Tradespeople typically operate their businesses with minimal online presence, benefiting largely from word of mouth and their reputation. A well-designed website can help new customers find you, learn more about you and generate new leads that could have been missed.
Whether you are an electrician, plumber, joiner, roofer or working in any other trade, your new website’s main objectives will remain the same:
- Allow people to find you
- Demonstrate your value and reputation
- Showcase your work, how you operate, and anything that might set you apart from your competitors
- Open clear lines of communication
With these points in mind, I have identified a few common mistakes on these websites that can be easily avoided with a little forward planning.
Badly Written or “Gamey” Content
Content is key.
Tradesmen often decide to build a website without actually considering what they want to get say. As a result, this often leads to an abundance of generic filler content that is so over-stuffed with search engine “optimised” keywords that it becomes borderline unreadable:
Think about the ‘elevator pitch’ for your customers and why they should work with you and naturally write your content.
Alternatively, you can hire a professional copywriter to create your website content for you.
Bad Photography
One of the easiest ways to demonstrate your quality of work is through clear, professional photography.
It’s worth considering hiring a professional photographer for an afternoon if possible. Arrange for them to visit some completed jobs, a couple of active job sites to get some shots of you in action, and some general-use photos of you in uniform, your van, etc. For added value, you could also use these pictures to bolster your social media platforms in addition to your new website.
Whether or not you decide to hire a professional photographer, I would still encourage you to start improving your photography skills in your free time. There are plenty of free courses on YouTube that will improve your understanding of lighting, exposure, composition, etc. You can then use your new-found photography skills to start banking photos on your phone of your active jobs, completed work, etc. These photos will come in handy later when you decide to put together a portfolio on your new website.
Overuse of Stock Images and Graphics
Stock assets have their uses. You should aim to use them to fill in any gaps in your imagery where a generic image is appropriate. Use them as your last resort, not your first port of call!
Overuse of stock images can make your branding look cheap, generic and lacking in authenticity. It doesn’t take too long before your website ends up looking like this:
Unclear Contact Options
So your clients have found your website, read what you have to say and have made the decision to reach out to get a quote or a question answered. Great- just don’t let them slip at the last minute!
If you have a contact phone number listed as your primary contact method, it ideally needs to be answered when people call you. Larger trade companies typically have a dedicated admin/receptionist for this purpose or use a virtual assistant service.
If you do your own admin and are busy working on the job site during the day, chances are you won’t be answering your phone all that often. In most cases, this is OK as long as you explain the situation to your customers. You could consider posting your typical admin hours on your contact page to give your customers the best possible chance of reaching you. Also, make sure you record a personalised answering machine message and give them a rough ETA on when they can expect to hear back from you. Ask your customers to leave whatever details you might need and remember to stay disciplined with chasing up leads.
If you never answer your phone on the job, you should probably use contact forms as your primary contact method for quote requests and general enquiries instead of your phone.
Incomplete Google Business Profiles
An active Google business listing is an easy and cost-effective way to improve your visibility and user experience and is a simple way to boost your web traffic. Here are a few things you can do right now:
- Make sure you correctly define your service area
- Have an address in your service area (where appropriate)
- Include a list of your services
- Make sure your operational hours are up-to-date
- Upload some current and professional-looking photos
- Encourage your satisfied customers to leave reviews
Are you looking to build the best website & logo for your trade business?
Whether you are a bricklayer, electrician, decorator, roofer, or any other tradesman/woman who needs a professional web presence, get in touch with me to discuss options.
I will be running a discounted package in early 2025 aimed at freelancers/small trades companies that will get you sorted with a custom-made website, logo and business cards, so look out for that or contact me ahead of time to express your interest!