Why ten seconds, and who is looking?
Picture Dave, who has two vans and a full diary from word of mouth. A neighbour recommends him, and the customer looks him up that night, on a phone, probably on the couch. Picture Jess, who went out on her own this year and needs a quote to look legit next to a bigger outfit. Same customer, same thumb.
People check before they call. That is the whole job of a homepage: keep the trust the recommendation gave you. It does not need to be clever. It needs to answer seven questions fast.
Below, each one is shown on a site you can open yourself. Real sites are real. The rest are samples for made-up businesses, so the names, ratings and prices on them are invented, and I say so each time.
1. What do you do, and where?
The first line should be a sentence a customer would say out loud. Not "Welcome to our website". The sample plumber opens with "Blocked drain? No hot water? Dave's on his way." You know the trade and the problem in one line.
Then the place. The sample mobile dog groomer names it straight away: "around Coburg, Brunswick, Pascoe Vale, Preston and Reservoir." The sample mobile mechanic says "Melbourne's west and north-west." A list of suburbs beats "and surrounds", because someone searching their own suburb wants to see it.
2. How do I ring or text you?
On the sample plumber site, the top of the page has "Call Dave" and "Text Dave" side by side, with "Call or text, any hour" under them. Both buttons tap straight into the phone. Nobody on a phone should hunt for a number or copy it.
This is on every page I build, not just the homepage: tap to call and tap to text, and a quote form that lands in your inbox.
3. Who else has used you?
A star rating and a count, near the top. The sample electrician leads with "4.9 from 63 Google reviews" (made up, it is a sample). The real example is The Brotherhood Barber Co. in Caloundra, which shows its Google rating at the top of its homepage and quotes its own reviews further down. I wrote up what we built for that barber shop and why.
Only ever use your real reviews. I never invent one, and neither should you.
4. Are you licensed and insured?
Customers let you into the house. They want to know you are allowed to be there. The sample electrician puts "Licence 78910 electrical contractor" and "Fully insured every job" in the first screen, plus a certificate with every job. The sample cleaner lists "Police checked", "Fully insured" and "Same cleaner every time".
Use your actual licence numbers. If your trade has none, say what you do have: insurance, a police check, years on the tools.
5. Roughly what does it cost?
Many tradies hate putting prices up, and I get it. But even a callout fee or a "from" price stops the phone call that was only ever about money. The sample plumber lists a standard callout at $90 and after-hours at $180. The sample mechanic shows "From $249" for a logbook service. The sample cleaner has $140, $180 and $220 a visit. Those are invented prices for invented businesses.
If you do not list prices, say how you quote. "Free quotes" or "fixed price before I start" is enough.
6. Is that your real work?
Phone photos of real jobs beat a stock photo of a model in spotless hi-vis, because customers can tell. The sample electrician shows a switchboard before and after: ceramic fuses on one side, safety switches on the other. The sample upholsterer shows chairs and lounges he has re-covered.
This is also why the photo list matters. Ten to twenty from your phone is plenty, and I explain the rest in what to have ready before you get a website.
7. What do I do next?
One clear next step, repeated. The sample roofer has "Book a free roof report" and a call button. The sample mechanic ends with a short form: "Tell Tom what it needs." Pick the one thing you want people to do, and make it the loudest button.
What does it look like on one table?
| What a stranger asks | What the page shows | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|
| What do you do? | One plain sentence | Sample plumber |
| Where do you work? | Suburbs listed by name | Sample groomer, sample mechanic |
| How do I reach you? | Tap to call, tap to text | Sample plumber |
| Who else used you? | Rating and count, real reviews | Sample electrician, Brotherhood (real) |
| Are you licensed? | Licence number, insured, checked | Sample electrician, sample cleaner |
| What does it cost? | Callout fee or "from" price | Sample plumber, sample mechanic |
| What is next? | One button, one form | Sample roofer, sample mechanic |
Frequently asked questions
What should a tradie put on the first screen of a website?
What you do, where you work, a tap-to-call button, a star rating, your licence and insurance, a price signal and one clear next step. Then your photos of real jobs.
Should a tradie list prices on their website?
It helps. Even a callout fee or "from" price filters out calls that were only ever about price. If you would rather not, say how you quote, for example "fixed price before I start".
How many photos does a tradie website need?
Ten to twenty from your phone is enough. Finished jobs, before and afters, the van, you on site.
Can I see these before I pay for anything?
Yes. I build your homepage free first, no card and nothing to sign. If you like it, the five-page site is $990 once. See pricing and how it works.