As a tradie in Australia, you have fierce competition. In this huge industry, you need a way to demonstrate that your services are worth paying for and your business cares about quality. One of the best ways to communicate this is through having a professional website.
Construction industry workers account for 9.6% of Australia’s workforce. It’s a huge industry that’s only continuing to grow. But you don’t need to be told how many other tradies are out there – you already know that you’ve got tough competition.
This is why having an effective way to attract new clients consistently is so important. Waiting around for new jobs isn’t ideal, yet so many tradies work in this feast-famine cycle. (All the work comes at once, or there are crickets chirping and tumbleweeds rolling down the road).
You need to put yourself in the line of sight of where the people who need your work. In the modern world, people use the internet as their go-to source for information, and that includes tradies in their local area.
Adapting to the digital landscape is crucial if Australian tradies want to find a competitive edge in their markets. In this article, we’ll share seven reasons why a website is so important for tradies to have and how it can benefit their business (when done right).
Establish A Professional Brand
When people need a tradesperson, they go online. What do they find when they search for a local tradie? Websites of the businesses. The next step potential clients take is to click on the top results on the first page and then go through the websites. They check for what services you offer, prices, and examples of past work, and finally, they get your contact information.
But it’s not as simple as that. People won’t reach for your number if they aren’t convinced you’d complete the project well. When people visit your site, they get a sense of how professional they feel your company is.
Of course, the information you have on your site is essential for people to have their questions answered. The visual aspect of your website, however, is also just as important.
This signals to potential clients whether you’re a reputable, professional brand. Creating a well-thought-out, professionally designed website is not only about being visible to potential clients but also demonstrating that you are a business to be taken seriously. You need to show that you care about delivering quality service.
You’ll establish a professional image and credibility in the market with a great site for your business, simple as that.
Showcase Your Expertise
A website is essentially your CV as a business. You’re showcasing your services, skills, and expertise all in one place. Before clients even get on a call or email for a quote, they get their important questions answered by reading through your website. One of the biggest questions they have is, “Is this tradie qualified?”
You need to display your credentials, past jobs, testimonials, case studies, and work samples/galleries. The reason why we say it is your company’s “CV” is because potential clients are looking through your site just as a hiring manager would read a potential employee’s resume. They’re trying to see why it would be a good idea to choose you.
Reach A Bigger Audience
There are only so many people you can reach through word-of-mouth. Advertising in local papers or having signage posted strategically around your town can help. But you’ll be limiting your potential clients by only using these more traditional means of advertising.
You’re going to reach a wider audience online and can even attract people from outside of your local area who are willing to pay more for you to travel to their location.
By using SEO techniques, you can hone in on your target demographic and reach people in neighboring towns and areas you otherwise wouldn’t capture if you weren’t online.
Improve Client Communication
You’ll make it easy for potential clients to communicate with you when you have a site that lists your contact information and email address and includes a contact form. People can easily click away and find another site if they can’t find contact information for your business.
Many tradies are relying just on being on Google Maps or third-party websites. The problem is that it can make it more difficult for them to capture leads and have a direct way to communicate with potential clients.
You can communicate to your site visitors what you offer, how your services work, where you work, and more on your site. Once those questions are answered, the clients who like what they see will reach out to you directly.
Increase Business Credibility
Similar to the first point – that you establish yourself as a professional brand with a website, you are signaling to the potential client that you are a credible business. This helps not only the average Joe who wants a house extension but also companies looking to develop contracts with local tradies.
You’ll have a better chance of landing bigger clients (whether more affluent people or big businesses) when you show that you’re an expert in your field by having a credible site.
Reach More Ideal Clients
Clients who are focused on quality over budget are your ideal targets. They can pay higher rates, often don’t complain as much, and allow ample time to have the projects completed.
This reduces a lot of pressure that can often be experienced by tradies working for people with tight pockets and short deadlines. People who are more willing to pay a premium price for high-quality construction aren’t looking on third-party websites for their tradies.
They’ll be seeking out specialists in their fields, looking for the websites of these businesses and reading through testimonials, and viewing past work.
Reduce Reliance On Third-Party Websites
The truth is many tradies are using third-party websites to generate leads. Relying only on these sites to get new clients is risky. Firstly, you’re paying a fee to get these new clients, which means less in your pocket at the end of the job.
Also, many leads that come in aren’t always a good fit to work with you; they can often be less serious, have lower budgets, and are not as communicative. This results in wasted time and resources by nurturing dead leads.
When you have your own website, you can attract better quality potential clients (as we shared above) while collecting customer information with different lead magnet tactics to build your audience and database of potential customers. Plus, you pay less for lead generation.
Wrapping Up: All Tradies Should Have A Website
Investing in a website as an Australian tradie is vital to create an online presence in this competitive market. You’ll attract new customers to your business who are geared towards high-quality service and looking for a professional brand.
An official website will put you in the line of sight of those looking for a tradie in their local area. You’ll make it easy for them to get all the info they need, contact you, and you’ll be ready to deliver the quote and land the deal.
Marketing your business and setting up your site correctly can be overwhelming. Your area of expertise is in what you do, not digital advertising. That’s where Tradiemate comes in. We can create personalised marketing strategies, design high-quality converting websites, optimise search engine rankings, manage online advertising, and more.
Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can help you become a sought-after tradie.