Conversion optimisation: turn your website into a helpful shop assistant
Most small business websites are a bit like quiet high street shops.
People wander in, have a look around… and then walk straight back out.
Conversion optimisation is about changing that. It’s the process of turning more of your website visitors into enquiries, bookings, and sales – without needing more traffic.
At Los Webos, we like to explain conversion optimisation with a simple analogy:
Your website should behave like a brilliant shop assistant – not a silent showroom.
Let’s break down what that means in practice, and how you can apply it to your own small business website.
What is conversion optimisation (in plain English)?
Conversion optimisation is just:
Making your website easier and more persuasive so more visitors do what you want them to do.
That “thing” might be:
- Filling in your contact form
- Booking a table or appointment
- Requesting a quote
- Calling your business
- Buying a product
You don’t need fancy tools or a marketing degree to get started. You just need to:
- Understand what visitors are trying to do
- Remove anything that gets in their way
- Gently guide them to the next step
Exactly like a good shop assistant would.
The shop assistant test: a new way to spot conversion killers
Here’s the creative angle most people miss:
Every key page on your site should pass the “shop assistant test”.
Imagine your website pages as staff in your physical shop.
- Your homepage is the person who greets people at the door
- Your service pages are the specialist staff who explain what you do
- Your contact or booking page is the person stood at the till or booking desk
Now ask yourself for each page:
“If this page were a shop assistant, would I keep them… or sack them?”
Let’s walk through how this helps you improve conversion optimisation.
Step 1: Your homepage – greeter or grunter?
A good shop assistant smiles, says hello, and tells you where things are.
A bad one just grunts and leaves you to it.
What a high-converting homepage should do
Within 5 seconds, your homepage should answer three questions:
- What do you do?
(Plain English, no jargon.) - Who is it for?
(Local homeowners? Small businesses? Parents? Landlords?) - What should I do next?
(Call, book, get a quote, see services?)
If your homepage fails this test, visitors feel lost and click away.
Quick fixes for a more helpful homepage
Think of your hero section (the bit at the top) as your first sentence to a new customer.
Instead of:
“Innovative digital solutions for tomorrow’s businesses.”
Try something like:
“New website, more enquiries. We design fast, professional websites for UK small businesses.”
Then add a clear call-to-action (CTA):
- Primary button: “Get a free quote”
- Secondary link: “See recent projects”
Like a good greeter saying: “We do X for people like you. Here’s where to start.”
Step 2: Service pages – the expert who explains, not overwhelms
On your service pages, your website should behave like a knowledgeable but friendly expert.
Not the pushy salesperson.
The three jobs of a high-converting service page
Each key service page should:
- Explain clearly what you do and how it works
- Reduce worry by answering common questions
- Suggest the next step with a clear, low-pressure CTA
Imagine a customer in a kitchen showroom saying: “I’m thinking about a new kitchen but I’m not sure what I need.”
A good assistant would:
- Ask a few questions
- Explain options in simple language
- Show examples
- Give a rough idea of price and process
- Suggest the next step (e.g. book a free design visit)
Your page should do the same.
Simple structure you can copy
On each service page, try this layout:
-
Plain English headline
“Bathroom fitting in Manchester – designed and installed for you” -
Short intro
2–3 sentences explaining who it’s for and the main benefit. -
Benefits, not just features
- “We handle everything from design to installation”
- “No surprise costs – fixed quotes before we start”
- “Clean and tidy – we treat your home like our own”
-
Simple process section
3–4 steps with headings like:- “1. Free home visit”
- “2. Design & quote”
- “3. Installation”
- “4. Aftercare”
-
Social proof
Reviews, photos, logos of clients – we’ll come back to this. -
Clear CTA
“Ready for a new bathroom? Request your free quote today.”
This structure keeps things friendly, clear, and leads naturally to conversion.
Step 3: Contact & booking pages – your digital till
Your contact or booking page is where the magic happens.
But many small business websites treat it like an afterthought: a tiny form and a lonely email address.
Imagine walking up to a till and finding:
- No staff
- No prices
- No idea what happens next
You’d probably walk out.
The anatomy of a high-converting contact/booking page
Think of this page as the most important assistant in your shop.
It should:
-
Reassure people they’re in the right place
A short intro like:“Ready to get started? Tell us a bit about your project and we’ll get back to you within 1 working day.”
