If you run a trade business, you might be wondering whether a website is really worth it. You get most of your work through word of mouth. You are busy enough already. And the van, the business cards and the Facebook page seem to do the job.
Here is the honest answer: yes, you almost certainly need one, and it matters more now than it did five years ago. This guide explains why, what it actually costs, and the simplest way to get one sorted without losing your evenings to it.
Word of mouth still wins you the lead. The website closes it.
Think about what happens after someone recommends you. The customer does not ring you straight away. They type your name into Google first. If nothing comes up, or worse, a competitor comes up, that recommendation just leaked away.
A website is not really about being found by strangers, although that comes with time. It is about not losing the people who were already sent your way. When a recommendation checks out online, with photos of your work, the areas you cover and a phone number that works, the job is usually yours.
What customers expect to see
Your website does not need to be clever. For a plumber, electrician, builder, roofer or gardener, customers are looking for a handful of things:
- What you do and the areas you cover
- Photos of real jobs you have done
- A phone number and a simple contact form
- Some sign that you are legitimate, like reviews, accreditations or how long you have been trading
That is one to four pages. It is a weekend job with a modern website builder, not a six month project.
The bits people worry about, sorted
“I am not technical.” You do not need to be. Drag and drop builders work like arranging photos on a page. If you can use a smartphone, you can build a basic site. And if you get stuck, proper UK support means a human helps you through it.
“It costs too much.” A professional website costs less than most people think. A domain name is around £7.99 a year and a website builder from £6.99 a month. That is less than a takeaway. We have broken down the full numbers in our guide to how much a small business website costs in the UK.
“I have a Facebook page.” Keep it, it is useful. But you do not own it. The algorithm decides who sees your posts, and plenty of customers are not on Facebook at all. A website is yours, it shows up on Google, and it never buries your phone number three scrolls deep.
The domain name matters more than you think
Your domain is your address online, like yourname.co.uk. Two reasons to sort it now rather than later. First, good names go, and once a competitor has smithplumbing.co.uk you are stuck with second best. Second, it gives you a professional email address. Quoting from you@yourbusiness.co.uk looks a lot more established than a personal Gmail or Hotmail address. You can search for your domain name in a few seconds, and add business email to it from £3.99 a month.
What it does for you day to day
Beyond winning jobs, a simple site quietly saves you time. The areas-covered page stops calls from the wrong side of the county. The photos answer “have you done one like mine before?” The contact form collects job enquiries while you are up a ladder. And over time, as Google gets to know your site, you start picking up local searches like “electrician in your town” without paying a penny for the click. We cover exactly how to make that happen in our guide to getting your trade business found on Google.
The simplest route to getting online
Here is the whole process with Clickbeat:
- Search for your domain name and register it
- Build your site with the drag and drop builder, from £6.99 a month with hosting and SSL included
- Add professional email that matches your business name
One provider, one simple bill, and real UK support when you need it. No juggling five different logins, no jargon, no surprises on renewal.
If you are still not sure, have a look at our small business website FAQs, or just get in touch and ask. We will give you a straight answer either way.