How to get more customers from your website

By Ufuoma Onakpoyan · Published 17 October 2026

Most business owners who contact us want “a website”. That’s understandable: a website is your business card and your own piece of the internet. But a website that nobody can find does nothing for your business. A good website has one job: to bring you customers.

This guide explains, in plain English, how that works and what you can check today. It’s about your website and Google, not about Instagram, Facebook or paid ads.

The short answer

People already search for what you sell. They type it into Google, look at Google Maps, or ask ChatGPT. These people are different from your social media followers: they already have the problem, and they’re looking for someone to solve it. Your job is to be easy to find when they search, and easy to trust when they find you.

What Google wants

Google wants to send each person to the page that best answers what they searched. Google says its local results are based on three things: relevance (how well you match the search), distance (how close you are to the person searching) and prominence (how well known and well reviewed you are).

So your website should be the answer to your customers’ questions. Imagine you’re a roofer. Your customers search “how much does it cost to roof a house in Abuja?” or “how much to patch a leaking roof?”. If your website answers those questions clearly, with your prices, your process and your area, Google is far more likely to show it. The person reads your answer, sees you can help, and calls or WhatsApps you.

Step 1: a website search engines can actually read

Many websites look fine to a person but are almost empty to Google and AI tools, because the text only appears after code runs in the browser. When we first checked the MR DGN Group website, search engines received 0 readable words. After we rebuilt it, they received over 400.

An SEO-ready website has a separate page for each service, and for each product if you sell products, with your city in the title. It answers the questions customers ask, includes the technical setup Google needs (structured data, a sitemap, fast loading on phones), and is submitted to Google Search Console and Bing. If your site doesn’t appear at all, see why your website isn’t on Google or ChatGPT.

Step 2: a complete Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile is what appears on Google Maps. Google’s own advice is simple: verify it, keep your details complete and accurate (category, hours, phone, address), add real photos, and reply to reviews. The services on your profile should match the service pages on your website, word for word.

Step 3: the same details everywhere

Your business name, phone number and address should be written the same way on your website, your Google profile, Facebook and business directories. When they differ, Google and AI tools are less sure the information is right.

Step 4: reviews from real customers

In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey of US consumers, 97% said they read online reviews, and 74% look for reviews from the last three months. Nigerian buyers check reviews too, especially before paying someone they’ve never met. Ask every customer for an honest review, and reply to each one. Never buy reviews or tell customers what to write: it breaks Google’s rules and can get your profile suspended.

Step 5: keep adding useful content

The biggest mistake I see Nigerian businesses make is not taking marketing seriously, at a time when you can market from your phone and reach anyone. Content is key, and that includes your website. Every post that answers a real customer question is another way for the right person to find you. Add regular photos and updates to your Google profile as well. A few good, specific posts beat many empty ones.

Step 6: show up in ChatGPT and AI answers

More people now ask AI tools instead of searching. When AI gives an answer, the businesses it mentions get the enquiry. MR DGN Construction, a building materials supplier in Asaba we work with, had a site that wasn’t readable by search engines, had no service or product pages, and wasn’t in Google Search Console. We fixed all of that and connected it to Bing. On 28 September 2026 the owner received an enquiry from a buyer who had found the company through ChatGPT, and asking ChatGPT “I want to buy concrete blocks for my project in Asaba” listed MR DGN first.

What to avoid

• • Anyone who guarantees the number 1 spot on Google.
• • Fake or paid reviews.
• • Stuffing keywords into your business name, such as “Best Roofer Abuja”.
• • Buying links or dozens of copy-paste pages for different cities.
• • A website that hides your phone number, prices or location.

Want a quick answer first? Run our free AI visibility check to see what Google and ChatGPT can read on your website.

A 10-minute checklist for today

• Search your main service and your city on Google. Do you appear on the map or on page one?
• Ask ChatGPT for “the best [your service] in [your city]”. Are you mentioned?
• Open your Google Business Profile. Are your services, hours, photos and phone number complete and correct?
• Check that your business name, phone number and address are written the same way on your website, Google and Facebook.
• Count your Google reviews from the last three months. If the answer is zero, start asking every customer this week.
• Look at your website on your phone. Can a customer call or WhatsApp you from the first screen?

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Google Business Profile Help; BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey 2026.