Homeowners and property managers almost always look you up before hiring you. They might have a referral, a yard sign or a search result, but before they call, they check your website. In a few seconds they're asking: Is this company legit? Do they do what I need? Do they work in my area? How do I reach them?
Here's what we recommend every contractor, plumber, electrician and trade business website gets right, and how to keep it right over time.
1. Make calling you effortless
- Put your phone number at the top of every page, and make it tappable on mobile.
- Add a clear call-to-action, such as "Request a quote" or "Call now", that stands out.
- If you offer emergency service, say so prominently, with the number right there.
- Test your quote form regularly. A broken form is lost jobs you'll never hear about.
Most of your visitors are on phones, often in the middle of a problem. Every extra tap costs you calls.
2. Show your license and insurance information
Customers want to know you're licensed and insured. Display your license number and insurance details where your licensing rules allow or require it. Keep it current: when you renew or change carriers, update the site. Outdated license info looks careless at best.
Licensing rules vary by state and trade, so check what's required in your area. You're responsible for keeping your license and insurance current; your website should simply reflect it accurately.
3. Be clear about your service area
List the cities, neighborhoods or regions you serve. If you serve several distinct areas, a page or section for each can help customers and search engines understand where you work, as long as each page has genuinely useful content rather than copy-pasted text with the city name swapped.
When your area changes, update it. Customers outside your area waste your time, and customers inside it may assume you don't serve them.
4. Build a project gallery and keep adding to it
Photos of real work are your strongest sales tool.
- Use your own photos, not stock images.
- Show before-and-after shots where it makes sense.
- Add short captions: what the job was, the neighborhood and any challenges solved.
- Add new projects regularly. A gallery that stops three years ago suggests the business has slowed down.
Take photos on every job, even quick phone shots. Good light and a clean scene go a long way.
5. Explain your services clearly
Create a section or page for each main service: what it includes, who it's for and what customers can expect. If you've added a service, like EV chargers, ADUs or tankless water heaters, add it to your site. Customers searching for that work need to see that you do it.
6. Make it fast on mobile
Heavy photos and bloated page builders slow trade sites down. Compress images, avoid autoplay videos and test your site on a phone using cellular data. A faster site keeps more visitors and is more search-friendly.
7. Link to your real reviews
Link to your Google and other review profiles so visitors can see what actual customers say. You can also ask happy customers to leave a review with a direct link. Never write, buy or fake reviews. It violates platform rules, and customers can often tell.
8. Keep your details consistent everywhere
Your name, phone number and service area should match across your website, Google Business Profile and directories. See our guide on keeping your Google Business Profile and website in sync.
A simple upkeep routine
- Every job: take photos.
- Monthly: add a project or two to your gallery, test your quote and emergency forms, and check your phone links.
- When anything changes: update license and insurance details, services and service areas.
- Quarterly: review your homepage and services pages, and check your Google Business Profile.
Common questions from trade businesses
Do I need a blog?
Not necessarily, but short articles answering common customer questions, like when to replace a water heater or what a panel upgrade involves, can help customers and show expertise.
Should I list prices?
It depends on your trade. Some businesses list starting prices or service-call fees to set expectations. If you do, keep them current.
How KeptWeb helps trade businesses
You're on job sites all day. We keep your website working while you work. Send us project photos, license renewals and service-area changes, and we update your site. We check that your quote forms and call buttons work, and our plans include monitoring, updates, backups and security checks.
- Basic ($49/mo): one small edit a month and a monthly report.
- Growth ($99/mo): up to four small edits, Google Business Profile updates and a monthly blog post.
- Pro ($149/mo): up to 10 small edits per month, two blog posts a month, basic SEO and a same-business-day reply target (requests in by 2 pm PT, Mon–Fri).
Plans are month-to-month, and you can cancel anytime online or by email. Need a new site? Our website building packages start at $349, or $0 with any 12-month plan, with extra service-area pages at $99 each.
See how we help contractors, plumbers and electricians. Then ask for our free website review, and we'll review your site the way a customer would. Or see our plans.