The fastest way for a New York small business to get more customers is to fix the leaks before buying more traffic: answer every call, complete your Google Business Profile, collect reviews every week and make sure your website works on a phone. Then add the channels that match how people now choose local businesses: Google search and Maps, AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini, and paid ads only where the numbers work.
Key takeaways
- Fix the leaks first. Missed calls, an incomplete Google Business Profile and a slow mobile website lose customers you have already earned.
- Reviews are the single biggest trust signal for Google Maps and for AI assistants. Ask every happy customer, every week.
- People increasingly ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity who to hire. Being listed and reviewed on the sites those tools read matters as much as your website.
- Paid ads work best after the basics are in place. Judge them by cost per lead, not clicks.
- You can do most of this yourself. Hire help when your time is worth more than the work, or when results have stalled.
Start by finding where you are losing customers
Before spending more on marketing, check where potential customers already drop off. Most local businesses have at least one of these problems, and each one is cheaper to fix than buying new traffic.
| What you notice | Likely cause | First fix |
|---|---|---|
| The phone rings but jobs do not follow | Missed calls, slow callbacks, no follow-up | Answer or call back within 5 minutes; set up missed-call text-back |
| You do not appear on Google Maps for your service | Incomplete Google Business Profile, few reviews, wrong categories | Complete every profile field and start asking for reviews |
| Visitors leave your website quickly | Slow or hard-to-use on a phone, no clear phone number or prices | Put your phone number, service area and starting prices above the fold |
| ChatGPT does not mention you | Few third-party listings and reviews for AI to read | Get listed on Bing Places, Yelp, Apple Business Connect and industry directories |
| Ads spend money but leads are few | Wrong keywords, no call tracking, weak landing page | Track calls, cut non-converting keywords, send ads to a focused page |
How do I get more calls for my small business?
To get more calls, make it easy to find you and easy to call you. Rank in the Google Maps top three for your main service and town, show a tap-to-call phone number on every page of your website, and keep your hours accurate everywhere. Then answer fast: many customers call the next business on the list if nobody picks up.
- Pick one primary Google Business Profile category that matches your main service, then add secondary categories for the rest.
- Add your services with short descriptions and starting prices to your Google Business Profile.
- Use the same business name, address and phone number on your website, Google, Bing, Yelp and every directory.
- Put a click-to-call button at the top of your website on mobile.
- Track calls by source (a free Google Business Profile call history, or a call tracking tool) so you know what is working.
If you run a trade business, our guides for HVAC companies and plumbers cover the specific steps that bring in service calls.
How do I get more customers without wasting money on ads?
Start with the free and low-cost channels that compound over time: your Google Business Profile, customer reviews, referrals and a website that answers the questions customers ask. These keep working after you stop paying, unlike ads. Add paid ads only when you know your average job value and how many leads you can afford to pay for.
- Google Business Profile: free, and for most local businesses the single biggest source of calls.
- Reviews: free, and they lift both Maps rankings and conversion.
- Referrals: ask happy customers directly, and thank partners who send work your way.
- Helpful website content: pages that answer real questions, such as prices, timelines and service areas, get found on Google and quoted by AI assistants.
- Email or text to past customers: seasonal reminders and maintenance offers are the cheapest repeat business you can get.
When you are ready for ads, see how much Google Ads cost for local businesses and what a good cost per lead looks like.
Why doesn’t my business show up on Google Maps?
Most businesses miss the Google Maps top three because of an incomplete or unverified Google Business Profile, the wrong primary category, too few recent reviews, or a business address far from the searcher. Distance is outside your control, but the rest is not. Businesses that complete their profile, choose precise categories and collect reviews steadily usually climb within a few months.
- Verify your profile and fill in every field: categories, services, hours, service area, photos and description.
- Choose the most specific primary category available, such as “HVAC contractor” rather than “Contractor”.
- Collect new reviews every month. Recent reviews count more than old ones.
- Make sure your website mentions the towns you serve and links to your Google profile.
- Post photos of real jobs and updates regularly to show the profile is active.
Our local SEO service covers this work if you would rather have it done for you.
How do I get more Google reviews?
Ask every satisfied customer, at the moment they are happiest, with a direct link that opens the review form. Most people are willing to leave a review but never get around to it without a reminder. A simple text or email with your Google review link the same day the job is done is the most reliable method.
- Get your direct review link from your Google Business Profile (“Ask for reviews”).
- Send it by text right after the job, with one short sentence: what you did and that a review helps a small business.
- Follow up once, two or three days later, if they have not left one.
- Reply to every review, positive or negative, politely and within a few days.
- Never buy reviews or offer rewards for positive reviews. It breaks Google’s policies and can get reviews removed.
Is my website losing me customers?
