Help Local Customers Take the Next Step With Your Business

Someone has found your business in a local Community Network. They recognize the service they need. Now comes an important question: what should they do next?

For Maine business owners, a useful Profile should help a visitor move from interest to an informed inquiry. That means giving people a clear starting point and explaining what to expect.

Choose a clear first step

Think about how your team handles new inquiries. Do you prefer a phone call, an estimate request, or an appointment? Make that preferred route easy to identify on your Profile, and confirm that the link or phone number works.

Use wording that describes the action: “Request an estimate,” “Ask about availability,” or “Schedule an introductory conversation.” Choose the wording that matches your actual process.

Tell customers what to include

“Contact us for details” can leave a potential customer wondering where to begin. Give them a little guidance.

A painting business might ask for the town, rooms involved, and preferred timing. A pet-care business might ask which service and dates are needed. The details will vary, but the goal is the same: help someone start a useful conversation.

Keep public forms focused on basic information. Arrange a suitable private process for sensitive personal or financial documents.

Explain what happens after an inquiry

Will you call to discuss the project? Arrange a visit before preparing an estimate? Confirm availability before accepting a booking?

Describe your real process in one or two sentences. For example, a business could write: “Send a brief description of the work and your town. We’ll discuss the details with you and determine whether a site visit is needed.”

That is sample wording to adapt, not a promise every business should make. Only include response times and availability that your team can support.

Give readers a useful reason to visit your website

Your Profile introduces the business. An Insight can explain something in more depth: what an estimate includes, how to prepare for a visit, or which questions to ask before choosing a service.

When you share an Insight through a newsletter or business post, link to the relevant article. Then give the article’s reader a clear route to the appropriate contact or service page.

Try the route yourself

Open your Profile on your phone. Read it as someone who has never worked with you. Follow the contact link and ask:

• Is it clear what my business offers and where we work?
• Can someone identify the right first step?
• Have I explained what information would help?
• Does the next page match what the link promised?

Make your next update practical

Choose one improvement you can make today. Replace a vague instruction, update a contact link, or explain what happens after someone gets in touch.

Maine Thrive brings local business discovery and useful community information together. As you review your business’s presence, make sure the details you share help people take the next step with confidence.

Learn more about Maine Thrive at mainethrive.org.