Outreach
Slow Mobile Site, Missing Lead Form, No Meta Description: How to Turn Each Into a Sales Pitch
Finding a website problem is the easy half. The harder half is saying it in a way that a busy business owner cares about. A good pitch does four things in a few sentences: it describes what a customer experiences, puts a realistic cost on it using the owner's own numbers, offers the smallest fix that would solve it, and asks for a low-risk next step.
This guide shows that structure for three common problems, a slow mobile site, a missing lead form and a missing meta description, then gives short versions for three more, ways to put a number on the cost without inventing one, scripts for the phone and in person, and calm answers to the objections you will hear.
The four-line pitch
Every pitch in this guide follows the same skeleton. Keep it in your head, and you can build one in a minute.
| Line | Job | Example (fictional plumber) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What I saw | Describe the problem as an experience | "On my phone I couldn't find a way to book without scrolling past four sections." |
| 2. What it may cost | Tie it to calls, bookings or visibility | "For a plumber, a customer with a leak usually wants to call straight away." |
| 3. The smallest fix | Name the simplest change that solves it | "A tap-to-call button at the top of the page would fix that." |
| 4. The low-risk next step | Make it easy to say yes or no | "Happy to send a screenshot and two quick suggestions. No obligation." |
Notice what is missing: technical vocabulary, a list of features and any mention of your pricing. Save those for the conversation you get after a reply.
If you need the wider set of problems to draw from, 15 website problems local businesses ignore covers each one with a way to spot it. Below, we go deeper on three.
Pitch 1: the slow mobile site
The proof. Run the homepage through PageSpeed Insights on mobile. Note how long the main content takes to appear, and screenshot the result. Google's target for the largest piece of content is 2.5 seconds or less, assessed across real page loads. Remember that small sites often have no real-user data, so you are quoting a lab test. Say so.
What to say. Describe the wait, not the metric. "The main image on your homepage took about five seconds to show on a phone in a speed test" is clear to anyone. "Your LCP is poor" is not.
What it may cost. People leave slow pages. You do not need a statistic to say that, and you should not invent one. If the owner tracks visitors, ask how many arrive on phones.
The smallest fix. Do not pitch a rebuild. Pitch the specific cause: an uncompressed hero image, a heavy chat widget, a slow host. The cause is often small and the fix quick.
Email opener (fictional):
Subject Homepage speed on a phone
Hi Dana, I ran Cedar Ridge Plumbing's homepage through a mobile speed test and the main image took about five seconds to appear. On a slower connection it could take longer.
I think one large image and a chat script are the main causes, and both are quick to fix. I can send the test result and the two changes I'd make first. No obligation.
Watch out for. Overstating a lab result, and promising "a 100 score". Scores vary between runs, and a good lab score does not guarantee good real-user experience.
Pitch 2: the missing lead form or booking path
The proof. A screenshot of the first screen on a phone, and a count of the taps it takes to reach any way of getting in touch. Two screenshots side by side, "what a customer sees" and "where the form actually is", make the point instantly.
What to say. "I was looking for a way to book from my phone and couldn't find one above the fold." That is a plain statement of experience, and the owner can check it in five seconds.
What it may cost. Every visitor who is ready to act and cannot is a lost enquiry. This is the pitch where the owner's own numbers matter most. Ask them what a typical customer is worth, and how many enquiries come from the site. The section below shows how to use those answers.
The smallest fix. A short form or a booking link near the top of the page, with only the fields the business genuinely needs. Suggest starting with name, phone and a short message.
Email opener (fictional):
Subject Couldn't find how to book on your phone
Hi Sam, I was on Harbor View Chiropractic's site from my phone and couldn't find a way to book without scrolling through four sections. There's a phone number in the footer, but it doesn't tap to call.
A booking button at the top and a short enquiry form would make it much easier for a new patient to reach you. I can mock up what that could look like if it's useful.
Watch out for. Assuming the site has no form when it is hidden on a page you did not open. Check the menu and the contact page before you claim there is none.
Pitch 3: the missing meta description
This is the smallest of the three problems, and the one that most needs an honest framing.
The proof. Search for the business name and screenshot how the listing reads. If the description is a random sentence, or the title is just "Home", that is your evidence.
What to say. Be modest. Google's documentation says it does not always use the meta description and may take text from the page instead, and it may rewrite titles that are generic, repeated or out of date. So the truthful pitch is about control: "Right now Google is showing a random sentence from your page. A clear title and description gives you a better chance of it reading the way you would want."
What it may cost. A small amount of click-through, and a weaker first impression in search. Do not present it as a ranking fix.
The smallest fix. Write a distinct, descriptive title and description for each main page, naming the service and the town.
Watch out for. Promising rankings or traffic. It is a cheap, low-risk job, and works best as an add-on to something bigger, or a first small win that builds trust.
Phone or email line (fictional): "When I searched for your business, Google showed a random sentence from your homepage instead of what you actually do. It's a quick fix, and I'm happy to show you what it could say."
