You might be a local plumber who drives a truck with your business decal. Or maybe you’re a painter who is known for doing custom trims on houses. Or maybe you’re a really good handyman who knows their way around odd jobs around any house. You’re a tradesman. You don’t have a need for building websites, right? Turns out websites for tradies is an essential part of a successful business plan.
Clean, user-friendly websites aren’t just for high-end big-name franchises. In fact, a website is a cost-efficient way to advertise and communicate directly to your customer base.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a plumber, electrician, painter, or any other tradesman. High-end web design, high ranking SEO, and quality content can and will benefit your business.
How can websites help you as a tradesman? Check out the benefits below. You’ll see how easy it is to boost your business with a great website.
Customers Expect Websites for Tradies
Why do you need a website? If for no other reason, your customers expect it.
In today’s world, customers are digitally savvy and impatient. They want to know who they can trust, and they want to know it now.
Typically, potential customers will do an online search before doing anything else to find a contractor. If you don’t have a website, people are less likely to know you’re available.
They don’t know how to contact you or if you’re even a trustworthy contractor to hire. They’ll skip right over you and directly to someone who is providing them with the information they want right away.
Want to be a step ahead? Make your website mobile-friendly. Most people use their phones to find the information they want. If your website won’t work on the device they’re using, they won’t be able to find you.
Easily Connect With Your Customers
There’s nothing more frustrating for a customer than not knowing how to get a hold of a contractor. Your website will connect with customers for you.
Providing a phone number, email form, or address can give your customers choices on how to contact you. You can also connect your website to any social media, inviting customers to follow you on those networks.
However, this isn’t the only kind of connection a website provides.
You’ll be able to connect with your customers through the content you choose to share. Communication is a two-way street and you need to start part of that conversation. Post photos of jobs in the area. Share customer testimonies. Tell your business story. (More on these below).
Providing Proof
We all know there are some pretty shady tradesmen out there. They can try and win a client over by saying people recommend them. However, where is the actual proof?
It’s good to have a website to refer potential clients to. It provides direct proof of recommendations and good workmanship.
Most customers (90%) claim that online reviews influence their final decision. Sure, you could rely on review sites such as Google or Yelp for this step, but why not have a polished website to offer it, too? Potential customers are already searching for you online. Make it easy for them by providing all the information they need right on your own website.
Tell Your Story
You need a website to be able to tell your story—your whole story. You have zero control over how other people use your name on social media and on other sites.
With your own website, you have control over the narrative. You get to decide which before and after pictures to share. You can create a blog full of posts describing jobs you’ve tackled and what your solutions were.
An updated site will get your message, mission, and personality front and centre quicker than printed brochures. Plus, if you have a social media account for your business, you can easily include links. This makes sharing content a lot easier and faster.
It’s Cheap Advertising
Think about it. How much do you spend on advertising? Are you buying ads in the paper? Are you printing off snail mail brochures? Are you distributing pamphlets on your local job boards?
If you think about what you spend on the different types of advertising for your business, it adds up. Furthermore, you risk any printed advertising getting thrown away or misplaced.
A website and hosting is a yearly fee that will take care of advertising for you. It won’t ever get thrown away. A customer can’t misplace it anywhere and you can update it as often as you’d like without having to pay any extra costs.
You Don’t Have to Know How to Code
That’s right. The only thing you need to be an expert in is your craft. You don’t need to know any coding language. You don’t need to understand how your website does what it needs to do. You just need to know the information you want on it.
If you need help building a website, Vizuno are here to help. There are also a number of platforms where you can do it yourself. These platforms will get you started but will only get you so far.
Do I Need a Website?
Unequivocally, yes. Printed advertising may still work in some scenarios, but it doesn’t beat an online presence.
Customers want to see websites of trades people. They want proof of who they can trust. They want to see examples of your work. They want to know your mission and your story. They want to know how to get in touch with you, the professional expert.
Most of all? Your customers want all that information quickly and at their fingertips.
Having a website gives you a professional advantage and proof of the work you do. It gives your customers a place to go to stay updated. It also allows you to advertise at a price you can afford.
Furthermore, it ensures your voice business’s voice gets heard in the commotion of the trades world.
Looking for a little help? Contact us today to learn more about how we can get your website up and running in no time.