How to Get More Customers Online: A 7-Step Action Plan for Local Businesses

Your competitors are stealing customers right now—not because they’re better at what they do, but because they’ve figured out how to show up where buyers are looking. The harsh truth? Most local businesses leave money on the table every single day because they’re invisible online when it matters most.

Whether you run a plumbing company, law firm, or home service business, the path to consistent customer acquisition isn’t complicated—it’s just not obvious.

This step-by-step guide cuts through the noise and gives you a proven framework for attracting more customers online. No fluff, no theory—just actionable steps that actually move the needle. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have a clear roadmap to turn your online presence into a customer-generating machine.

Step 1: Audit Your Current Online Visibility (Before You Spend a Dime)

Here’s where most business owners make their first mistake: they start throwing money at marketing before they even know what customers see when they search. You can’t fix what you haven’t measured.

Open an incognito browser window and search for your business name. What shows up? Is your Google Business Profile complete and accurate? Are the first results positive reviews or outdated information? Now search for your main services plus your city—”emergency plumber Chicago” or “personal injury lawyer Miami.” Where do you appear? Third page? Nowhere at all?

This is your reality check moment.

Next, check your Google Business Profile completeness. Log into your profile and look for any sections marked incomplete. Missing business hours cost you customers who show up when you’re closed. Blank service descriptions mean Google doesn’t know when to show you. No photos? Potential customers assume you’re not legitimate.

Now comes the competitive intelligence part. Search for the same services you offer and note which competitors dominate the top three map results. Click into their profiles. What are they doing that you’re not? More reviews? Better photos? More complete information? If you’re consistently seeing competitors outranking you online, this audit will reveal exactly why.

Document everything you find. Take screenshots of your search results, note your current review count, and record where you rank for your most important service keywords. This baseline data becomes your measuring stick for progress.

The gap between where you appear and where your competitors dominate represents lost revenue. Every day you stay invisible is another day potential customers choose someone else. But here’s the good news: most of your competitors are also doing this wrong. The bar is lower than you think.

Spend two hours on this audit. Write down the specific gaps you discover. This isn’t busywork—it’s the foundation for everything that follows. You’re about to invest time and money into getting found online. Knowing your starting point ensures you can actually measure whether it’s working.

Step 2: Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is the single most powerful free marketing tool available to local businesses. When someone searches for what you do in your area, this profile determines whether you appear in those crucial top three map results.

Start by claiming your profile if you haven’t already. Go to google.com/business and follow the verification process. Google will send you a postcard with a verification code—yes, it takes a few days, but this step is non-negotiable.

Once verified, complete every single field. Not most of them. All of them.

Your business hours need to be accurate down to the minute. Include holiday hours. If you offer emergency services, mark yourself as open 24 hours. Every incomplete field is a signal to Google that your business might not be legitimate or active.

Service area businesses need to specify exactly where they operate. List every city and zip code you serve. The more specific you are, the more opportunities Google has to show you in relevant searches.

Categories matter more than most business owners realize. Your primary category should be the most specific match for what you do. “Plumber” beats “Contractor.” “Personal Injury Attorney” beats “Lawyer.” Then add secondary categories for other services you offer. You get up to ten—use them all.

Photos transform your profile from a listing into a showcase. Upload images weekly. Show your team at work, completed projects, your office or vehicles, and happy customers. Profiles with regular photo updates get significantly more engagement than static listings.

Add your services with descriptions. Don’t just list “Kitchen Remodeling”—write a brief description of what that service includes. These descriptions give Google more context about when to show your business. Understanding how to use SEO principles here will help you write descriptions that actually rank.

Enable messaging so customers can text you directly from your profile. Add attributes like “veteran-owned,” “women-led,” or “online estimates” if they apply. These details help you stand out in a sea of similar businesses.

Finally, verify everything displays correctly. Search for your business on Google Maps using a phone. Does your profile look professional? Are your hours showing up? Can people easily find your phone number and website? This is what every potential customer sees—make it count.

