50 marketing mistakes / Mistake #25
Mistake #25 of 50Don’t make people work to contact you.
Phone, email, link, QR code or form, right in front of them.
What it costs you
If they have to figure it out, they won’t.
How many ads do you see that don’t clearly tell you what to do?
A nice picture. A logo. A slogan. And then nothing.
No button. No phone number you can find in three seconds.
If they have to figure out what to do next, they won’t.
They don’t get mad. They don’t write you a letter. They just call the next name on the list.
A real example
The number at the bottom of the page
It’s 5 o’clock on a Friday. Somebody wants a table for six tonight.
They pull up a restaurant’s website on their phone. Beautiful photos. The chef’s story. The menu.
No phone number at the top. They scroll. And scroll. It’s down at the very bottom, in tiny gray type.
They never get there. They tap the next place in the search results, which has a big “Call” button right at the top.
Table for six, booked. At the other place.
Your phone number belongs at the top of every page, not buried at the bottom of one.
Same Friday night. Same hungry customer. Only one of them made it easy.
Why it happens
Why your number goes missing
Every extra step loses somebody.
Do this instead
Put it right in front of them.
Every piece of marketing you put out needs one clear next step, and an easy way to take it. A phone number. A website. A QR code that opens your booking page. Say it big. Make it easy.
| Where | Make it easy |
|---|---|
| Your website | Your number at the top of every page, and a button that dials it |
| Your email signature | Phone, website and booking link, on every email |
| Your voicemail | Your number twice, slowly, and your website |
| Everything you hand out | A line, then your number or a QR code right under it |
| Your invoices and receipts | Your number, and how to book the next one |
| Your car and your storefront | Your name and number, big enough to read from across the street |
Have a friend test it. Hand them your website, your card and the last thing you gave out with your name on it. Watch how long it takes them to find your number on each one. If it takes more than three seconds, fix it.
Do this today
- 1
Pull up your website on your phone, the way a customer would.
- 2
Count how long it takes to find your number. More than three seconds? Fix it.
- 3
Add your phone number and website to your email signature.
- 4
Check the last thing you handed out. Is there a way to reach you on it?
If they love you and can’t find your number, you just paid for a smile. Make it easy to call.
From the book
Chapter 6: The Two Holy Trinities of Marketing
Starts on page 47. The whole chapter, plus 250+ ways to market your business, in the free book.
Download the free bookIdeas that fix it
Put your number where they’ll find it.
Idea 86 · book page 304Magnets$0.75–$2 eachOn the fridge right when the pipe bursts.
Idea 82 · book page 302Key Tags & Keychains$0.50–$4 eachRides on someone's keys every single day.
Idea 65 · book page 294Branded Takeout Bags$0.25–$1 eachEvery order walks your name through town.Signs & DisplaysIdea 210 · book page 366Car Door Magnets$40–$100 per pairTurns your personal car into a moving ad.Want a plan that makes the phone ring?
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