Before you pay for a tradesman website, check these 7 things
Seven questions to ask before paying for a website, from handling enquiries to who owns your domain.
Before paying for a website, ask to see an example and try it on your phone. Then use these seven questions to check what’s included and what you’ll have to look after.
1. Can someone understand the business in ten seconds?
Open an example site and look at the first screen. You should be able to identify the trade, the area served and the next step. If the main message is a vague slogan, ask where your actual services will appear.
Try reading it as a customer who has never met you. They may have arrived from a recommendation with only your name to go on.
2. Does it work properly on a phone?
Use your own phone to test the example. Check text size, navigation and buttons. Tap the phone number and try the contact form. A page that shrinks a desktop layout onto a small screen can be awkward to use even if it technically fits.
3. What happens to an enquiry?
Ask where messages are stored or delivered and how you’ll know one has arrived. Send a test message. Check the spam folder if it doesn’t appear.
A booking form needs particular care: does it request a time for you to confirm, or book an appointment directly? Choose wording that matches how you actually run your diary.
4. Can you show your own work?
You should be able to add your services, project photos and genuine customer feedback. Ask who makes updates and whether changes cost extra.
Make a small folder of your best job photos before you start. You’ll have a more useful website if its content is ready, whichever provider you choose.
5. What does the total price include?
Check hosting, HTTPS, domain costs, renewal prices and paid extras. Ask whether the quoted figure is monthly or annual, whether tax is included, and what happens if you stop paying.
A low headline price is only useful when you understand the ongoing cost. Keep a note of the answers so you can compare like with like.
6. Who controls the website and domain?
If you use a custom domain, establish who registers it and who can renew or transfer it. Ask what you can take with you if you move to another provider: text, photos, enquiry records and domain access are separate questions.
You may decide a simple hosted page is enough. The point is to understand the arrangement before relying on the link on your van or business cards.
7. What does “SEO included” actually mean?
Ask for concrete details: readable page content, descriptive titles, crawlable links and a sitemap are more meaningful than a guaranteed number-one ranking. Google’s starter guide explains the foundations.
Your Google Business Profile also needs attention. A website and a Maps listing support each other, but they aren’t the same service.
Before you agree
Send a test enquiry, check the total cost and get the details about updates and domain ownership in writing. Those answers will make it easier to compare providers.