Quick answer: a tap-to-call button is an ordinary link with tel: in front of the number. On a phone it dials. On a desktop it does nothing harmful. It is the single highest-value change most trade and service websites are missing.
The code
Anywhere you can add a link or a custom HTML block, paste this and swap in your own number:
<a href="tel:+441234567890">Call us on 01234 567890</a>
Two details that matter. Use the international format in the href, so +44 and then the number without its leading zero. And write the number out in the visible text as well, because plenty of people want to read it rather than tap it.
Why it matters so much for local work
Think about how someone finds an emergency plumber. They are standing in a wet kitchen, on a phone, on mobile data, panicking slightly. Every extra step loses them. If your number is a picture, or plain text they have to select and copy, they will simply go back and tap the next result instead.
This is not a small optimisation. For urgent trades it is often the difference between getting the call and not.
Where to put it
- In the header, visible without scrolling. Not buried in a menu.
- At the end of every service section, at the moment somebody has decided you can do the job.
- In the footer, because that is where people look when they have scrolled to the bottom undecided.
- Not only on the contact page. Most visitors never reach it.
Make it look like a button, not a link
A plain blue link gets missed. Give it padding, a solid background and enough size to hit with a thumb. Aim for at least 44 pixels tall, which is roughly the size of a fingertip and the figure accessibility guidelines use.
Two things people get wrong
- Putting the number in an image. It cannot be tapped, cannot be read by screen readers, and cannot be read by Google. Surprisingly common on older sites.
- Spaces and brackets inside the href. Keep the href clean, digits and the plus sign only. Formatting belongs in the visible text.
WhatsApp, while you are at it
If you take work through WhatsApp, the same trick applies: <a href="https://wa.me/441234567890">Message us on WhatsApp</a>, again with the international number and no leading zero. For a lot of trades this now out-performs the contact form.
Send us the link and we will check how easy it actually is to contact you from a phone, along with the other two things costing you enquiries. Free, no obligation.
Get a free website review
Or get a fixed-price quote
Related: websites for tradespeople, is your site mobile friendly, and how to get more quote requests.
Get web & SEO tips that actually move the needle
Short, occasional emails for business owners: what's changing in Google, how to win more enquiries, and the fixes worth your time. No spam, no jargon.