Why Your Gut Instinct is Costing You Customers
I’ve sat in countless boardrooms and coffee shops from Chermside to Cleveland, listening to business owners tell me what they think will make their website work better.
"I want a bigger logo," says one. "Let’s change the background to blue," says another.
Here is the blunt truth: Your opinion doesn't matter. My opinion doesn't even matter. The only opinion that results in money in your bank account is the opinion of your customers.
Most Brisbane business owners treat their website like a digital brochure. They build it, they leave it, and they wonder why the phone isn't ringing. Or worse, they pay a designer thousands of dollars to "freshen it up" without any proof that the new look will actually perform better than the old one.
This is where the concept of testing comes in. In the industry, we call it A/B testing, but for you, it’s simply a way to stop guessing. It’s a head-to-head battle between two versions of a webpage to see which one gets you more phone calls, more quote requests, and more sales.
If you aren't testing, you are leaving money on the table. In this guide, I’m going to break down the different ways you can test your website to ensure every dollar you spend on design actually grows your business.
The Two Ways to Build a Website That Sells
When it comes to improving your site, there are generally two camps.
1. The "Big Bang" Redesign: You dump $10,000 on a new site and hope for the best. 2. The "Test and Tweak" Approach: You make small, calculated changes based on data to see what works.
I’ve seen a plumber in Morningside spend a fortune on a flashy new site only to see his enquiries drop by half because the new designer made the "Call Now" button harder to find. He didn't test it; he just assumed "newer is better." It wasn't.
Approach 1: Testing the Small Stuff (The Incremental Method)
This is the most cost-effective way for a small business to grow. Instead of changing everything, you change one thing.
For example, we might test the text on your enquiry button. Version A: "Submit Enquiry" Version B: "Get My Free Quote"
You run both versions at the same time. Half your visitors see A, half see B. If Version B gets 20% more clicks, you keep it. That’s 20% more business for the price of changing five words.
Approach 2: The Radical Change (The Overhaul Method)
Sometimes, a site is so far gone that a small tweak won't save it. If your site looks like it was built in 2005, people won't trust you. In this case, we test a completely new layout against the old one.
Even then, we don't just switch it over and pray. We run them side-by-side. If the new, modern site doesn't actually increase your enquiries, we find out why before we kill off the old version.
What Should You Actually Test? (The Money Makers)
Don't waste time testing things that don't move the needle. Whether your logo is 100 pixels or 120 pixels wide won't change your life. You need to focus on the elements that make people take action.
1. Your Main Headline
When someone lands on your site, they decide in about two seconds if they are in the right place.I worked with an electrician who had "Quality Electrical Services" as his headline. We tested it against "Emergency Electrician - At Your Door in 60 Minutes or It's Free."
The second one won by a landslide. Why? Because it solved a specific problem for a specific person. If you stop losing customers at the very first hurdle, the rest of your marketing becomes much cheaper.
2. The "Call to Action" (The Button)
This is the most common mistake I see on Brisbane business sites. The button is either invisible, or it says something boring like "Contact Us."Try testing: Colour: Does a bright orange button stand out better than a grey one? Location: Is it at the top of the screen where people can see it immediately? Wording: "Book My Inspection" vs "Enquire Now."
3. Trust Signals
People are naturally sceptical of businesses they find online. To get them to call, you have to prove you aren't a cowboy.Test adding these to your homepage: Google Review ratings (e.g., "4.9 Stars from 150 Brisbane Locals") Industry logos (Master Builders, Licensed Real Estate Agent, etc.) A photo of your actual team instead of a stock photo of people who clearly don't live in Queensland.
If you find people don't trust your current layout, adding a simple row of local logos can be the difference between a bounce and a booking.
The Reality of Costs and Timelines
Let’s talk turkey. Testing isn't free, but it's an investment, not a cost.
The Cost of Doing Nothing: If your website gets 1,000 visitors a month and 10 people call you, your "conversion" is 1%. If you spend $1,000 a month on Google Ads, each lead costs you $100.
The Cost of Testing: If we run a test and move that 1% to 2%, you now get 20 calls for the same $1,000 spend. Your lead cost just dropped to $50. You've effectively doubled your marketing budget without spending an extra cent on ads.
How long does it take? In Brisbane, most small businesses don't have millions of visitors. To get a clear answer on a test, you usually need at least 100-200 people to take an action (like clicking a button). For a local tradie, this might take 4 to 8 weeks.
If someone tells you they can give you a definitive answer in three days, they are lying or they don't understand math.
Common Mistakes Small Businesses Make
1. Testing too many things at once: If you change the headline, the button colour, and the photo all at the same time, you won't know which one worked. It’s like changing the spark plugs, the oil, and the tyres on your ute and then wondering why it’s driving better. 2. Giving up too early: You need enough data to be sure. A few lucky clicks on Monday doesn't mean you've won. 3. Ignoring mobile users: Most of your customers are looking at your site on a phone while they're on a lunch break or sitting on the couch. If your test only looks good on a desktop computer, it's a waste of time.
How to Get Started
You don't need a PhD to start testing, but you do need the right tools. Most modern website platforms have basic testing features built-in, or you can use professional tools that sit over the top of your site.
Step 1: Look at your numbers. How many people visit your site? How many call you? If you don't know these two numbers, start there. Step 2: Identify the "Leaky Bucket". Where are people leaving? If they land on your homepage and immediately leave, your headline is likely the problem. Step 3: Form a hypothesis. "I think if I change the button from blue to green, more people will click it because it stands out more." Step 4: Run the test. Let it run until you have a clear winner.
Is Testing Worth It for You?
If you only get 50 visitors a month to your website, testing is a waste of time. You don't have enough data. Your priority should be getting more people to the site first.
But if you have a steady stream of traffic and you feel like you should be getting more enquiries than you are, testing is the fastest way to grow your profit.
Most agencies will try to sell you a "brand new website" because it's a big, one-off payday for them. At Local Marketing Group, we prefer to look at the data. Why spend $10k on a new site when a $500 change to your contact form could double your leads?
Stop guessing and start measuring. Your bank account will thank you.
Want to know which parts of your website are losing you money? Contact Local Marketing Group today for a straight-talking audit of your site. We’ll show you exactly where the gaps are and how to fix them to get more phone calls.