Guide

Do tradesmen need a website in Ireland?

It is a fair question, and a lot of sparks, plumbers and carpenters ask it before they spend a cent. If you are flat out from word of mouth, maybe not yet. But most trades have quiet weeks, want better jobs, or want to stop relying on one or two builders for work. That is where a website earns its keep. Here is how we would think about it if it were our van.

When you can get by without one

If your diary is full for months, every job comes from people who already know you, and you have no interest in growing, a website will not change much. Spend the time on the tools.

Even then, a Google Business Profile with a few real reviews is worth having, because the people you are referred to will still look you up before they ring.

Why customers look you up anyway

Ask anyone how they found their last electrician and the answer is often Google Maps, then a tap through to the website to see if the firm looks real. One homeowner put it simply on Reddit: it is usually Google Maps, and then a link to the website to make an enquiry.

If there is nothing there, or a page that has not changed since 2015, they ring the next name on the list. The website is less about being discovered from nothing and more about not losing the people who were already halfway to calling you.

What a trade website actually has to do

Forget the bells and whistles. A website for a tradesman has a small number of jobs.

  • Show your number at the top of every screen, tappable on a phone
  • Say clearly what you do and which towns you cover
  • Show real photos of your own work
  • Put your Google reviews where people hesitate
  • Give a short form for the people who would rather not ring
  • Load fast on a phone in a van with one bar of signal

Website or lead sites?

Lead sites are useful when you are starting out, but you pay for every enquiry or every month, the same lead often goes to several trades, and you are building somebody else’s brand rather than your own. We have written a full comparison in our guide on your own website versus lead site fees.

The worry about being sold a pup

Plenty of trades have been promised the moon by web companies and let down. That is a reasonable thing to be wary of. Ask anyone you talk to three things: what exactly is included each month, what happens at the end of the contract, and what they will report back to you so you can judge whether it is working.

If they cannot answer those in plain English, walk away.

How we do it

We build the site for free and you pay €59.99 a month on a 12 month minimum, covering hosting, edits, your Google Business Profile and local search work, with a monthly report on calls and enquiries. You can read exactly what is in it on our pay monthly page.

Common questions

Is a Facebook page enough instead of a website?

It helps, but you do not control it, it rarely shows up when people search Google for a trade in their town, and it looks less established than a proper site.

How long before a trade website brings in work?

Calls from people who already know your name can start straight away. Ranking for searches like your trade plus your town usually takes months, not weeks.

What is the most important page on a trade website?

The homepage and one page for each main service, each with your number, your areas and real photos of your work.

Where to go next

Want us to sort this for you?

We build the site for free and look after the hosting, the updates and the local SEO for €59.99 a month on a 12 month minimum. Have a chat with us and see if it suits.

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