Step 3: Build a Website That Converts Visitors Into Leads

Getting traffic to your website means nothing if those visitors leave without contacting you. Your website has one job: turn interested browsers into paying customers.

Mobile-first design isn’t optional anymore. The majority of local searches happen on smartphones, often while someone is actively looking for a service right now. If your site doesn’t load fast and look great on mobile, you’re losing customers before they even read your content.

Test this yourself. Pull up your website on your phone. Can you easily tap the call button? Is the text readable without zooming? Does it load in under three seconds? If you’re frustrated navigating your own site, imagine how potential customers feel.

Your call-to-action needs to appear above the fold on every page. “Above the fold” means visible without scrolling. Place your phone number in the header. Add a prominent “Get a Free Quote” or “Schedule Service” button. Make it impossible to miss what action you want visitors to take.

Here’s where most local business websites fail: they have one generic “Services” page listing everything they do. That’s lazy and ineffective. Create dedicated landing pages for each core service you offer. A roofing company needs separate pages for roof replacement, roof repair, and roof inspection. Each page should speak directly to that specific problem. Learning how to create high converting landing pages is essential for maximizing your website’s lead generation potential.

Why? Because someone searching “emergency roof repair near me” wants to land on a page about emergency repairs, not a general roofing page where they have to hunt for relevant information. Dedicated pages also give you more opportunities to rank for specific search terms.

Trust signals close deals. Add customer reviews prominently on your homepage. Display certifications, licenses, and industry affiliations. Include guarantees or warranties you offer. Show real photos of your team and completed work—not stock photos that scream “generic template.”

Every service page needs social proof specific to that service. Your roof repair page should feature reviews from customers who had repairs done. Your emergency service page should highlight testimonials about your fast response times.

Make contact ridiculously easy. Phone number in the header. Contact form on every page. Click-to-call buttons on mobile. Live chat if you can manage it. The more friction you remove from the contact process, the more leads you generate. If you want to dive deeper into this topic, our guide on how to improve website conversion rate breaks down the exact steps.

Your website isn’t a digital brochure. It’s a lead generation machine. Every element should push visitors toward one action: contacting you to become a customer.

Step 4: Launch Targeted PPC Campaigns for Immediate Results

Organic visibility takes months to build. If you need customers now, pay-per-click advertising delivers immediate results. The key is doing it strategically, not just throwing money at Google and hoping for the best.

Start with high-intent keywords that signal buying readiness. Someone searching “best plumber in Dallas” is browsing. Someone searching “emergency plumber Dallas 24 hour” needs help right now and is ready to hire. Focus your initial budget on keywords that indicate immediate need.

Before you spend a single dollar, set up proper conversion tracking. You need to know which clicks turn into phone calls, form submissions, and actual customers. Google Ads offers call tracking and conversion tracking—use both. Without tracking, you’re flying blind and wasting money on clicks that never convert.

Create location-specific ad groups for maximum relevance. Don’t run one generic campaign for your entire service area. Build separate campaigns for each major city or region you serve. This allows you to customize ad copy to mention specific locations, which increases click-through rates and quality scores. Our guide on online advertising for local businesses covers these strategies in detail.

Your ad copy should speak directly to the searcher’s problem. “Clogged Drain? We’re Available 24/7 for Emergency Service” beats “Professional Plumbing Services Since 1995.” Lead with the benefit, not your credentials. Mastering how to create ads that convert will dramatically improve your campaign performance.

Landing pages must match your ad promises. If your ad mentions same-day service, your landing page needs to prominently feature same-day service. Message match between ad and landing page dramatically improves conversion rates.

Set realistic budgets based on your customer value. If your average customer is worth $500 and you can afford to spend $100 to acquire them, that’s your target cost-per-lead. Start with a daily budget that allows at least 10-15 clicks per day so you can gather meaningful data. Our marketing budget allocation guide can help you determine the right investment for your business.

