In close-knit towns, a good name travels. Ask around in Holmfirth, Ilkley or Hebden Bridge for a decent electrician or a reliable gardener and you’ll get a name within minutes, often with a story attached. For plenty of local businesses, that’s where most of the work comes from.
But something usually happens between hearing your name and picking up the phone. The person looks you up. They want to check you’re real, find your number, and see whether what they find matches what they were told. If it doesn’t, the recommendation can quietly go nowhere, and you’ll never know it happened.
Follow one recommendation from start to finish
Imagine someone in Netherthong, just outside Holmfirth, needs their chimney repointing. Over the garden wall, a neighbour says: "Use Mark, the roofer. He did ours last spring. I can’t remember what his firm’s called." Here’s what tends to happen next.
They search with half a name
All they have is a first name and a trade. So the search might be "Mark roofer Holmfirth", "roofer Netherthong" or "chimney repairs Holme Valley". If your business name is unusual, or your trade and area appear clearly on your Google profile and website, you’ll probably still come up. If not, they may land on someone else entirely.
They look at your Google profile
If they find you, the first thing they usually see is your Google Business Profile: photos, reviews, hours and a call button. This is where a recommendation is either confirmed or quietly undermined.
They glance at your website
Many will tap through to your website to check you do the type of job they need and cover where they live. They’re not reading every word. They’re scanning for reassurance.
They decide whether to ring, message or move on
If everything lines up, they call. If something feels off, they might ask the neighbour again, or they might just ring the first roofer Google showed them.
What makes a recommended customer think twice
None of these are dramatic, but each one gives a doubtful person a reason to hesitate:
- They can’t find you at all. No Google profile, or one that doesn’t mention your trade or your area.
- The details don’t match. A different phone number on Google than on your van, or an old business name still showing somewhere.
- It looks like you’ve stopped trading. The latest photo is from years ago, or Google says you’re closed today when you’re not.
- Reviews are old, few, or unanswered. A critical review with no reply stands out far more than you’d think.
- The website doesn’t mention their job. They were told you do chimneys, but your site only talks about new roofs.
- It’s hard to get in touch on a phone. No clickable number, a contact form that doesn’t work, or a website that’s awkward to use on a small screen.
How to make sure a recommendation turns into a call
Make yourself easy to find by name
Use exactly the same business name on your van, invoices, website and Google profile. Make sure your profile clearly shows your trade and the places you cover. If people often know you by your first name, mention it on your website’s about page, so a search for "Mark roofer Holmfirth" has something to match.
Keep your Google profile looking lived in
Add recent photos of real jobs every month. Keep your hours accurate, including bank holidays. Reply to every review, including the occasional critical one, calmly and politely. A profile that’s clearly looked after tells people you’re still trading and still care.
Give your website a page for each main job
If people recommend you for something specific, make sure your website has a page about it. A homeowner in Ilkley told you’re good with stone walls should find a page about stone walls, with photos, not just a general page saying you do "all building work".
Show you work in their area
Mention the towns and villages you cover, and show a few jobs from them. Someone in Mytholmroyd who’s been told about a Hebden Bridge decorator wants to know you’ll come to them too.
Make contacting you effortless
A phone number that can be tapped to call, a short contact form that actually reaches you, and a clear note of when you’ll get back to them. If you’re on a roof all day and can’t answer, say when you return calls, and then do it.
Give your customers something to pass on
Recommendations are easier when people have your details to hand. Leave a card with every finished job, include your web address on invoices, and make it easy for happy customers to share a link to your Google profile. Then ask each customer for an honest review, so the next person who looks you up sees recent feedback.
Small jobs for this week
- Search for your business the way a neighbour might describe it, with your first name, trade and town, and see what comes up.
- Check your phone number and business name are identical on Google, your website, your van and your invoices.
- Add three recent job photos to your Google profile.
- Reply to any reviews still waiting for an answer.
- Open your website on your phone and try to contact yourself. Fix anything that’s awkward.
Driving Sales Locally keeps your Google profile, website and reviews in order as part of one monthly plan, so word-of-mouth customers find what they expect. Book a free call if that would help.
Frequently asked questions
If most of my work comes from recommendations, do I still need a website?
Yes. Recommended customers usually look you up before getting in touch, to check you’re real, that you do their kind of job and that you cover their area. A clear website and Google profile help a recommendation turn into a call.
What puts off a customer who’s been recommended to me?
Common reasons include not being able to find you, details that don’t match, a profile that looks inactive, unanswered critical reviews, and a website that’s hard to use on a phone.
How can I help people find me when they only half remember my name?
Use the same business name everywhere, make your trade and area clear on your Google profile and website, and mention the name people know you by on your about page.