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Free audit. No hard sell — just a clear plan to grow your business.
You're running Google Ads. Your SEO is improving. You're posting on social media. People are visiting your website.
But something's wrong.
You're not getting the calls. You're not getting the bookings. Your foot traffic hasn't increased.
You have a leaky funnel.
Here's the truth that most agencies won't tell you: Traffic doesn't matter if you can't convert it. You can drive 1,000 people to your website, but if your funnel is broken, you'll get zero customers.
A conversion funnel is the journey someone takes from "I've never heard of this business" to "I'm a loyal customer." Building that funnel—and plugging the leaks—is the difference between wasting money on marketing and turning every euro into revenue.
At KM Results, we've built conversion funnels for Dublin businesses across every neighborhood. From a gastropub in Stoneybatter turning website visitors into dinner bookings to a dental practice in Rathgar turning searchers into new patients, we've seen what works.
In this guide, I'll walk you through what a conversion funnel is, the four stages every local business needs, and exactly how to build one that turns visitors into customers.
A conversion funnel is the path someone takes from first hearing about your business to becoming a customer. It's called a funnel because you start with many people at the top, and fewer at the bottom—but those at the bottom are your customers.
For a local business, a typical funnel looks like this:
textAwareness (100 people see your ad)
↓
Consideration (50 people visit your website)
↓
Conversion (10 people call or book)
↓
Loyalty (3 people become regulars and tell friends)
Most local businesses focus all their energy on the top of the funnel—getting more traffic—while ignoring the leaks in the middle and bottom. That's like filling a bucket with holes.
For local businesses, the funnel has four stages. Each stage requires different tactics.
Stage 1: Awareness
Goal: Get found by potential customers who need what you offer.
Where this happens: Google search, Google Maps, social media, ads, word-of-mouth.
What success looks like: People visiting your website, calling your GBP, or walking past your shop.
Stage 2: Consideration
Goal: Build trust so people choose you over competitors.
Where this happens: Your website, your GBP, your social media, your reviews.
What success looks like: People spending time on your site, reading your reviews, checking your menu/prices, comparing you to competitors.
Stage 3: Conversion
Goal: Get the "yes"—the call, the booking, the foot traffic.
Where this happens: Your phone line, your booking form, your front door.
What success looks like: Calls, online bookings, form fills, people walking through your door.
Stage 4: Loyalty
Goal: Turn customers into repeat customers and advocates.
Where this happens: Email, social media, in-person experience.
What success looks like: Repeat purchases, referrals, positive reviews, social media shares.
Let me walk you through the most common leaks I see when auditing local business funnels:
Leak #1: Awareness without local targeting
You're getting traffic, but it's from people too far away. Your Google Ads are targeting all of Dublin instead of a 2 km radius. Your SEO is ranking for generic terms instead of "near me" searches.
Leak #2: Traffic goes to homepage instead of a dedicated landing page
Someone searches for "breakfast near Ranelagh." They click your ad. Your ad sends them to your homepage, where they have to hunt for the menu, hours, and phone number. They bounce.
Leak #3: No clear call-to-action
Your website says "Welcome to our café" but doesn't say "Book a table" or "View our menu" or "Call us." People don't know what to do next.
Leak #4: Phone number isn't clickable on mobile
70% of local searches happen on mobile. If your phone number isn't a click-to-call link, you're losing calls.
Leak #5: Booking form is too long
You ask for name, email, phone, address, how they heard about you, their pet's name, and their favourite colour. People abandon the form.
Leak #6: No retargeting
Someone visits your website but doesn't book. You never show them an ad again. They forget about you.
Leak #7: No follow-up after conversion
Someone books a table. You don't send a confirmation email. You don't ask for a review. You don't offer a loyalty discount. They come once and never return.
Let's fix those leaks. Here's exactly how to build each stage of your funnel.
Goal: Get in front of people who need what you offer and are in your service area.
Tactics for local businesses:
Google Business Profile optimisation – Ensure your GBP is 100% complete, verified, and optimised with categories, attributes, photos, and posts.
Local SEO – Optimise your website for local keywords ("plumber in Crumlin," "café near Ranelagh Luas").
Google Ads with geo-targeting – Target a specific radius around your business or specific postal codes.
Social media advertising – Target people within 1–5 km of your business.
Local partnerships – Cross-promote with complementary local businesses.
What to measure: Impressions, reach, GBP views, website traffic from local sources.
Goal: Convince people that you're the right choice.
Tactics for local businesses:
Showcase reviews prominently – Put your best reviews on your homepage and landing pages.
Display trust signals – Certifications, guarantees, awards, media mentions.
Answer common questions – FAQs on your website (hours, pricing, policies).
Show your work – Before/after photos, case studies, customer stories.
Make your contact info obvious – Phone number, address, email in the header and footer of every page.
What to measure: Time on site, pages per session, GBP clicks (to website, to photos, to directions).