Monitor your campaigns weekly at first, then bi-weekly once they stabilize. Look at cost-per-lead, not just cost-per-click. A $20 click that converts is worth infinitely more than a $2 click that goes nowhere. Adjust bids based on actual customer value, not arbitrary cost targets.

PPC isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. Markets change, competitors adjust their bids, and seasonal demand fluctuates. The businesses that win with paid advertising treat it as an ongoing optimization process, not a one-time setup.

Step 5: Implement a Review Generation System

Reviews are the currency of local business trust. More reviews, better ratings, and recent feedback signal to both Google and potential customers that you’re legitimate and deliver results. Yet most businesses leave reviews to chance.

Timing is everything. Ask for reviews at the moment of peak customer satisfaction—right after you’ve solved their problem and they’re genuinely happy. For a plumber, that’s immediately after fixing the leak. For a lawyer, it’s after winning the case. Don’t wait days or weeks when enthusiasm has faded.

Make the process ridiculously easy. Send a text message with a direct link to your Google review page. Not a link to your profile where they have to hunt for the review button—a direct link that takes them straight to the review form. Every extra click you add reduces the likelihood they’ll follow through.

Here’s a simple system that works: Train your team to identify satisfied customers during service delivery. Have a templated text message ready to send before you leave the job site or end the appointment. The message thanks them for their business and includes the direct review link.

Don’t be shy about asking. Most happy customers are willing to leave reviews—they just forget or don’t think about it. A polite ask is all it takes. “We’d really appreciate if you could share your experience on Google to help other customers find us” works perfectly.

Respond to every review within 24 hours. Positive reviews deserve a thank you that acknowledges specific details they mentioned. Negative reviews require professional responses that show you take feedback seriously and want to make things right. Potential customers read your responses as much as the reviews themselves. Check out our roundup of the best solutions for managing online customer reviews to streamline this process.

Showcase reviews everywhere. Add a reviews widget to your website homepage. Share positive reviews on social media. Include testimonials on your service pages. The more visible you make customer feedback, the more trust you build with prospects.

Consistency matters more than volume. Five new reviews every month beats 25 reviews all from two years ago. Fresh reviews signal active business and ongoing customer satisfaction. Build review generation into your standard operating procedures, not something you remember to do occasionally.

Step 6: Create Content That Answers What Your Customers Are Searching

Your potential customers are typing questions into Google right now. If you’re not providing the answers, your competitors are capturing that traffic and those leads.

Start by researching actual questions your target customers ask. Use Google’s “People Also Ask” section when you search for your services. Check forums and Facebook groups where your customers hang out. Pay attention to questions you get repeatedly from prospects and customers.

Write helpful blog posts and service pages that address specific problems. “How to Know If You Need Roof Replacement or Just Repairs” targets homeowners trying to figure out their next step. “What to Do Immediately After a Car Accident” captures people in crisis looking for guidance. These aren’t sales pitches—they’re genuinely helpful content that builds trust. Learning how to develop a comprehensive content strategy will help you plan content that consistently attracts your ideal customers.

Include local keywords naturally throughout your content. “Chicago homeowners” instead of just “homeowners.” “Common roofing problems in Florida” instead of generic roofing issues. Local relevance helps you rank for searches in your service area.

Each piece of content should lead somewhere. End every blog post with a clear next step: “If you’re experiencing these roof problems, schedule a free inspection today.” Content builds trust and authority, but it still needs to drive business outcomes.

Update existing content regularly to maintain rankings. Google favors fresh, current information. Go back to posts from six months ago, add new information, update statistics, and refresh examples. This signals to search engines that your content remains relevant and valuable.

Don’t overthink the writing process. You’re not trying to win literary awards. Write like you’re explaining something to a customer over coffee. Be clear, be helpful, and be specific. The businesses that win with content marketing publish consistently, not perfectly.

