If you are a plumber, electrician, builder or decorator, you may well be busy from recommendations alone. So why bother with a website? Because a recommendation is rarely the end of the story. When someone is given your name, the next thing they usually do is look you up.
A website backs up the recommendation
A friend says "use Dave, he's good". The customer searches for Dave's business name. If they find a tidy site with photos of real jobs, the areas you cover and an easy way to get in touch, the recommendation is confirmed. If they find nothing, or an old Facebook page last updated years ago, doubt creeps in – and the next name on the list gets the call.
It works while you are on the tools
You cannot answer the phone halfway up a ladder. A website answers the common questions for you – what you do, where you work, whether you do small jobs – and a quote form lets people send the details you need so you can reply properly in the evening.
It gets you the jobs you actually want
Word of mouth brings whatever work people happen to need. A website lets you put the work you want more of front and centre. If you want more bathroom refits and fewer dripping taps, give bathroom refits their own page with photos and explanation.
You own it
Social media pages and directory listings are useful, but the rules can change and your page can disappear. Your own website and domain are yours. Everything else – Facebook, Google, directories – can point back to it.
What a good trade website needs
- A clear headline saying what you do and where
- Photos of your own work, not stock images
- The towns and villages you cover
- Reviews or testimonials from real customers
- A phone number and a short quote form, visible on every page
- Fast loading on a phone, because that is where most people will see it
It does not need to be big or complicated. A few well-written pages are enough to back up your reputation and bring in the right kind of enquiries.