Your website is probably losing customers if it loads slowly on a phone, hides your phone number, does not list your services and service area, or has no prices or reviews. Open it on your own phone and try to call you, find your prices and check whether you serve a specific town. If any of that takes more than a few seconds, customers are leaving.
- Loads in under three seconds on a phone.
- Phone number and a clear call-to-action visible without scrolling.
- A page for each main service, with starting prices or price ranges.
- The towns and areas you serve, in plain text.
- Real reviews and photos of real work.
- Answers to the questions customers ask before they call.
If you are weighing a new site, see how much a website costs in New York and our website development options.
How do I get my business recommended by ChatGPT and other AI tools?
AI assistants recommend businesses they can confirm across several trusted sources: your Google Business Profile, review sites, directories, local articles and your own website. They are far pickier than Google: one 2026 study of more than 350,000 business locations found ChatGPT recommended about 1 in 83, while Google’s local three-pack showed about one in three. See more numbers in our AI search and local marketing statistics. Consistent listings and steady reviews are what move you onto that short list.
- Claim Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yelp and the main directories for your industry, with identical details everywhere.
- Keep collecting reviews on Google and at least one other platform.
- Write clear pages that state what you do, where, for whom and at what price.
- Get mentioned in local news, community sites and “best of” roundups for your area.
- Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity who they recommend for your service in your town every month, and note who appears.
Read what GEO is and how it works, or see our GEO services for New York businesses.
What should I do when business is slow?
When business slows down, contact past customers first, then fix your listings and reviews, and only then increase ad spend. Past customers already trust you and cost nothing to reach. A slow season is also the best time to do the work you are too busy for in peak season, such as updating your website and building reviews.
- Send a seasonal offer or maintenance reminder to past customers by text or email.
- Ask recent customers for reviews and referrals.
- Update your Google Business Profile with fresh photos and a post about current availability.
- Publish one helpful page that answers a common customer question.
- Plan next season’s marketing six to eight weeks before it starts.
Should I hire a marketing agency or do it myself?
Do it yourself if you have a few hours a week and your market is not very competitive. Hire help when your time is worth more running the business, when results have stalled, or when you need skills like ads management, web development or technical SEO. Either way, start with the basics in this guide, because no agency can fix a business that misses calls or has no reviews.
| Do it yourself | Hire an agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Your time plus tools | Monthly fee or project price |
| Best for | Google Business Profile, reviews, social posts | Websites, ads, technical and competitive SEO, GEO |
| Risk | Slow progress if you run out of time | Paying for work that does not move calls or leads |
| How to judge it | Calls and booked jobs | Calls and booked jobs, not reports full of rankings |
If you hire, ask for fixed prices, month-to-month terms, ownership of your website and accounts, and reporting on calls and leads rather than vanity numbers. Our guide on how to choose a marketing agency lists the questions to ask and the red flags to avoid.
A simple 30-day plan to get more customers
- Week 1: Test your own phone line and website on a phone. Set up missed-call text-back. Complete and verify your Google Business Profile.
- Week 2: Send review requests to your last 20 customers. Claim Bing Places, Apple Business Connect and Yelp with identical details.
- Week 3: Fix your website basics: click-to-call, service pages, service area, prices and reviews.
- Week 4: Contact past customers with a seasonal offer. Check where you appear on Google Maps and in ChatGPT, and write down the results to compare next month.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get more customers?
Fixes like answering calls faster, completing your Google Business Profile and contacting past customers can bring results within days or weeks. Google Maps rankings and AI recommendations usually take two to four months of steady work, because they depend on reviews and listings building up over time.
How much should a small business spend on marketing?
A common guideline from the U.S. Small Business Administration is 7 to 8 percent of gross revenue for businesses with under $5 million in sales and net profit margins of around 10 to 12 percent. Many local service businesses start lower, with free channels like Google Business Profile and reviews, and increase spend once they know their cost per lead.
What is the cheapest way to get new customers?
Your Google Business Profile, customer reviews, referrals and past customers are the cheapest sources of new business. They cost little or nothing beyond your time, and they keep working after you stop, unlike paid ads.
Is social media enough to get customers for a local business?
Usually not on its own. Social media helps people remember you, but most customers looking for a local service search Google, Google Maps or an AI assistant when they are ready to hire. Use social media alongside a strong Google Business Profile and website.
Do I need a website if I have a Google Business Profile?
Yes, for most businesses. Your Google Business Profile gets you found on Maps, but your website is where customers confirm your services, prices and service area, and it is one of the main sources AI assistants read before recommending a business.
Want to know where your business is losing customers today? Book a free growth audit and we will show you what is holding back your calls, Google Maps ranking and AI visibility, with a fixed price to fix it within one business day.
