Why Most Brisbane Tradies Are Losing Money on Their Photos
If you’re a plumber in Chermside or a landscaper in Carindale, you know that the hardest part of the job isn't the actual work—it’s proving to a total stranger that you’re worth the price you’re quoting.
Most tradies think that a 'Before and After' photo is just something you post on Facebook when you remember. That is a massive mistake. In reality, these photos are your most powerful sales tool. When done right, they act as a silent salesman that works 24/7 to justify your rates and build trust before you even pick up the phone.
I’ve looked at hundreds of Brisbane tradie websites and social media pages. Most of the photos I see are actually costing the business owner money. They are blurry, messy, and frankly, they make the business look amateur. If you want to stop competing on price and start winning the big projects, you need to change how you document your work.
Mistake #1: The 'Messy Job Site' Disaster
I see this all the time with renovators and builders. They take a 'Before' photo of a gutted bathroom, and then an 'After' photo of the finished product. The problem? In the 'After' photo, there’s a pile of offcuts in the corner, a dusty drop sheet on the floor, and a half-drunk iced coffee on the vanity.
The Data Point: Homeowners (especially those with money to spend) equate a messy job site with a lack of attention to detail. If you can’t bother to move a coffee cup for a photo, they assume you’ll cut corners on the waterproofing or the electricals.
The Fix: Your 'After' photo should look like a magazine shoot. Clear the tools, sweep the floor, and wipe down the surfaces. It takes two minutes but adds thousands of dollars in perceived value to your brand. This is how landscapers book bigger projects rather than just getting calls for $60 lawn mows.
Mistake #2: The 'Mystery Angle' Confusion
For a 'Before and After' to work, the human brain needs to see the transformation instantly. If your 'Before' photo is taken from the front gate and your 'After' photo is taken from the back porch, the viewer can’t compare them. You’ve lost the impact.
The Data Point: You have about 2.5 seconds to grab someone's attention on a phone. If they have to squint to figure out what they’re looking at, they’ll keep scrolling to your competitor.
The Fix: Pick a 'landmark' in the photo—a specific window, a tree, or a fence post. Make sure that landmark is in the exact same spot in both photos. This creates a 'sliding' effect in the customer's mind where they can clearly see the value you added.
Mistake #3: Thinking Your Ute is Your Best Marketing
Many tradies rely on their vehicle wrap to do the heavy lifting. While a clean ute looks professional, it doesn't show the quality of your pipework or the precision of your tiling.
I’ve talked to dozens of business owners who wonder why their ute signage isn't bringing in the leads they expected. The reason is simple: a ute shows you exist; a 'Before and After' photo shows you’re good. You need to put your best work front and centre on your website and Google profile, not just on the side of a Hilux.
Mistake #4: Bad Lighting (The 'Crime Scene' Look)
If you take a photo of a new kitchen at 5:30 PM in mid-winter with no lights on, it’s going to look like a crime scene. It doesn't matter if the cabinetry cost $40,000; in a dark, grainy photo, it looks cheap.
The Fix: 1. Natural Light: For outdoor work, shoot in the morning or late afternoon (the 'golden hour'). Avoid midday sun which creates harsh, ugly shadows. 2. Indoor Work: Turn on every single light in the room. Open the blinds. If it’s still dark, use a cheap work light bounced off the ceiling to brighten the space without creating a glare.
Mistake #5: Focusing on the Wrong Things
Tradies love taking photos of things other tradies appreciate—like a perfectly straight run of conduit or a complex manifold. While that's great for your ego, your customers don't care. They don't know what they're looking at.
The Result: Customers care about outcomes. They want to see a dark, dingy room become bright and modern. They want to see a cracked driveway become a smooth, stamped masterpiece. Show the lifestyle improvement, not just the technical 'how-to'.
Where to Put Your Photos for Maximum Profit
Having the photos on your phone is useless. You need them where people are actually looking for help. In Brisbane, there’s a big debate about where to spend your time. We’ve analysed the numbers, and the reality of Google vs Facebook is that people go to Google when they have a problem that needs fixing now.
1. Google Business Profile: This is the most important place. When someone searches 'Plumber Brisbane' and your map listing pops up, they will click your photos first. If they see 20 high-quality transformations, they will call you before they call the guy with no photos. 2. Your Website: These photos shouldn't be hidden in a 'Gallery' page that no one visits. They should be on your home page and your service pages. If you’re an electrician, your 'Lighting' page should have photos of lighting upgrades. 3. Instagram/Facebook: Good for staying top-of-mind with locals, but less likely to get an immediate 'I need this now' booking compared to Google.
The Financial Impact: Winning the 'Quote War'
Let’s talk about money. If you and a competitor both quote $5,000 for a job, but your website is full of professional-looking transformations and theirs has nothing, you win 9 times out of 10.
Even better, high-quality photos allow you to charge more. When a customer can see the level of finish you provide, they are less likely to haggle. They realise they aren't just paying for 'a fence'—they are paying for that specific result they saw in your photos. This is the key to how Brisbane tradies stop chasing cheap jobs and start working for customers who actually value quality.
A Simple 3-Step Process for Your Next Job
I know you're busy. You don't have time to be a photographer. But if you want to grow your business, you have to make this a habit.
1. The 'Before' (1 Minute): Stand in the doorway (or at the curb). Take three photos from different angles. Make sure you can see the 'problem' clearly (the rot, the mess, the old style). 2. The 'During' (Optional): Take one photo of the 'guts' of the job. It shows you actually did the work and aren't just using stock photos from the internet. 3. The 'After' (5 Minutes): Clean up. Move the bins. Turn on the lights. Stand in the exact same spots as your 'Before' photos. Take the shots.
Pro Tip: Use an app like 'Layout' or 'Canva' to put the two photos side-by-side into one image. This makes it much easier for people to share on social media and for Google to display it clearly.
What This Costs (and What It Makes You)
Cost: $0 (You already have a smartphone). Time: 10 minutes per job. Result: Within 3-6 months of consistently posting these photos to your Google profile and website, you will see an increase in the number of phone calls you get. More importantly, the quality of those calls will improve. You'll spend less time explaining why you're 'expensive' and more time booking dates in the diary.
Stop Wasting Money on Leads
Most marketing companies will try to sell you 'leads'—basically names and numbers of people who might want a quote. This is a treadmill you can never get off. Instead, you should be owning your local market by building a library of proof that you are the best at what you do.
When your 'Before and After' game is strong, you don't need to buy leads. People find you, see your work, and decide they want you*—not just the cheapest price they can find on a lead-sharing site.
Summary: Your Action Plan
If I were sitting down with a mate who runs a trade business in Brisbane, here is exactly what I’d tell them to do this week:
1. Audit your current photos. Go to your website or Google listing. If the photos are blurry, dark, or messy, delete them. They are doing more harm than good. 2. Take 'The Shot' on every job. Make it part of your pack-up routine. No photo, the job isn't finished. 3. Update your Google Business Profile. Upload at least 3 new 'Before and After' sets this week.
Marketing doesn't have to be complicated. It's about showing people you can solve their problem. Nothing proves that better than a photo of you actually doing it.
Want to get more phone calls without the headache? At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane tradies and small businesses turn their hard work into more customers. We don't care about 'likes' or 'engagement'—we care about your phone ringing.
Contact Local Marketing Group today to see how we can help you dominate your local area.