Why ads bring clicks but no enquiries

A common scenario: the ads are running, the report shows hundreds of clicks, but there are hardly any enquiries. The first reaction is often that “ads don’t work”. In reality the problem is almost always in one of three parts of the journey: who clicks, where they land, and whether we even know what happens next.

1. The wrong people click

With Google Ads it often turns out that the ad pays for searches that have nothing to do with your offer. The search term “website” could be someone looking to have one built, or someone looking for a free builder, a job or a tutorial.

What to check:

• the search terms report: what people actually typed,
• the list of negative keywords (“free”, “job”, “tutorial”, “course”),
• location: whether the ad also shows outside the area you serve.

On Facebook and Instagram the equivalent problem is targeting that’s too broad. An ad for a local service shown to the whole country will collect clicks from people who can’t hire you.

2. They land on the wrong page

The ad promises one thing and the page shows another. If the ad talks about a package price and the visitor lands on the home page where there’s no price, they leave quickly.

A good landing page:

• repeats the ad’s promise in its headline,
• states the price or at least a price range,
• has one main call to action (form, call, purchase),
• loads quickly on a phone without content jumping around,
• shows proof: references, reviews, examples.

Most ad clicks come from phones. A page that looks great on a laptop but has tiny text and a hidden button on a phone will lose most visitors. More on why a website gets no enquiries in this article.

3. You don’t measure what happens after the click

Without conversion tracking, an ad platform optimises for clicks, not enquiries. Google and Meta can find people likely to send a form on their own, but only if we tell them what success looks like.

What needs to be set up:

• an event when a form is submitted or a purchase is made,
• tracking of clicks on your phone number and email,
• a connection to Google Analytics or the Meta Pixel and Conversions API.

Once tracking is right, it often turns out that one part of the campaign brings almost all the enquiries and another just spends money. Then the budget can move to where it works.

A quick check in five steps

1. Open the search terms report and find terms unrelated to your offer.
2. Check the ads’ location and audience.
3. Click your own ad on a phone and see where it leads.
4. Send a test enquiry and check that it’s recorded as a conversion.
5. Compare the cost of one enquiry with the value of a customer.

If you’d like us to review this for you, see the Advertising page or write to us through the contact form.

FAQ

How many clicks per enquiry is normal?

It depends on the industry and the quality of the page. For services, the share of visits that become enquiries is often a few percent. If it’s much lower, it’s almost always worth reviewing the page and the targeting.

Is the budget the problem?

Rarely. A bigger budget on a poorly set up campaign just means more paid clicks with no result. Targeting, the page and tracking need fixing first.

Do I need a separate landing page?

Not necessarily, but it often helps. It’s enough for the ad to lead to a page that talks about exactly what the ad promises and has a clear call to action.