If you work in a trade in Staffordshire, you already know how much work comes from word of mouth. But something has changed. The recommendation now comes with a Google search attached. 'Dave said you're good' is followed by '[your business] reviews', and what shows up decides whether the phone rings.
What customers check
Photos of real work, not stock. Reviews with replies. A service area that includes their town. A phone number they can tap. That is it. Four things, all easy, yet most trade websites miss at least two.
The bar is lower than you think
Most trade websites in Staffordshire are outdated, slow or both. A fast one-page site from £300 with your services, your towns, your photos and your reviews puts you ahead of most of the competition overnight.
And the enquiries compound
Every job photo added, every review collected, every town page written makes the next enquiry slightly more likely. It is the only marketing that gets better while you sleep.
Why a basic website is no longer enough
Ten years ago, a trade business could get by with a single page listing a phone number. Today, customers expect more. They want to see evidence of your work, read what other local people say about you, and check that you cover their area before they call. A website that lacks these things does not just look dated. It quietly pushes potential customers towards a competitor who has put in the effort.
Photos of real work
Stock images of smiling plumbers tell a customer nothing about your skills. Photos of your own jobs, even taken on a phone, build trust. Show before and after shots, close-ups of neat pipework, a finished patio, a freshly painted room. Add a caption with the town and the type of job. This also helps your site rank for local searches.
Reviews with replies
Google reviews are the new word of mouth. When someone recommends you, the next step is often a search for your business name. If your Google Business Profile shows a 4.8 rating with recent reviews and polite replies from you, that call is far more likely. If it shows two reviews from 2019 and no response, the recommendation fizzles out. Ask every happy customer for a review. Reply to every review, good or bad. It takes minutes and signals that you are active and professional.
A clear service area
A list of towns you cover seems obvious, but many trade sites bury it or leave it out. Customers in Stafford, Leek, Uttoxeter or Lichfield want to know you will travel to them before they waste a phone call. A dedicated page for each main town, with local job photos and a short description, also helps you appear in searches like 'plumber in Stafford' or 'electrician near Leek'.
A tap-to-call phone number
On a mobile, a phone number that is not clickable is a small frustration. A click-to-call link removes that friction. It is a five-minute fix that can mean the difference between an enquiry and a lost customer.
What a good trade website costs and how long it takes
A simple, effective website for a trade business does not need to cost thousands. A one-page site with your services, service area, photos, reviews and contact details can be built for around £300 to £500. If you want more, such as individual pages for each service or town, the price rises with the number of pages and the amount of content. A typical build takes two to three weeks from the moment you provide photos and text.
What affects the price
The number of pages, the amount of custom design, whether you need e-commerce or booking features, and how much content you supply all affect the cost. Supplying your own photos and a rough text for each page keeps the price down. A professional copywriter or photographer adds cost but often pays for itself in better enquiries.
What you can do yourself
If you are handy with a website builder, you can create a basic site in a weekend. The hard part is not the building. It is making the site fast, mobile-friendly, easy to find on Google and structured so customers trust you. Many tradespeople start with a DIY site, then bring in a professional to fix the speed, SEO and layout once the business grows.
Common mistakes that cost trade businesses enquiries
No call to action on every page
Every page should tell the visitor what to do next: call, email, or fill in a form. A phone number in the header is not enough. Repeat the action at the end of each service description and after each photo gallery.
Slow loading times
If your site takes more than three seconds to load on a mobile, many visitors leave before they see your work. Large, unoptimised photos are the usual culprit. Compress images before uploading, and use a fast, reliable host.
Ignoring local SEO
A website that does not mention the towns you serve will struggle to appear in local searches. Use your town names naturally in page titles, headings and photo captions. Set up and maintain a Google Business Profile. These small steps make a big difference to local visibility.
No reviews or social proof
A trade website without reviews is like a van with no signwriting. It works, but nobody knows who you are. Embed your Google reviews, link to your Checkatrade or Trustatrader profile, and add a short testimonial to each service page.
Getting help from Thunderhat
If you would rather be on the tools than fiddling with a website, I can help. I am Tim Laws, a web designer and SEO based in Cheadle, Staffordshire. I have been building websites for trade businesses since 2004. I offer simple, fast, mobile-friendly sites from £300, and growth sites with SEO from £500. Care and SEO plans start at £100 per month. Call me on 07930 127013 or email timthunderhatcom for a straight answer on what your site needs.