June 14, 2023
What a Business Website Needs Before You Spend on Ads
Ads only bring people to the door. Whether they stay is decided by the website. Five things to fix before the first campaign.
In this article
Paid traffic is the fastest way to find out what is wrong with a website. Every weakness that organic visitors forgive becomes a cost the moment you pay for each click. Before the first campaign goes live, check these five things.
1. One clear offer above the fold
A visitor decides in a few seconds whether the page is for them. The top of the page should say what you do, for whom, and what to do next. If the heading could sit on any competitor's site, it is not doing its job. A business website that names the service and the area it serves keeps far more of the clicks you pay for.
2. A page that loads fast on a phone
Most ad clicks come from phones, often on mobile data. Large images, heavy sliders and unused scripts are the usual suspects. Compress the images, remove what nobody uses, and test the page on a real phone, not only on the office computer.
3. A form that really arrives
It sounds obvious, yet broken forms are the most common problem we find. Send a test enquiry yourself. Check that it arrives, that someone is told about it, and that the visitor sees a clear confirmation. Ask for the few details you truly need: every extra field costs enquiries.
4. Tracking that counts leads, not visits
A campaign can only be improved when you know which clicks became enquiries. Set up analytics and a conversion for the form before you spend. Without it you are paying for traffic and guessing the rest.
5. Proof that you are real
Reviews, photos of real work, a phone number and an address do more than any slogan. People who arrive from an ad do not know you yet; give them a reason to trust you.
What to do next
If two or more of these are missing, fix the site first and advertise second. Our team builds business websites and landing pages with these basics in place from day one, and you can ask for a free review of your site before you spend on ads.
Questions and answers
Should I wait with ads until the website is perfect?
No. It needs the five basics, not perfection. Start with a small budget, read the numbers and improve the page as you go.
Is a landing page enough, without a full website?
For one campaign and one offer, often yes. A full site matters when people search your name and want to see who you are.
