questions
Write down the questions clients ask you before they buy. How much does it cost? How long does it take? What happens first?
Each of those can be an article. Answer it honestly and in everyday words, then link to the service page it relates to.
Longer, more specific searches
Broad searches like “solicitor” are hard to win. Searches like “solicitor for a business lease dispute in Derby” are easier, and the person searching is closer to getting in touch.
Make your Google Business Profile work for you
For local service firms, the Google Business Profile is often the first thing people see. It shows on Google Maps and at the top of local searches. Fill in every section. Choose the right main category, add your services, opening hours and real photos of your team and office.
Keep your name, address and phone number exactly the same everywhere online. That includes your website and directories such as Yell or your professional body’s listing.
Post updates now and then, and answer questions people ask on the profile. A profile that looks looked-after builds trust before anyone visits your website.
Ask for reviews in a routine way
Reviews help people decide between firms they’ve never met. They also help your Google Business Profile show up. In my experience, firms with lots of reviews rarely got them by luck. They ask every happy client, at the right moment, in the same way each time.
Pick a moment when the client is pleased, such as when a matter closes well. Send a short message with a direct link to leave a review. Make it easy.
Reply to every review, good or bad. A calm, helpful reply to a poor review can build as much trust as a good review.
Use paid ads once the basics are in place
Paid ads can bring enquiries quickly. They can also spend a lot quickly if the website isn’t ready or the tracking isn’t set up. For most professional service firms, Google search ads are the best place to start. People are already searching for help, so the intent is there.
LinkedIn ads can suit firms that sell to other businesses, but clicks there can cost more. Facebook and Instagram can work for some consumer services. They tend to suit awareness more than urgent needs.
Whatever you choose, start small. Track every enquiry back to the advert, and check the search terms you’re paying for every week.
Use the people who already know you
Referrals and past clients are often a firm’s best source of work. Your website still plays a part here. When someone is referred to you, they usually look you up before calling. If the website is clear and up to date, the referral is easier to turn into an enquiry.
But referrals have limits. They come in waves, and you can’t turn them up when you need more work. We look at that in our article on why referrals aren’t enough for growth.
Stay in touch with past clients too. A short, useful email every month or so keeps you in mind for repeat work and introductions.
Track enquiries, not only visitors
Visitor numbers are encouraging, but they don’t pay the bills. What you want to know is how many enquiries came in, and where from. Set up tracking for form enquiries and website calls.
Google Analytics and Google Search Console are free, and your web person can connect them.
Then keep a simple record each month. Enquiries by source, how many became calls and how many became clients. After a few months, you’ll see what deserves more time and money.
A simple first month
- Week 1: run the five-second test and fix your home page message and contact details.
- Week 2: fill in your Google Business Profile and check your details match everywhere.
- Week 3: write down your clients’ top questions and plan an article for each.
- Week 4: set up enquiry tracking and start a routine for asking for reviews.
Only then decide whether paid ads make sense, and how much to test with.
What this looked like for one client
An established UK law firm had a website that brought in no meaningful enquiries. We built local service and location pages, each with a clear next step, and set up a follow-up plan for new enquiries.
The firm went from near-zero website enquiries to more than 60 a month in 2024.
The work ran together, alongside the firm’s own work, so no single change can take all the credit.
Get the order right
Marketing a website works best in the right order. Get the website ready first, so the people you attract can get in touch. Then help them find you through search and your Google Business Profile, and build trust with reviews. Add paid ads once tracking is in place.
Keep a simple record of enquiries by source, and do more of what works.
If you’d like help working out what to fix first, book a More Clients Call. It takes under 30 minutes, and you’ll leave with a clear next step.
Not ready for a call? Read what a service business should put on each page of its website.