Goal: Get the call, the booking, or the foot traffic.
Tactics for local businesses:
Make your call-to-action clear and prominent – "Call Now," "Book a Table," "Get Directions" as buttons, not just text.
Use click-to-call buttons on mobile – Every phone number should be tappable.
Simplify your booking forms – Ask for the minimum information needed. You can get the rest later.
Create dedicated landing pages – Match the ad to the page. If they searched for "breakfast," send them to the breakfast menu.
Use retargeting ads – Show ads to people who visited your website but didn't convert.
Add urgency – "Limited tables available," "Offer ends Sunday," "Only 3 spots left.
"Example landing page structure for a café in Ranelagh:
Headline: "Best Breakfast in Ranelagh – Just Steps from the Luas"
Subheadline: "Open daily at 8am. Walk-ins welcome or book a table online."
Hero image: Your best breakfast dish
Reviews: 3–5 recent Google reviews (with names and stars)
Menu link: "View our full breakfast menu"
CTA buttons: "Book a Table" and "Call Now (01-XXX-XXXX)"
Trust signals: "Fresh local ingredients," "5-star Google rating," "Family-run since 2015"
What to measure: Conversion rate (calls ÷ website visitors, bookings ÷ landing page views), cost per conversion, form abandonment rate.
Goal: Turn one-time customers into repeat customers who refer others.
Tactics for local businesses:
Send a follow-up email – "Thanks for visiting! Leave us a review here" or "Here's 10% off your next visit."
Ask for reviews – At the right moment (after a positive interaction). Make it easy with a direct link.
Start an email list – Collect emails in exchange for a small discount or free item.
Create a loyalty program – "Buy 5 coffees, get 1 free" (digital punch card via email or app).
Retarget past customers – Show ads to people who have visited or booked before.
Encourage referrals – "Refer a friend and you both get 10% off."
What to measure: Repeat customer rate, referral rate, review velocity (new reviews per month), email open rate.
We're not a generic marketing agency. Here's what makes our funnel-building approach different:
We Start with the Funnel, Not the Channel. Most agencies pick a channel (SEO, social, ads) and try to fit your business into it. We start with your funnel—where are the leaks?—then choose the right channels to plug them.
We Focus on Local Conversions. We don't optimise for email opens or video views. We optimise for calls, bookings, and foot traffic. That's what pays your bills.
We Build Funnels, Not Random Tactics. Every tactic has a place in the funnel. We don't run ads without landing pages. We don't drive traffic without conversion tracking.
We Test and Iterate. We A/B test headlines, CTAs, form lengths, and offers. We keep what works and cut what doesn't.
1. What's a good conversion rate for a local business website?
For calls or bookings: 2–5% is average. 5–10% is good. 10%+ is excellent. For form fills (newsletter signups, etc.): 10–20% is typical.
2. Why do people visit my website but not call?
Common reasons: phone number isn't clickable on mobile, no clear call-to-action, pricing isn't visible, reviews are missing, or your competitor looks better.
3. Should I use a booking form or a phone number?
Both. Some customers prefer to book online (especially younger). Some prefer to call (especially for complex services). Offer both and track which converts better.
4. How long should my booking form be?
Ask for the minimum: name, contact info (email or phone), date/time, and service. You can get the rest later. Every extra field reduces conversion rates.
5. What's retargeting and do I need it?
Retargeting shows ads to people who've already visited your website. They're warmer leads and convert at much higher rates. Yes, you need it.
6. How do I track calls from my website?
Use a call tracking service that gives you a unique phone number for your website. Different numbers for different campaigns let you see which marketing drives calls.
7. What's the biggest mistake local businesses make in their funnel?
Sending traffic to their homepage instead of a dedicated landing page. A homepage tries to do everything. A landing page has one goal—get the call or booking.
8. How do I build a landing page?
Start with: headline that matches the ad, supporting image, 3–5 reviews, clear CTA (button with "Call Now" or "Book"), trust signals, and minimal navigation (remove menu links that distract).
9. How often should I ask for reviews?
After every positive interaction. But make it easy—send a direct link to your Google review page via text or email. Don't make customers hunt for it.
10. Can I build a conversion funnel myself?
You can handle basics: adding click-to-call buttons, simplifying your booking form, asking for reviews. But building a complete funnel—with retargeting, landing pages, testing, and analytics—requires expertise. Most business owners don't have the time.
You're getting traffic. But are you getting customers?
If your conversion rate is low, you're wasting money on marketing. Every euro you spend driving traffic is only half the battle. The other half—turning that traffic into customers—is where most local businesses struggle.
At KM Results, we build conversion funnels for Dublin local businesses that actually work. We'll audit your current funnel, identify the leaks, and build a system that turns visitors into customers.
Let's audit your conversion funnel. We'll show you where you're losing people and exactly how to fix it.
Call us today at 0838524742 or fill out the form below to schedule your free consultation.