If you don’t have a plan, you plan to fail!
Each year brings new opportunities for businesses to get better results from their websites. But let’s be honest, you’re busy running your business, not becoming a web expert. These 6 practical resolutions will help you get more enquiries and sales from your website without the overwhelm.
1. Make Your Website Actually Work for You
When did you last check if your website actually works? Not just “is it online?” but does it load quickly, look good on phones, and make it easy for customers to contact you?
Try this right now: pull out your phone and visit your own website. Can you read everything easily? Can you find your phone number in 5 seconds? Does it load quickly? If you’re squinting, pinching, or waiting, so are your potential customers, and they’re probably leaving.
One of the biggest problems we see is homepages trying to do too much at once. Multiple competing messages, five different calls to action, sliders that slow everything down. When visitors land on your site, they should instantly understand what you do and what to do next. If they have to work it out, most won’t bother. A simpler, more focused homepage often performs far better than one crammed with everything.
The good news? Most problems are simple fixes. Slow-loading images, buried contact details, forms that don’t work on mobile, these are all straightforward to sort out. Your website should be working for you 24/7, making it easy for customers to get in touch, not adding friction that costs you business. A quick audit can identify exactly what’s holding you back and what’s worth fixing first.
2. Get Found When People Search for What You Do
If someone searches “accountant in Whangarei” or “plumber near me” and your business doesn’t show up, you might as well be invisible. Local search is how most customers find businesses now, especially on mobile.
Your Google Business Profile is probably the single most important thing you can set up. It’s free, and it’s what shows up in Google Maps and local search results with your hours, photos, and reviews. If you haven’t claimed yours, you’re handing customers to competitors who have.
Beyond that, make sure your website clearly mentions where you’re located and what services you offer. Not buried in the footer, but right there on your homepage and service pages. “We’re a family-owned plumbing business servicing Northland” is the kind of clear statement Google (and customers) are looking for.
Customer reviews matter more than you think. They’re not just nice to have, they’re a ranking factor. A business with 20 recent reviews will often outrank one with better SEO but no reviews. Ask happy customers to leave a review, it takes them two minutes and makes a real difference.
Finally, keep your details consistent. If your phone number is different on your website, Facebook page, and Google Business Profile, it confuses Google and hurts your rankings. Same business name, same address, same phone number everywhere. Think of it as digital signage. If people can’t find your shop, they can’t buy from you.
3. Add Fresh Content Without It Taking Over Your Life
“You should be blogging!” Everyone says it, few people actually do it. Why? Because running a business is a full-time job already.
A more realistic approach is to aim for one useful piece of content per month. Not a sales pitch, something genuinely helpful that answers questions your customers actually ask you. When someone asks “How often should I service my heat pump?” or “What’s the difference between your two packages?” That’s a blog post waiting to happen.
The benefits are real. Each new page is another way for customers to find you, it shows you’re an active business, and it gives you something to share on social media. Plus, you’re answering questions once instead of repeating yourself to every customer. Fresh content also helps with search rankings, Google favours websites that are regularly updated over ones that haven’t changed since 2015.
Can’t write? Talk instead. Record yourself answering common questions on your phone, send it to someone to transcribe and tidy up. Done. The key is making it manageable. One solid, helpful piece of content per month is far better than starting with grand plans, publishing three posts, then nothing for a year. Consistency beats perfection every time.
4. Stop Wasting Money on Advertising That Doesn’t Work
Let’s talk about where your marketing budget is actually going. Are you still paying for print directories “just in case”? Spending money on social media ads without tracking if they actually bring in customers? Running Google Ads that cost more than they make you?
Every dollar has always needed to work hard, but in 2026 it needs to work even harder. The first step is tracking everything. If you can’t measure whether an ad brought in customers, you can’t know if it’s worth the money. Set up proper tracking, even if it’s as simple as asking “How did you hear about us?” when someone calls.
Focus your budget on what actually brings in customers, not what sounds impressive at a networking event. We’ve seen businesses waste thousands on Facebook ads that get lots of likes but zero enquiries, while a modest Google Ads budget targeting people actively searching for their services brings in quality leads every week.
Test small before spending big. Don’t commit to a $2000/month ad budget until you’ve proven it works with $600/month first. And be brutally honest about what’s not working. That Yellow Pages directory listing you’ve paid for 20 years running that hasn’t sent you a customer in years? Cut it. Put that money somewhere it’ll actually work.
For most NZ SMEs, a combination of good local SEO, targeted Google Ads for high-intent searches (people actively looking for what you do), and strategic social media works better than spreading your budget thin across everything. It’s not about being everywhere, it’s about being in the right places. Quality over quantity. These days, niche local guides tend to be better than general national business directories.
5. Turn Visitors Into Customers
Getting people to your website is only half the battle. What happens when they arrive?
Walk through your own website as if you’re a customer. Is it obvious what you want them to do next? Can they easily request a quote, book a service, or call you? Or do they have to hunt for information?
Simple things make a real difference. Clear calls to action like “Get a free quote” or “Book now” tell people exactly what to do. Contact details should be visible on every page, not just on a contact page someone has to find. Forms should be short and simple, asking only for what you actually need. Nobody wants to fill out ten fields just to ask a question.
Your forms can work much smarter than you think. With the right setup, they can show or hide questions based on what someone selects, route enquiries to the right person automatically, or even let customers upload files or book appointments. The easier you make it for someone to take action, the more likely they are to actually do it.
Trust signals matter too. Reviews, examples of your work, guarantees, even something as simple as showing how long you’ve been in business can make the difference between someone reaching out or moving on to a competitor. If you run Google Ads or any paid advertising, having dedicated landing pages for each service rather than sending everyone to your homepage can dramatically improve your results.
You’re not trying to win design awards, you’re trying to make it dead easy for customers to choose you. The goal is to turn more visitors into leads you can actually follow up with.
6. Use Smart Tools Without Getting Overwhelmed
There’s a lot of noise about AI, chatbots, automation, and the latest shiny thing. Some of it’s useful. Most of it’s overkill for small businesses.
Focus on tools that save you time or make your customers’ lives easier. Online booking systems if you take appointments. Email automation for follow-ups, not spam, just simple sequences that keep you in touch with leads without you having to remember. Simple chatbots that answer basic questions when you’re busy, like your hours or how to get a quote. Tools that help you manage customer enquiries in one place so nothing falls through the cracks.
The key is solving actual problems, not adding complexity for the sake of it. Before adopting any new tool, ask yourself two questions: Does this solve a real problem we have right now? Will this genuinely make things easier for our customers? If the answer to both isn’t yes, skip it.
Some businesses benefit from advanced form features like conditional logic or automatic quote calculators. Others just need a phone number that’s easy to find and a contact form that works on mobile. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The best approach is to start simple, identify what’s actually slowing you down or frustrating customers, then add tools that specifically address those pain points.
Your time is valuable, spend it on things that actually move the needle for your business. Technology should make running your business easier, not add another thing to your to-do list.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to do everything at once. Pick 2-3 resolutions that would make the biggest difference to your business and start there. Your website is a tool, not a trophy. It should be bringing in customers and making your life easier, not adding to your stress.
Need help figuring out where to start? We work with NZ businesses every day on exactly these challenges. Get in touch and we’ll give you honest advice about what’s actually worth your time and money.