Content marketing is a long game. You won’t see massive traffic spikes after publishing three blog posts. But six months from now, those posts will be ranking for valuable search terms and driving qualified traffic while you sleep. Combined with paid advertising for immediate results, content builds your sustainable long-term visibility. Our complete guide on how to increase traffic covers additional strategies to accelerate your results.

Step 7: Track, Measure, and Double Down on What Works

Marketing without measurement is just expensive guessing. You need to know exactly which activities generate customers and which ones waste money.

Set up Google Analytics on your website immediately. This free tool shows you where your traffic comes from, which pages people visit, and how long they stay. More importantly, it reveals which marketing channels drive the most engaged visitors.

Implement call tracking to see which marketing efforts generate phone calls. Use different phone numbers for different campaigns—one for your Google Ads, another for your website, another for your Google Business Profile. When the phone rings, you know exactly what prompted that call. Understanding how to track marketing ROI ensures you’re making data-driven decisions instead of guessing.

Calculate your customer acquisition cost for each marketing channel. Take your total spend on Google Ads for the month and divide it by the number of new customers you acquired from those ads. Do the same for every marketing activity. This tells you which channels deliver the best return on investment.

Track beyond just leads. Not all leads are equal. Monitor which channels produce the highest-quality customers—the ones who spend more, pay faster, and refer others. A channel that generates 50 leads worth $100 each loses to a channel that generates 10 leads worth $1,000 each.

Review your performance monthly, not daily. Marketing data needs time to reveal patterns. Daily fluctuations mean nothing. Monthly trends tell you what’s actually working. Look at cost per lead, conversion rates, and customer acquisition costs across all your channels.

Here’s where most businesses fail: they keep doing what’s comfortable instead of what’s profitable. If your data shows Google Ads delivering customers at $75 each while your Facebook ads cost $200 per customer, shift budget to Google. Emotions and preferences don’t matter—results do. If you’re looking to improve efficiency, our guide on how to reduce customer acquisition cost provides actionable strategies.

Cut what isn’t delivering results. Too many businesses keep running ineffective marketing because “we’ve always done it this way.” If a channel consistently produces expensive leads that don’t convert, stop spending money there. Reallocate that budget to your proven winners.

Double down on what works. When you identify a high-performing campaign or channel, increase your investment there. If a specific keyword generates customers profitably, expand to similar keywords. If one service page converts exceptionally well, create more pages using that same structure.

The businesses that dominate their markets aren’t doing a hundred different marketing tactics. They’ve identified the three to five activities that actually generate customers, and they execute those relentlessly while cutting everything else. Measurement gives you the clarity to make those decisions confidently.

Your 30-Day Fast-Start Plan

You now have a complete framework for attracting more customers online. The difference between businesses that grow and businesses that struggle isn’t knowledge—it’s execution.

Here’s your quick-start checklist: Complete your visibility audit today. Spend two hours documenting where you appear in search results and what customers see when they find you. This week, optimize your Google Business Profile until every field is complete and you’re uploading photos regularly. Within 30 days, launch at least one targeted PPC campaign with proper tracking in place.

The businesses winning online aren’t doing anything magical. They’re executing these fundamentals consistently while their competitors stay stuck in analysis paralysis. They’re not waiting for perfect—they’re testing, measuring, and improving.

Your next customer is searching for what you offer right now. The only question is whether they’ll find you or your competitor first.

Start with Step 1 today. Audit your visibility. Document the gaps. Then systematically close those gaps one step at a time. Every improvement compounds. Every optimization increases your chances of being found by ready-to-buy customers.

Tired of spending money on marketing that doesn’t produce real revenue? We build lead systems that turn traffic into qualified leads and measurable sales growth. If you want to see what this would look like for your business, we’ll walk you through how it works and break down what’s realistic in your market.

The path to consistent customer acquisition is clear. The question is: will you take the first step today, or will you still be invisible to your ideal customers six months from now?