Your Website is a Sales Tool, Not an Art Project
I see it every single week here in Brisbane. A sparky or a plumber spends five grand on a flashy new website, waits a month, and then... nothing. Crickets. The phone doesn't ring any more than it did before, and they’re left wondering if the whole internet thing is just a massive scam.
Here’s the blunt truth: Most web designers are great at making things look pretty, but they haven't spent a day on a job site and they have no idea how to sell a service. They build websites for other designers to look at, not for a homeowner whose hot water system just exploded at 9:00 PM on a Tuesday.
If your website isn't bringing in at least three to five new enquiries every week, it’s broken. It’s not a "digital business card"—it’s a dud. Let’s look at why most tradie websites fail and exactly what you need to do to start getting more phone calls.
1. You’re Making People Hunt for the Phone Number
This sounds stupidly simple, but you’d be amazed how many websites hide their contact details. If I’m a property manager in Coorparoo and I need an emergency repair, I’m not going to spend three minutes clicking through your "About Us" page to find out how to reach you.
Your phone number needs to be at the very top of every single page, in big, bold text. On a mobile phone, that number should be a button that I can tap to call you instantly. If a customer has to copy and paste your number or, heaven forbid, fill out a 10-field contact form just to get a quote, they’ll just go back to Google and click on your competitor instead.
The Fix: Put your phone number in the top right corner of your site. Make it big. Make it a "click-to-call" button. If people can't find you in two seconds, you've lost the job.
2. You’re Talking About Yourself, Not Their Problem
Most tradie websites start with: "Family owned and operated since 1994. We pride ourselves on excellence and quality workmanship."
I’ll be honest with you—customers don't care. At least, not yet.
When someone lands on your site, they have a problem. They have a blocked drain, a flickering light, or a room that feels like an oven because the AC died. They want to know two things: 1. Can you fix my specific problem? 2. Are you going to rip me off?
Stop leadng with your history and start leading with your solutions. Instead of "About Us," try "Blocked Drain Specialists in Brisbane Northside." Show them you understand their pain and that you have the tools to fix it right now.
3. You’re Fishing in the Wrong Pond
I get asked all the time: "Should I be on Facebook or Google?"
Look, Facebook is great for showing off a finished bathroom renovation or a nice deck build, but if someone needs a plumber right now, they aren't scrolling through Facebook looking at cat memes. They are going to Google.
If you want the phone to ring today, you need to be where the active buyers are. Understanding Google vs Facebook is the difference between wasting your marketing budget and actually getting a return on your investment. For most service-based tradies, Google is the undisputed king because it catches people at the exact moment they are ready to spend money.
4. No One Trusts You (Yet)
In the trades, trust is everything. You are asking a stranger to let you into their home or business. If your website is just a bunch of text and some stock photos of a generic guy in a hard hat, you look like a cowboy.
People want to see real faces. They want to see your van with the signage on it. They want to see photos of jobs you’ve actually done in suburbs they recognise, like Paddington or Chermside.
More importantly, they want to know what other people think of you. If you don't have reviews front and centre, you’re fighting an uphill battle. Even if you’re just starting out, there are ways to get jobs with zero reviews by focusing on your local expertise and showing your face. But as soon as you can, you need to start collecting those gold stars. High-quality Google reviews are the single most powerful way to convince a stranger to pick up the phone and call you instead of the guy undercutting your price.
5. It’s Too Hard to Use on a Phone
Over 80% of your customers are looking for you on their mobile phone while they’re standing in their kitchen or sitting in their car.
If your website is slow to load, or if the text is so small they have to pinch and zoom to read it, they’re gone. Google also hates slow websites. If your site takes more than three seconds to load on a 4G connection, Google will push you down the rankings and show your faster competitors first.
The Fix: Open your website on your own phone right now. Can you read everything easily? Can you hit the "Call Now" button with your thumb without accidentally clicking something else? If not, you’re flushing money down the toilet.
6. You’re Competing on Price Because Your Website Looks Cheap
If your website looks like it was built by your nephew for a case of beer, don't be surprised when customers try to haggle you down on your hourly rate.
A professional, clean, and fast website tells the customer that you are a professional, high-quality business. It allows you to position yourself as the expert rather than just another bloke with a toolbox. When you look the part, you can stop competing on price and start charging what you’re actually worth. I’ve seen Brisbane electricians double their enquiry rate just by upgrading from a DIY site to something that actually looks like a real business.
How Much Does a Good Site Cost?
You can get a "free" website from some DIY builders, but it’ll cost you tens of thousands in lost jobs. On the other hand, you don't need to spend $15,000 on a custom-coded masterpiece.
For most Brisbane tradies, a high-performing website that actually gets the phone ringing should cost you between $2,000 and $5,000 as a one-off setup. If someone is charging you a massive monthly fee just to "host" the site, be careful—you might be getting taken for a ride.
How Long Until You See Results?
If your website is built correctly and you have people visiting it, you should see an increase in calls almost immediately. If you aren't getting any visitors yet, you'll need to look at Google Ads or SEO, but those are useless if your website is a bucket with a hole in the bottom. Fix the website first, then turn on the tap for visitors.
What Should You Do First?
Don't try to fix everything at once. Start here: 1. Check your mobile view: Make sure your phone number is a big, clickable button at the top. 2. Get real photos: Take five minutes tomorrow to get a photo of yourself and your team in front of the van. Put it on the homepage. 3. Add a "Request a Quote" button: Make it bright (orange or green works well) and put it right under your main heading.
Stop Wasting Enquiries
At Local Marketing Group, we specialise in helping Brisbane tradies stop the leak in their marketing. We don't care about awards or "pretty" designs—we care about how many times your phone rings.
If you're tired of your website being a useless monthly expense and you want it to start working as hard as you do, let’s have a chat. We’ve helped everyone from local plumbers to large AC firms dominate their local area.
Ready to get more calls? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let's get your business growing.