Digital Marketing for Tradies

How to effectively use Website & Online Marketing

If you are a Tradie or have your own trades business, one of your main challenges will be the marketing of your business.  Whether you are a builder, electrician, plumber or any other trades business, marketing is a necessary part of your business.

Over my 19 years in business, I have worked with a number of different trades businesses.  From my experience I have identified some key marketing activities, that assist with establishing and growing a trades business.

Key Elements for Trades Marketing

Depending on whether you are just establishing your trades business, or have been trading for a number of years, there are a number of key activities that should be part of your digital marketing mix.  These include:

  • Having a modern, strong sales-focused website, built with responsive design.
  • Having logo that communicates your business name and conveys the type of service you provide.
  • Incorporating Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) into your website content and build, to help your Google rankings. Ideally you would like to be seen on page 1 of Google.
  • Using lead generation tactics, to drive new customers to your website, and maximise your website investment, e.g. Google Ads.
  • Using Social Media, e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, in Posts or paid ads.
  • Taking close  notice of the ‘performance’ of your website. Getting people to your website is the first step, making your service offering enticing enough for them to call you is the next critical step.

Trades Marketing | Key Activities

Website and Online Marketing

Key activities include:

  • A modern looking website, with your contact phone number up in the very top header space, making it easy for people to phone you directly from your website.
  • Having a clear top-level navigation, with the tab names clearly communicating each of your product and/or services.  This is even more important for those viewing your website from their phone.  A smart navigation approach minimises the level of scrolling activity required by your customer.
  • Making sure you maximise your Home page, as this acts as your ‘window to your business’.  First impressions count, so make sure it presents a professional image, showing images and completed work relating to your business.
  • Include an About Us page, communicating you or your teams expertise, and include photos.  People like to do work with tradies that they Know, Like, and Trust.
  • Using Google Analytics (GA4) to track and monitor the performance of your website. With this tracking too, you can see what pages are visited the most, the least, and how long they stay on your website.

Digital marketing for the trades.

Maximise Your Google Rankings Using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

  • Having a website is a good start, making sure it can be found on Google on Page 1, is equally important.  People do not scroll through numerous pages from their Google Search Results, so being strongly optimised for Google is key.
  • As part of improving your SEO incorporate the right keywords in your page headings, page text, and linking text.

Using Compelling and Persuasive Messaging

  • Not all website copy is the same.  Make sure you develop your marketing messages to clearly and effectively promote the full range of services that you offer.
  • Simply put, if you don’t tell people what you do, people won’t know to engage you for that particular service.
  • Using effective on page layout, with key messaging higher up on the page.  Include additional and supportive persuasive copy further down on the page.
  • Use promotional boxes effectively, focusing on your ‘selling’ key points.

Use Client Testimonials and Reviews

  • Where possible, include customer Testimonials, to provide validation to prospective customers of your expertise and quality of service.
  • Include photos of your ‘finished work’, so people can see the quality of your workmanship.
  • Encourage customers to provide Reviews on your Google My Business listing.

Include Local SEO  & Get Listed on Google My Business

  • As part of building up your online profile, get business listed and optimised on Google My Business.  By being listed on Google Maps, customers can quickly see where you are located, and see that are ‘local’ to their location.

Trades Marketing | Using Photos and videos

  • With you being in the Trades, your website provides the perfect opportunity to show any appropriate ‘before’ and ‘after’ images, e.g. of work completed.  And don’t be shy of showing ‘at work’ photos, where you are on-site undertaking your specialist trade.
  • Consider also taking some videos and uploading these onto your own YouTube Channel, and linking the videos through to your website.

Use Google Ads to Show Above Organic Search Results

  • For an immediate presence, where you (1) may still be building your SEO performance, or (2) wish to use in conjunction with SEO, include one or more specific Google Ads campaigns to drive leads to your website.
  • With a Google Ads campaign, your ads placement budget can be as low as $10/day, and you can tightly specific your location, e.g. 5 km radius from your workshop or office.

Our Trades Marketing Services | Wellington

We help a range of trades businesses with their website, online, and digital marketing activities. In essence, we provide full wraparound marketing and website support, including technical website support. Our services are tailored to each of our individual client’s requirements. Contact Us or Request a Free Consultation to discuss how we can help your trades business.

We are Wellington based and support clients throughout the greater Wellington region and NZ wide. As a marketing specialist, I have provided marketing support and developed a number of websites for various trades businesses.  This includes the design and build of websites from small 6-page starter websites, through to larger websites.