Why a tradesman needs a website today
A few years ago a business card and word of mouth were enough. Today people check even a tradesman on their phone. They want to see what you do, where you work and that you’re real. If they can’t find you, they don’t call you; they call a competitor who has a website. A website isn’t about “being modern”. It’s the cheapest employee you’ll ever have, taking inquiries for you 24 hours a day.
The most important element: the “Call” button
In the trades, decisions are quick and often urgent. The customer doesn’t want to fill in a form and wait a day for a reply. They want to call with a single tap. That’s why a tradesman’s website needs a big, clear “Call” button right at the top, always within reach on a phone. Every extra step between “I found the website” and “I’m calling” costs you a job.
When a pipe bursts, the winner is the one you can call with a single tap, not the one with the prettiest animations.
What a tradesman’s website must contain
It’s not rocket science, but these can’t be missing:
- What you do. A clear list of services: plumbing, heating, electrical work, emergency call-outs. So the customer sees right away that you solve their exact problem.
- Where you work. Brno and the surrounding area? Specific towns and villages? People want to know whether you’ll even come out to them.
- A Call button and your phone number. The most important element, visible and everywhere.
- Photos of your work. Real jobs, not stock photos from the internet. Trust is built when the customer sees what you can do.
- Ballpark prices or a call-out fee. At least roughly: fewer pointless phone calls, more serious inquiries.
- Reviews. A few ratings from happy customers = instant trust.
Photos of your work sell
In the trades, “before / after” works. A before-and-after shot of a bathroom, tidy cabling or perfectly level tiling says more than a paragraph of text. You don’t have to pay a photographer. A phone and daylight are enough. Photograph a few finished jobs (with the customer’s consent, of course) and you have a portfolio people believe.
So people find you on Google
Most inquiries in the trades start with a search like “electrician Brno” or “plumber [your town]”. Three things help Google show you:
- A Google Business Profile (the one on Google Maps): free and the fastest way for people nearby to find you. I have a guide in How to set up your Google Business Profile.
- A website focused on your trade and your area, so Google knows what to rank you for.
- Reviews. Google ratings raise both trust and your position in the results.
Speed and mobile first
Hardly anyone looks for a tradesman at a computer. They look on their phone, often under stress, when something has stopped working. So the website has to be fast and clear on a phone: a big Call button, clear services, quick loading. If the website takes ages to load on a phone or “jumps around”, the customer leaves before they get to dial the number.
How to get one without the hassle
You don’t need to understand the technology. The way I work is that I prepare the copy and the structure for you, advise on photos and take care of the whole launch (domain, Google Business Profile, Call button). You look after your trade, not the website. To see what such a website for a tradesman looks like, have a look at the Novák Plumbing demo (in Czech), and you’ll find more about the package on the page websites for tradesmen.