5 Things Your Competitors' Websites Are Doing That You're Not
Take a look at the businesses beating you on Google and you'll notice a pattern. Here are five simple things their websites do well — and how you can do the same.
Have you ever searched for your own trade in your town and wondered why certain competitors keep showing up at the top? It’s rarely because they’re better at the job. More often, it’s because their website is doing a few small things that yours isn’t.
The good news is none of these things are complicated. You don’t need a big budget or a tech background. You just need to know what to look for.
Here are five things your competitors’ websites are probably doing that you’re not.
1. They make it obvious what they do and where they are
Visit a well-performing local business website and within five seconds you’ll know exactly what they offer and which area they cover. That sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many small business websites bury this information or leave it out entirely.
Your homepage should answer three questions instantly:
- What do you do?
- Where do you do it?
- How do I get in touch?
If a visitor has to scroll or click around to find those answers, some of them won’t bother. They’ll go back to Google and click on your competitor instead.
A clear headline, a location, and a phone number or contact button at the top of the page. That’s it.
2. They have real photos, not stock images
Stock photos of smiling people in hard hats or pristine offices might look polished, but customers see through them immediately. They don’t build trust because they don’t look real.
Your competitors who are doing well online? Many of them are using actual photos of their work, their van, their team, or themselves. It doesn’t need to be professional photography. A decent phone camera and good natural light is enough.
Before and after shots work particularly well for trades, cleaning, gardening, and decorating. A photo of a happy customer’s finished kitchen or a freshly laid driveway is worth more than any stock image.
Real photos show that the work actually happens and that there’s a real person behind the business.
3. They show reviews and testimonials on the page
Most customers check reviews before making a decision. The businesses that win online don’t just hope people will go looking for their Google reviews. They put the reviews right on the website where no one can miss them.
Even two or three short testimonials on your homepage can make a real difference. Something like:
“Called on a Monday, job was done by Wednesday. Brilliant service and very tidy.” — Sarah, Nottingham
That one sentence does a lot of work. It shows you’re responsive, reliable, and professional.
If you’ve got happy customers, ask them for a quick line you can use on your site. Most people are glad to help if you ask nicely.
4. They have a clear way to get in touch
This one surprises people, but it’s very common: small business websites that make it genuinely hard to make contact. The phone number is tiny, the contact page has a form that looks like it was last updated in 2009, or there’s no email address at all.
Your competitors who convert visitors into customers make contact feel easy and low-effort. That means:
- A phone number that’s easy to spot, ideally at the top of every page
- A simple contact form or booking option that works on a phone
- A clear idea of what happens next (“We’ll call you back within a few hours”)
The easier you make it to get in touch, the more people will.
5. Their website works properly on a mobile phone
More than half of all web browsing now happens on a phone. If your website is hard to use on a small screen, a large chunk of your potential customers are having a frustrating experience and leaving before they contact you.
A mobile-friendly website means text you can read without zooming in, buttons that are easy to tap, and a layout that adjusts to fit the screen. It also loads quickly, because mobile users on the go won’t wait more than a few seconds.
Pull out your phone right now and visit your own website. Is it easy to use? Can you find the phone number and tap it to call? If the answer is no, that’s something worth sorting out sooner rather than later.
The bottom line
None of these five things require a big redesign or a large investment. They’re practical, straightforward improvements that make a real difference to whether visitors stay on your site or leave for a competitor.
If you’re not sure where your website stands on any of these, we’re happy to take a look. OnePageSites customers get all of this built in from the start, so there’s nothing to worry about.
Want a website that does all of this for you? Get in touch with the OnePageSites team and we’ll get you sorted.