Three more, in one line each
| Problem | One-sentence pitch | Smallest fix |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number does not tap | "On my phone the number in your header is plain text, so a customer has to copy it to call." | Make it a tap-to-call link |
| Reviews not on the site | "You have a strong rating on Google, but a first-time visitor to your site doesn't see any of it." | Add a reviews section to the homepage |
| No HTTPS | "The browser shows a 'not secure' warning next to your address, which could put off a new customer." | Install a certificate and redirect to HTTPS |
Putting a number on it without inventing one
Owners respond to money. But you should not quote a made-up statistic like "you are losing 40% of your customers". You do not know that, and the owner will know you do not. Instead, use their numbers.
Ask two questions in your first conversation:
- "About how many enquiries or calls come from the website in a typical month?"
- "What is a typical job worth, and how many enquiries turn into work?"
Then do the simple maths with them. Here is an illustration with clearly labelled assumptions.
| Assumption (illustrative) | Value |
|---|---|
| Enquiries from the website per month | 60 |
| Enquiries that become jobs | 50% |
| Average job value | $400 |
If a fix made the website produce a little more, the monthly value would look like this.
Example (illustrative). 60 monthly enquiries, 50% become jobs, $400 average job. Replace with the owner's real numbers.
Two cautions. These are scenarios, not forecasts, and you should say so. And use the owner's figures, not yours. When the owner says the numbers out loud, they are persuading themselves.
Scripts for the phone and in person
Not every prospect reads email. When you speak to someone, keep it short and give them an easy way out.
If they say yes, describe the one problem, show the screenshot if you are meeting or send it afterwards, and ask a question: "Does that match what you see from your side?" Then listen. If they are busy, ask when to call back, and follow up exactly then.
Answering the objections you will hear
Objections are usually a request for reassurance, not a refusal. Stay calm and answer plainly.
| What they say | What it often means | A calm reply |
|---|---|---|
| "We already have a web person." | They are covered, or unsure about switching | "That's fine. I'm not asking you to switch. Would it help if I sent what I noticed for your web person to look at?" |
| "It's too expensive." | They do not yet see the value | "Fair. I'd suggest starting with the smallest fix, so you can see the effect before spending more." |
| "We get customers by word of mouth." | The site feels unimportant | "That's great. A recommendation often sends people to the website to check, so I'd want it to back that up." |
| "Send me some info." | A polite brush-off, or a genuine request | "Happy to. I'll send the one-page finding I mentioned. When would be a good time to talk it through?" |
| "Now isn't a good time." | They are busy | "No problem. When would be better? I'll put it in my calendar." |
| "Our site works fine." | They have not seen what you saw | "It may well. Can I show you what I saw on my phone, and you can tell me if I've got it wrong?" |
Never argue, and never push. If someone says no twice, thank them and stop. Add them to your do-not-contact list, as the cold email guide explains.
Choosing what to offer
Match the offer to the size of the problem and the level of trust.
Start with the smallest fix
A tap-to-call link, a booking button or a compressed image. It is quick and shows results, and it lets you prove you are reliable.
Then a focused project
A speed optimisation, a new booking flow or a homepage rebuild, scoped around the one clear problem you started with.
Then ongoing care
Maintenance, updates and small improvements, once you have a working relationship.
A full redesign is a bigger conversation, and it is rarely the right first offer. When you are ready to set a price, how to price website redesign and SEO services walks through it. It is easier to earn trust with a small win than to ask a stranger for a large budget.
When not to pitch
- The fix would not matter. If a business gets all its work from repeat customers, a faster site may not change anything.
- The problem is small and the business is small. Do not spend a week pitching a $100 fix.
- You cannot prove it. If you cannot show a screenshot or a test result, wait until you can.
- They asked you to stop. Respect it, and keep the record.
Where SiteOpportunity fits
Once you have found a problem, SiteOpportunity helps you say it well. For each business it lists the verified findings and their evidence, recommends a primary service, and prepares an editable outreach draft that uses only those findings. You choose one of five tones, edit the draft, and send it yourself. Nothing goes out automatically. Evidence-based outreach drafts are part of the Pro plan on the pricing page, and the features page shows what a draft looks like. To decide which businesses deserve a pitch at all, read how the Opportunity Score works.
Want to see the findings you could build a pitch from? Try a free search
Questions about turning findings into pitches
Should I lead with the problem or with my service?
Lead with the problem, described as something a customer experiences. Mention your service only when you offer the smallest fix. Owners respond to what they are losing, not to what you sell.
How do I quantify the cost of a website problem without made-up statistics?
Ask the owner for their own numbers: enquiries from the site per month, how many become jobs, and what a typical job is worth. Then work through the maths together as a scenario, not a forecast.
Is a missing meta description worth pitching?
It is a small job. Google does not always use the meta description, so present it as more control over how the listing reads, not as a ranking fix. It works well as an add-on or a first small win.
What if the owner says the website works fine?
Do not argue. Offer to show what you saw on your phone and ask them to tell you if you have it wrong. Specific, checkable evidence is more persuasive than a debate.
How many problems should one pitch mention?
One. A single, clear, provable problem reads like help. A list of six reads like criticism. You can raise the others once the owner replies.