Websites
What should a tradie website include? A practical guide for NZ businesses
A useful trade website helps customers understand what you do, trust your work and take the next step. Here is what deserves a place on yours.
Someone has been given your name. They open your website on their phone between meetings, or at home while planning a renovation. Before they call, they want to know whether you do their type of work, cover their area and look like someone they can trust.
Your website should help them answer those questions quickly. For a New Zealand builder, roofer, electrician or arborist, the essentials are practical: clear information, evidence of good work and an easy way to get in touch.
Make the work you want obvious
“Quality workmanship and great service” could describe almost any trade business. Be specific about what you actually do.
A builder specialising in renovations should explain the types of projects they take on. A roofing business should distinguish repairs, replacements and new roofs where relevant. An arborist should make it easy to find tree removal, pruning or hedge work.
Give your main services enough space to explain what is involved, who they suit and what happens next. A useful service page answers a customer's questions before they have to ask them on the phone.
Tell people where you work
Customers should not have to guess whether you travel to their property. State your main service area near the start of the website and give more detail where it helps.
Be honest about your coverage. If you normally work on Auckland's North Shore but consider larger projects further afield, say that. It sets expectations and helps people decide whether to enquire.
Show real projects with a little context
A photo gallery is useful. A photo with an explanation is more useful.
Describe the job, the challenge and the work completed. A retaining wall project might explain a sloping site and difficult access. A reroofing example might show the original problem and the finished result.
You do not need a professional shoot for every job. Clear photos taken with permission, paired with accurate descriptions, give prospective customers something concrete to assess. Avoid publishing a customer's address or private details without their agreement.
Our Living Herbs project illustrates the value of specifics. More than 180 plant profiles, 130 stockists and an interactive map tell a much clearer story than “a modern website”. Your trade projects can use the same approach at a different scale.
Give people reasons to trust you
Include relevant qualifications, current memberships and genuine customer feedback. Explain who is behind the business and show the team where appropriate.
Use credentials accurately. A particular licence or accreditation should be attributed to the person or business that holds it. Reviews are strongest when readers can see the original source and understand which service the customer used.
Make the next step work on a phone
Open your website on your own mobile and try to request a quote. Can you read the text, tap the phone number and complete the form without pinching or zooming?
For many trade businesses, a sensible starting form asks for contact details, location, type of work and a short description. Photo uploads can be useful when they help you assess a job. Ask for information you will actually use.
Explain what happens after someone submits. If you offer emergency work, make the appropriate contact route clear. Only promise a response time you can consistently meet.
Keep it useful after launch
Old services, broken forms and outdated phone numbers weaken an otherwise good website. Someone needs to own the ongoing checks and changes.
Start with one simple test: could a new customer understand your business and make a suitable enquiry in a few minutes?
If you would like a starting point, run FORTH's free website check. It reviews public signals around speed, trust, tracking and function. Then consider the customer journey alongside those technical findings.
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