Why Your Website Isn't Ringing (and How to Fix It)

I was sitting down with an electrician in Geebung last month. Let’s call him Dave. Dave had spent five grand on a sleek, modern website about a year ago. It looked great on his laptop, had fancy animations, and his logo was front and centre.

But when I asked him how many jobs he’d booked from it in the last month, he went quiet.

“To be honest,” he said, “I think the only person looking at it is my mum. I’m still relying on word of mouth and those rubbish lead-buying sites that take a cut of everything.”

Dave’s story isn’t unique. In fact, most tradie websites in Brisbane are essentially invisible digital brochures. They exist, but they don't work. If your website isn't making your phone ring, it’s not an asset—it’s an expense.

Here is the truth about why most tradie websites fail and what actually makes a local business owner money.

Myth #1: "If I build it, they will come"

This is the biggest lie in the industry. You can have the most beautiful website in Queensland, but if it’s sitting on page five of Google, it might as well not exist.

Think of your website like a physical shop. If you open a high-end showroom in the middle of the bush with no roads leading to it, nobody is going to buy anything. You need to build the roads. In the digital world, those roads are built by making sure Google knows exactly what you do and where you do it.

Most web designers focus on making things look pretty. They don't care if the phone rings; they just want it to look good for their portfolio. But as a business owner, you don't need a beauty pageant winner; you need a salesperson who works 24/7.

Before you spend another cent on flashy design, you need to decide where your customers are actually looking. I’ve seen guys dump thousands into social media only to realise that when someone’s toilet is overflowing at 10 PM, they aren't scrolling Facebook—they’re hitting Google. Understanding which platform gets jobs is the first step to making sure your phone actually rings.

Myth #2: "People care about my 'About Us' page"

I’m going to be blunt: customers don’t care about you. Not yet, anyway.

When a homeowner in Carindale has a leaking roof, they care about three things: 1. Can you fix my specific problem? 2. Do you work in my area? 3. Can I trust you not to rip me off or leave a mess?

Most tradie sites lead with "Established in 1994" or "We value excellence." That’s fluff. It doesn’t solve the customer's immediate problem. If a visitor has to hunt through your site to find out if you actually do hot water system repairs or if you service the Western Suburbs, they’ll click 'back' and call the next guy on the list.

Your website needs to answer those three questions in the first five seconds. If it doesn't, you're flushing money down the drain.

Myth #3: "Stock photos look professional"

Nothing kills a lead faster than a photo of a generic, smiling man in a pristine hard hat that was clearly taken in a studio in America. People in Brisbane can spot a fake a mile away.

If you want the high-paying jobs—the ones where the customer isn't haggling over every dollar—you need to show your actual work. Real photos of your team, your branded ute parked in a local street, and the actual results you deliver build more trust than a thousand words of marketing speak.

We’ve found that showing real project photos is the single fastest way to convince a stranger that you’re the right person for the job. It proves you’re a real local business that actually does the work.

Why your website is actually failing (The Practical Stuff)

If your site looks okay but the phone is silent, it usually comes down to these three practical failures:

1. It's too hard to contact you

Busy people want to click a button and talk to a human. Is your phone number at the very top of every page? Is it a "click-to-call" button so they don't have to copy and paste it? Do you have a simple booking form that takes 20 seconds to fill out?

When you stop chasing cheap jobs and start positioning your business as the expert for specific, high-value work, your website starts attracting better leads. You’ll get fewer tyre-kickers and more serious enquiries.

How much should this cost and how long does it take?

Let’s talk brass tacks. You can get a cheap website for $500 from a guy overseas, but it will likely be a dud that never shows up on Google. On the flip side, you don't need to spend $20,000 on a custom-coded masterpiece.

For most Brisbane tradies, a high-performing website that actually gets calls should cost somewhere between $3,000 and $7,000. This should include the design, the writing (which is more important than the design), and the basic setup to make sure Google can find you.

In terms of results, a well-built site can start showing up in local searches within a few weeks, but the real momentum usually happens around the 3-to-6-month mark. It’s an investment, not a quick fix.

What should you do first?

If you’re frustrated with your current results, don't go out and buy a whole new website tomorrow. Start with these three steps:

1. The Mobile Test: Open your website on your phone. Can you find your phone number in 2 seconds? Does the site load quickly? 2. The "Mum" Test: Ask someone who isn't in the trade to look at your homepage for 5 seconds. Ask them: "What do I do, and how do you hire me?" If they can’t answer, your messaging is broken. 3. Check Your Google Profile: Make sure your Google Business Profile (the map listing) is linked to your site and has recent reviews. This is often more important than the website itself for getting the phone to ring.

Stop settling for a website that just sits there looking pretty. Your business deserves a tool that actually puts money in your pocket and keeps your team busy.

At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in helping Brisbane businesses move away from buying shitty leads and start owning their local area. We don't care about awards or fancy design trends; we care about how many times your phone rings this week.

Ready to get your phone ringing? Let’s have a chat.