It is a fair question. You have been running your business for years without one. Work comes in through word of mouth, maybe a Checkatrade listing, maybe a Facebook page. The phone rings. Jobs get done. Why would you spend money on a website when the current setup works?
The short answer is that a website is not about having a digital brochure. It is about being found by people who do not already know you exist. And in 2026, those people start their search on Google. If you are not there, they are calling someone else — not because that person is better, but because that person showed up first.
But not just any website will do. Most trade websites are actively working against the businesses they are supposed to help. So the real question is not whether you need a website. It is whether you need the right kind of website.
The difference between a website and a website that ranks
There is a massive gap between having a website and having one that actually generates work. Most tradespeople who do have a website fall into the same pattern: four or five pages, a homepage that says “Welcome to Smith Plumbing,” an about page, a contact page, and maybe a generic services page that lists everything they do in one long paragraph.
That website exists on the internet, technically. But Google has almost nothing to work with. When someone searches “boiler repair in Maidstone,” Google is looking for a page that specifically talks about boiler repair in Maidstone. A generic services page that mentions boiler repair alongside fifteen other services and vaguely references “the South East” does not cut it.
The tradespeople who rank at the top of Google typically have websites with thirty or more pages. Not because they are padding their site, but because each page targets a specific search. A page for boiler repair. A page for bathroom fitting. A page for emergency plumbing. And then location pages: one for Maidstone, one for Tonbridge, one for Sevenoaks, one for every town they genuinely serve.
Each of those pages gives Google a clear answer to a specific question someone is typing in. That is why they rank. It is not magic. It is structure.
When Google Maps alone is not enough
Some tradespeople rely entirely on their Google Business Profile — the listing that appears in the map results when someone searches for a local service. And it is true that the map pack drives a huge number of calls. If you are in the top three, you are getting work.
But Google Business Profile has limitations. You cannot create service-specific pages on it. You cannot target individual towns. You cannot write detailed descriptions of what you do and how you do it. Your GBP listing is a snapshot — your name, your reviews, your phone number. It gets people to call, but it does not help Google understand the full range of what you offer or everywhere you work.
A website does. And here is the part most tradespeople do not realise: your website actually helps your Google Maps ranking too. Google connects your GBP listing to your website. When your website has strong, relevant content about the services you offer and the areas you cover, it sends signals to Google that strengthen your overall visibility — including in Maps.
This is why a tradesperson with a proper website and a Google Business Profile will almost always outrank someone who has only the GBP listing. The two work together. If you want to understand how to get the most from your Google Business Profile, our complete setup guide for tradespeople walks through every step.
What pages does a tradesman’s website actually need?
Forget the standard five-page template that most web designers sell. A website that generates leads for a tradesperson needs a specific structure:
A homepage that clearly states who you are, what you do, and where you do it. Not a wall of text — a clean, focused page that tells both Google and the visitor exactly what this business is about.
Individual service pages for every service you offer. If you are a plumber, that means separate pages for boiler installation, boiler repair, bathroom fitting, emergency plumbing, radiator installation, unblocking drains, and everything else you do. Each page should describe the service, explain what the customer can expect, and include a way to get in touch.
Individual location pages for every town or area you cover. If you work across a county, that means a page for each major town. “Plumber in Dartford.” “Plumber in Gravesend.” “Plumber in Bromley.” Each page should be genuinely useful — not just the same text with the town name swapped in, but content that reflects the area and the types of work you do there.
A reviews or testimonials page that shows potential customers what previous clients have said. This builds trust before they even pick up the phone.
A contact page with your phone number, a simple form, and your service area. Make it easy for someone to reach you. Do not bury your phone number.
That structure might seem like a lot of pages, but each one is doing a specific job: catching a specific search that a potential customer is making. Without those pages, those searches go to your competitors.
What about social media? Can that replace a website?
Facebook pages and Instagram accounts are useful for showing off your work and staying visible to people who already follow you. But they are not a replacement for a website when it comes to getting found on Google.
When someone searches “electrician near me” or “roofer in Norwich,” Google does not show Facebook pages in the main results. It shows websites and Google Business Profiles. Social media is a complement to your online presence, not a substitute for it.
The place where social media genuinely helps is trust-building. A potential customer finds you on Google, visits your website, and then checks your Facebook or Instagram to see recent work photos and customer interactions. That combination — Google visibility plus social proof — is what converts a search into a phone call. But without the website, that chain breaks at the first link.
The real cost of not having a website
Every day that your business is not visible on Google, potential customers in your area are searching for exactly what you do and finding someone else. Not because that someone else is better. Not because they are cheaper. Simply because they showed up and you did not.
It is difficult to quantify because you never see the leads you missed. You do not get a notification saying “someone in your town searched for your trade and called a competitor because you were not on Google.” It just happens silently, every day. The competitor with the proper website and the growing review count gets a little further ahead, and the gap widens.
This is especially true during high-demand periods. When a storm damages roofs across a county, everyone searches Google at once. The roofers who show up on page one get more work than they can handle. Everyone else misses out entirely. Our article on why most trade websites do not rank goes deeper into the patterns we see across hundreds of trade businesses.
Do you need to build it yourself?
No. Most tradespeople do not have the time or inclination to learn web design and SEO. That is completely reasonable — your job is fixing boilers or rewiring houses, not building websites.
The options are broadly:
Do it yourself using a website builder like Wix or Squarespace. This can work for a basic online presence, but these platforms make it difficult to build the kind of multi-page, SEO-structured site that actually ranks. You will likely end up with a neat-looking five-page site that does not generate leads.
Hire a local web designer who will typically charge eight hundred to two thousand pounds for a brochure-style site. The design might be nice, but most web designers are not SEO specialists. You will get a good-looking site that still does not rank.
Work with an SEO agency that understands local search for tradespeople. This is where you get the full picture: a website built to rank, directory listings for trust signals, Google Business Profile management, and a system for growing your reviews. Our guide on how much SEO actually costs for tradespeople breaks down the numbers honestly.
The honest answer
Yes, tradespeople need a website — but only if it is built with a purpose. A five-page brochure site that looks nice but does not target specific services and towns is a waste of money. A thirty-page site with dedicated service pages, location pages, and proper local SEO structure is a lead generation machine that works for you twenty-four hours a day.
The tradespeople who are busiest right now are not necessarily the best at their trade. They are the ones who are easiest to find. In 2026, being easy to find means being on Google — and being on Google properly means having a website that gives Google exactly what it needs to rank you.
If you would rather focus on the work and have someone else handle the online side, that is what Localengine does. We build thirty-plus page websites for tradespeople, manage Google Business Profiles, handle directory listings, and track your rankings across your county — all for a flat three hundred pounds per month with no setup fee. One tradesperson per county, so your competitors are locked out from day one. If that sounds like what you need, check whether your county is still available.