5 Common Mistakes Tradies Make With Their Website (And How to Fix Them)
Let’s be honest — most tradie websites suck. We’re not saying that to be harsh. It’s just the truth. A lot of tradies either don’t have a website at all, or they’ve got one that’s slow, outdated, or doing absolutely nothing to bring in work.Your website should be more than an online business card. It should actually help you get leads, build trust, and make it easy for people to book you. In this article, we’ll cover the five most common mistakes tradies make with their websites — and what you can do to fix them (without spending a fortune).
Mistake #1: Having No Website at All
This one’s more common than you’d think. We hear tradies say things like:
“All my work comes from referrals”
“I’ve got a Facebook page — that’s enough”
“I don’t need a website, I’m always busy”
Here’s the problem — referrals dry up. Facebook isn’t searchable. And being “busy” now doesn’t mean you’ll be booked next month. A website isn’t just for right now. It’s your digital home base. It helps people find you on Google, check that you’re legit, and get in touch — 24/7.
✅ The Fix:
Get a simple, fast, mobile-friendly site built with your services, photos, reviews, and contact details. Doesn’t have to be fancy — just clean, clear, and easy to use.
Mistake #2: No Clear Call to Action (CTA)
You’ve probably seen this one — a tradie website that looks okay but leaves you thinking, “What now?” No call button. No quote form. No booking link. Just a bunch of info and a contact email buried somewhere at the bottom. If you make people work to contact you, they’ll go elsewhere. It’s that simple.
✅ The Fix:
Make it crystal clear what you want people to do next. Add:
A sticky “Call Now” button on mobile
A short quote request form on every page
A bold button that says “Book a Free Quote” or “Get in Touch”
Clickable phone numbers and email links
Put your CTA above the fold (before they scroll) and again at the bottom of each page.
Mistake #3: Slow, Clunky, or Not Mobile-Friendly
Most people looking for a tradie are on their phone — usually in a rush. If your site takes forever to load, looks broken on mobile, or is hard to navigate, they’ll bounce before you even know they were there. Plus, Google ranks slow, outdated sites lower in search results. So even if you’ve got great content, it might never be seen.
✅ The Fix:
Test your site speed and mobile responsiveness using PageSpeed Insights. If your score is under 70 or it doesn’t look good on mobile, it’s time for a refresh.
Your site should:
Load in under 3 seconds
Have easy tap targets (big buttons, no tiny links)
Be super simple to scroll and navigate on a phone
Work on all devices (Android, iPhone, tablets)
Squarespace, Webflow, and other modern builders are usually mobile-optimised by default — as long as you don’t overload them with heavy images or animations.
Mistake #4: No SEO — So You Don’t Show Up on Google
You could have the best website in the world — but if no one can find it, it’s a waste of time. A lot of tradies don’t realise that Google can’t “see” your site like a human can. It needs structure, keywords, and signals to understand what you do and who you help. No SEO = No traffic = No leads.
✅ The Fix:
At the bare minimum, make sure your site includes:
Keywords like “electrician in [suburb]”, “plumber near me”, etc.
Each service listed on its own page (not just in a bullet list)
Location pages if you service different suburbs
Google-friendly page titles and meta descriptions
Alt text on images (describe what the image is)
Want more? Read our full Tradie SEO 101 guide to get started.
Mistake #5: No Social Proof (AKA Reviews or Project Photos)
People want proof. They want to see that you’re real, that you do good work, and that others trust you. A website without reviews or project images feels empty — like it could be anyone’s.
✅ The Fix:
Add your best Google Reviews across your homepage and service pages
Create a simple “Before & After” gallery — even if it’s just a few jobs
Ask happy clients for testimonials (just a few lines with their name/suburb is enough)
Include a star rating widget if possible (e.g. from Elfsight or another plugin)
Pro tip: Don’t wait for reviews to magically appear. Ask every happy client directly — and make it super easy for them with a direct Google review link.
Bonus Mistake: Writing Like a Robot (or Not Writing at All)
Some tradie sites are filled with boring, robotic copy full of buzzwords like “We pride ourselves on unparalleled service delivery excellence…” — no one talks like that. Others have almost no text at all, just a logo and phone number — which won’t help you rank, and definitely won’t build trust.
✅ The Fix:
Speak like a human. Keep your copy casual, clear, and to the point. Answer real questions, like:
What do you do?
Where do you work?
How much does it cost (roughly)?
How fast can you come?
Why should someone choose you?
You don’t need perfect grammar — you need personality and honesty.
Final Word: Your Website Should Work as Hard as You Do
If your site isn’t helping you get found, build trust, and book jobs — it’s not doing its job. Luckily, every one of these mistakes is fixable. And once you fix them? You’ll start to notice more calls, more leads, and fewer time-wasters. Because a good website doesn’t just sit there — it sells for you, even when you’re on the tools.
Want a Website That Gets Results?
We build clean, fast, mobile-friendly websites for tradies that help you show up on Google, win trust, and get more work — without the fluff. Whether you’re starting from scratch or fixing a dud site, we’ll make it easy.
👉 Enquire now and let’s build something that actually works for your business.