-
Explain what will happen next
People worry about being chased by salespeople. Calm that fear:- “No pushy sales calls – just a friendly chat about your options.”
- “We’ll review your message and reply with next steps and a rough timescale.”
-
Ask only for what you really need
Every extra field in your form is like adding another question at the till.Keep it simple:
- Name
- Email / phone
- How can we help? (free text)
- Optional: budget range or service type
The shorter and clearer the form, the more people will complete it.
-
Offer alternative ways to get in touch
Some people hate forms. Some hate phone calls.Include:
- Phone number (click-to-call on mobile)
- Email address
- Social links (if you actively use them)
-
Add trust signals near the form
This is where visitors are most nervous.Add:
- Short testimonial next to the form
- Star rating (e.g. Google Reviews) if you have it
- Simple privacy reassurance: “We’ll never share your details.”
Reducing friction: remove the tiny annoyances that cost you enquiries
In conversion optimisation, friction is anything that makes it harder for someone to take the next step.
Think of it like a sticky shop door – people can get in, but some won’t bother.
Common friction points on small business sites
Check your site for these:
- Slow loading pages – visitors give up before they see anything
- Tiny text – especially on mobile
- Buttons that don’t look like buttons
- Complicated forms with too many required fields
- No clear phone number for people who prefer to call
- Confusing navigation – too many menu options, unclear labels
Each one might only lose you a few visitors… but over a year, that’s a lot of lost enquiries.
A good web agency (like Los Webos) will help you spot and fix these, but you can start by simply using your own site on your phone and asking: “Is anything annoying me?”
How testimonials and social proof quietly boost conversions
Remember our shop assistant analogy? Most people don’t fully trust what the assistant says… until they hear from other customers.
That’s where social proof comes in.
Simple ways to use social proof
You don’t need pages of reviews. Well-placed proof works better:
- Near CTAs – add a short quote next to your contact or booking button
- On service pages – use testimonials that match that specific service
- On your homepage – show overall rating or a small “Trusted by…” section
Examples:
“Los Webos redesigned our website and enquiries doubled within 3 months.”
– Sarah, Owner of a Manchester cleaning company
Or for a restaurant:
“We now get 40% more online bookings thanks to our new website.”
– James, Restaurant Owner in Leeds
Social proof is like a friend whispering: “It’s okay, they’re good – you can trust them.”
A/B testing basics: small experiments, big impact
You don’t have to guess what will work best. You can test.
A/B testing is simply showing two versions of something (A and B) to different visitors to see which gets more conversions.
For small businesses, keep it simple:
- Test one thing at a time (e.g. button text, headline, image)
- Run the test for at least a couple of weeks
- Stick with the winner
Example tests:
- “Get a free quote” vs “Request your free quote”
- “Book a free consultation” vs “Talk to a web expert”
- Different hero images (your team vs your work)
You can use tools like Google Optimize alternatives or built-in testing in some website platforms, or ask your web agency to set this up.
Where to start: a simple 7-day conversion optimisation checklist
You don’t need to do everything at once. Here’s a realistic plan:
Day 1:
Open your site on your phone. Make a note of anything annoying or confusing.
Day 2:
Rewrite your homepage hero section to clearly say what you do, who it’s for, and what to do next.
Day 3:
Pick your most important service page. Add a simple 3–4 step “How it works” section.
Day 4:
Revamp your contact/booking page: shorter form, clearer intro, explanation of what happens next.
Day 5:
Add at least 2–3 relevant testimonials to key pages.
Day 6:
Make your main CTA consistent across the site (same wording and style).
Day 7:
Ask 2–3 non‑techy friends to use your site and watch where they get stuck.
Even these small changes can noticeably increase your enquiries and bookings.
Want your website to sell like your best staff member?
Conversion optimisation doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. It’s about treating your website like a real member of your team – training it to greet, explain, reassure, and close.
At Los Webos, we design and build websites for UK SMEs that:
- Look professional and trustworthy
- Load fast on mobile and desktop
- Guide visitors smoothly to enquiry or booking
- Grow with your business over time
If you’d like your website to behave more like a helpful shop assistant and less like a silent showroom, let’s chat.
Get a free website conversion review and we’ll show you quick wins to turn more of your existing visitors into real customers.
Interested in more ways to grow online? We also cover topics like website speed, local SEO, and content that converts – all in plain English for busy business owners.