Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of local businesses across West Devon, Dartmoor and Plymouth.
As the owner of Links Publishing, I’ve spent countless hours speaking with business owners from almost every sector imaginable. Builders, plumbers, electricians, estate agents, accountants, retailers, cafés, beauty salons, manufacturers and professional service firms. Despite operating in completely different industries, many of them share exactly the same challenge.
They want more customers.
At first glance, the answer seems simple. Advertise more. Increase your visibility. Get your name in front of more people.
And while advertising absolutely has an important role to play, I’ve come to realise that visibility alone is rarely the complete answer.
In fact, some of the businesses struggling to generate enquiries aren’t suffering from a lack of exposure at all. They’re losing potential customers much later in the journey.
That realisation is what led us to develop our Business Growth Audit service.
The Question That Changed Everything
For years, Links Publishing has helped local businesses connect with local people through our community magazines.
We deliver almost 70,000 copies across West Devon, Dartmoor and Plymouth, reaching around 168,000 readers every issue. Our readers actively use our magazines to discover local businesses, services and tradespeople.
But as I became more involved with business owners, I started asking a different question.
What happens after someone sees the advert?
A business might invest in advertising, attract attention and generate interest. But if a potential customer visits the website and can’t find a phone number, the opportunity is lost.
If they look at the company’s Facebook page and discover it hasn’t been updated for eighteen months, confidence drops.
If they find poor reviews, an outdated website or a difficult enquiry process, they move on.
The business paid to create visibility, but visibility never became a lead.
That’s where our thinking began to evolve.
Instead of simply helping businesses become more visible, we wanted to help them understand what might be preventing them from converting that visibility into enquiries, customers and revenue.
The Hidden Cost of Lead Killers
One of the phrases we now use regularly is “Lead Killers”.
A Lead Killer is anything that causes a potential customer to stop, hesitate or leave before making contact.
Many business owners don’t realise these barriers exist because they see their business every day. They know where everything is. They understand how their processes work.
Customers don’t.
Customers judge businesses quickly.
Research consistently shows that people form opinions within seconds of visiting a website or online profile.
That means even small issues can have a surprisingly large impact.
Some of the most common Lead Killers we see include:
Poor Mobile Experience
More than half of website visits now take place on mobile devices.
If a website is difficult to navigate on a phone, loads slowly or makes it hard to contact the business, enquiries can disappear before they begin.
Hidden Contact Information
It sounds obvious, but we regularly see websites where the phone number is difficult to find or the contact process requires unnecessary effort.
If a customer has to work hard to contact you, many simply won’t bother.
Weak Calls to Action
Visitors need direction.
If a website doesn’t clearly say “Call Now”, “Book a Consultation” or “Request a Quote”, people often leave without taking action.
Outdated Social Media
An inactive Facebook page can unintentionally send the message that a business is inactive too.
Customers often use social media as a trust signal.
Poor Review Profiles
Reviews have become one of the most important factors in local purchasing decisions.
A lack of reviews, outdated reviews or unanswered reviews can significantly reduce trust.
No Customer Journey Thinking
Many businesses focus heavily on attracting visitors but spend very little time thinking about what happens once those visitors arrive.
The businesses that grow consistently are usually the businesses that make it easy to become a customer.
Why We Developed the Business Growth Audit
The more businesses we spoke to, the more we realised that many owners needed an independent, objective view of their customer journey.
Someone who could step into the shoes of a potential customer and assess the experience honestly.
That’s exactly what our Business Growth Audit is designed to do.
We review businesses through the same lens that potential customers use every day.
We assess areas including:
• Website performance
• Mobile experience
• Google Business Profile visibility
• Reviews and reputation
• Social media activity
• Customer trust signals
• Enquiry processes
• Calls to action
• Local authority and credibility
• Overall lead generation effectiveness
Most importantly, we identify the obstacles that may be preventing growth.
Sometimes the findings are simple.
Sometimes they’re surprising.
But almost every audit reveals opportunities that can help a business generate more enquiries and improve conversion rates.
Advertising Creates Opportunities. Conversion Creates Results.
This phrase has become central to our thinking.
Advertising remains incredibly valuable.
Without visibility, businesses struggle to attract attention.
But visibility alone doesn’t guarantee growth.
Growth happens when visibility is combined with credibility, trust, effective communication and a customer journey designed to encourage action.
The most successful businesses understand this.
They don’t just focus on attracting visitors.
They focus on converting visitors into leads and leads into customers.
That’s the gap our Business Growth Audits are designed to bridge.
More Than a Magazine Publisher
Links Publishing will always be proud of its roots as a community publisher.
For many years, we’ve celebrated local people, local stories and local businesses across our magazines.
That commitment remains unchanged.
But we also recognise that local businesses face increasingly complex marketing challenges.
Websites matter.
Reviews matter.
Google matters.
Social media matters.
Customer experience matters.
Business owners need practical advice, honest feedback and clear recommendations that help them grow.
That’s why we’re expanding our services beyond traditional advertising.
Today, we help businesses improve visibility, credibility and conversion through services including:
Comprehensive reviews of online presence, customer experience and lead generation performance.
Google Business Profile Optimisation
Helping businesses maximise their local search visibility.
Strengthening customer trust through reviews, testimonials and social proof.
Improving consistency, engagement and local visibility.
Website Improvement Recommendations
Identifying opportunities to increase enquiries and improve customer experience.
Content, Copywriting and Design
Helping businesses communicate more effectively.
Print and Digital Growth Campaigns
Combining trusted local media with modern marketing strategies.
The Future of Links Publishing
Our mission remains simple.
We want to help local businesses succeed.
Sometimes that will involve advertising.
Sometimes it will involve improving a website.
Sometimes it will involve strengthening reviews, refining social media or identifying weaknesses in the customer journey.
The solution will be different for every business.
But the goal is always the same.
More enquiries.
More customers.
More growth.
Claim Your Free Business Growth Audit
If you’re a local business owner and you’re wondering whether hidden Lead Killers could be affecting your enquiries, we’d love to help.
Our Free Business Growth Audit provides an independent review of your online presence and customer journey.
We’ll identify:
• What’s working well
• What’s costing you potential leads
• Quick wins you can implement immediately
• Opportunities for long-term growth
Most importantly, we’ll answer one simple question:
If I were a potential customer looking for your business online, what would stop me becoming a lead?
To request your Free Business Growth Audit, contact Links Publishing today.
Because business growth doesn’t start with advertising.
It starts with understanding what might be getting in the way.
