What makes a good tradie website? Whether you’re an electrician, plumber or house painter, these days, there isn’t a successful tradie who doesn’t have a website.
While word-of-mouth marketing is still gold, most small businesses realise the need to be online. This includes marketing your business in local online directories, using social media and Google, using attractive signage on your vehicles and managing your online reviews.
Of course, providing excellent customer service at an affordable price will keep clients coming back and recommending your business to their friends and family.
Here are my recommendations for creating your perfect tradie website:
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Creating your unique brand
Chances are, there are loads of other businesses in your area offering similar services. But having a novel, recognisable brand that reflects your values and helps you stand out from others is the foundation of good marketing.
I’ve seen lots of businesses have fun with their branding using unusual and very memorable signage – usually on their work vehicles – to catch the eye of passers-by.
Often YOU are your brand, so make your branding personal. Including pictures of you and your team and personal, conversational language on your website will help create a friendly, approachable brand image for your business.
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Simple, clean and attractive website design
The design of your website can make a huge difference in whether people can work out if you’re the right person for the job. (And a badly designed website will put people off straight away!)
There are so many do-it-yourself templates available, but it’s definitely worth paying a professional designer to create your website.
With more and more people using their mobile devices to search for tradie services, it’s also crucial your design looks good in this format.
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Well written, easy-to-read words that appeal to people AND Google
Writing your website might seem easy… until you try it.
Most people have trouble coming up with the right words to describe their business offering and effectively sell their business.
A professional copywriter can take the headache out of writing your website. They’ll make sure your website is easy to read and describes what you do, the customer ‘problem’ that you solve – and what makes you stand out from your competitors.
They’ll also include keywords and phrases to help people find you online – one aspect of Search Engine Optimisation.
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Testimonials, reviews and examples of your tradie work
Who doesn’t love repeat business and referrals? They’re usually the lifeblood of most small businesses – and they cost a lot less than trying to find brand new customers.
For prospective customers, it’s all about trust and reducing their risk of choosing the ‘wrong’ person for the job.
Follow up every client after each job with a customer satisfaction survey and ask for a testimonial or review. Once you have a system for generating reviews, make sure the information is available on your website and social media.
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Your contact information is obvious and easy to read
What you want your website to do is inspire someone to pick up the phone!
Make sure you have your phone number in a prominent position on all of your web pages.
Have a simple contact form for a prospect to fill out and get back to them as soon as possible. Don’t try and collect too much information. Just a name, email address and phone number is all you need to start the conversation.
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Clearly describe your services, qualifications and years of service
Whether you’re a specialist who caters to the top end of town or someone who offers a whole suite of services, is important that you clearly describe what you do and what your clients should expect.
When customers choose a tradie, reputation and credentials can really tip the scales. If you’re a member of an industry body and have completed rigorous training, let people know.
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The icing on the cake: include guarantees and ‘your promise’ on your tradie website
Peace of mind that the job will be done well.
That’s what people are looking for when they choose a tradie. So, if you have guarantees in place, include those on your website.
Your guarantee/promise might include:
- You’ll clean up after each day’s work
- You’ll arrive/leave on-time
- A guarantee on all workmanship for a specific period of time
How I helped one successful electrician created their website: Dan the Sparky Man
I recently worked with an amazing Gold Coast-based electrician who really ‘got it’.
Dan the Sparky Man is a family-owned business supplying electrical services to luxury homeowners and builders on the coast.
Kelly Carpenter (Dan’s wife and business partner), manages the company’s marketing. Kelly and her husband recognised the importance of having the right message on their website. They wanted their website to feature their core services, showcase examples of some of their work and communicate their professionalism and high-quality work to a discerning audience.
Kelly had already chosen a web designer, but she was having trouble coming up with the right words for her website.
That’s when she contacted me.
Here’s what she had to say…
“I hired Denise at Marketing Buzz to help write my company website. Having started writing it myself, but realised how hard it was and how long it was going to take me.
“I chose Marketing Buzz because the copy on her own website was exactly what I was looking for – informative, clear and full of personality.
“Working with Denise to be an absolute pleasure. From the first phone call, her energy and way with words showed me she was the right person for the job.
”She was so responsive (always replying to my emails on the same day), conducted an excellent amount of her own research about our industry and I always felt like a highly valued client throughout the whole process
“I’m thrilled with the finished product and would highly recommend Denise at Marketing Buzz to anyone looking for marketing and copywriting support.”
It was great fun working with Kelly to create her idea website.
In 2021, Kelly also gave me an opportunity to help her write a Local Business Awards submission.
Now it’s your turn.
