The 5 Things Every Tradesperson's Website Must Have to Win Jobs

Most trade websites either have too little on them (just a name, number, and a vague description) or too much (walls of text, complicated menus, things the customer doesn't care about). The sweet spot is simple, fast, and focused on the things that make someone trust you enough to call.

The 5 Must-Haves

1. Your phone number — huge, above the fold, one tap on mobile

This is the single most important element on your entire website. If someone has to hunt for your number, you've already lost them. It should be the largest, most visible thing on your homepage — ideally in the header so it's visible on every page. On mobile, it must be a clickable tel: link that dials when tapped. Not a number someone has to memorise and type in.

2. What you do and where — crystal clear, no guessing

Don't make visitors work out what you offer. State it plainly in your headline: "Emergency plumbing and central heating in Leeds and surrounding areas" or "Domestic electrical work across Surrey — fully NICEIC registered." Include your service area on every page — not just buried in a footer. People search with location in mind, and Google uses this text as a local signal.

3. Social proof — your Google review score and real quotes

People letting a tradesperson into their home are placing a lot of trust in you. Your Google review score — prominently displayed with the star rating and number of reviews — does more selling than almost anything else on the page. If you have a 4.8 from 60 reviews, that fact should be visible without scrolling. Add two or three real review quotes as well. This is the closest thing to a warm referral that a stranger can get.

4. Real photos of your actual work

Stock photos of smiling tradespeople don't work. Customers can tell immediately, and they don't build trust the way genuine images do. Before-and-after photos of real jobs are particularly powerful — they show competence, attention to detail, and give the customer a realistic sense of what to expect. Even a few decent phone photos are far better than stock imagery. Shoot in good light, clear backgrounds, and show the finished result clearly.

5. A simple contact form or WhatsApp button

Some people won't call — they'll message. A short contact form (name, phone number, brief description of the job) or a WhatsApp button captures the people who prefer to reach out in writing first. Keep the form short: three fields is enough. A long form with six required fields loses enquiries. The goal is the lowest possible friction between "interested" and "in your inbox."

The Bonus: An Areas Covered Page

One of the most underrated pages on any trade website. A dedicated page listing all the towns and postcodes you cover gives Google valuable local content to index — and gives customers a clear answer to "do they come to me?" For a tradesperson working across a region, this page can rank for multiple local searches and generate a steady stream of enquiries from towns you might otherwise never appear in.

What to Leave Out

Just as important as what you include is what you don't. Trade websites don't need: auto-playing videos, complex animations, lengthy company history sections, a blog you'll never update, or a shop (unless you sell products). Every element that isn't helping someone pick up the phone is adding load time and clutter. Keep it lean.