Learn what makes a good craft or trade website
What Makes a Good Craft or Trade Website?
When someone is looking for a skilled craftsperson or tradesperson, your website is often one of the first places they’ll visit to find out more about your business. A well-designed craft or trade website can help potential customers understand what you offer, see the quality of your work and feel confident about getting in touch.
Whether someone needs a reliable roofer, a bespoke furniture maker or a specialist to restore a period property, they’re usually looking for the same things.
1.Experience
2.Reliability
3.Reassurance that they’re choosing the right person for the job.
The good news is that creating an effective website doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune or adding lots of complicated features. It’s about giving customers the information they need and making their next step as straightforward as possible.
In this fourth instalment of Crafting Your Digital Presence, we’re looking at the key ingredients of a good craft or trade website and how they can help turn visitors into enquiries.
This is blog 4 in the ‘Crafting Your Digital Presence – Traditional Skills, Modern Visibility’ series from the Guild of Master Craftsmen and The Digital Department.
Find previous blogs in the series here:
1. Make It Clear What You Do from the Start
When someone lands on your website, they should be able to understand what you do, where you work and how you can help them within a few seconds. If visitors have to search through several pages to find out whether you offer the service they need, there’s a good chance they’ll look elsewhere.
Additionally, your homepage should introduce your business clearly and explain your main services in everyday language. So, if you’re a specialist joiner working across Yorkshire, for example, make that obvious. If you focus on heritage restoration or bespoke metalwork, explain what makes your services different.
Top Tip: Think about the questions customers usually ask when they first contact you. Your website should answer as many of those questions as possible. Helping visitors decide whether your business is right for their project.
2. Show Your Skills Through Real Projects
One of the most important features of a good trade website is a gallery of completed work. After all, your craftsmanship is often your strongest selling point, so it makes sense to let people see what you can do.
Whether you’ve fitted a beautiful kitchen, restored an original staircase or created a handcrafted piece of furniture, photographs give potential customers a much better understanding of your skills than words alone.
And, rather than simply uploading a collection of images, try adding a little information about each project.
Explain:
– What the customer wanted
– The work involved
– How you achieved the finished result.
Additionally, before and after photographs are particularly useful for showing the difference your expertise can make.
Top Tip: You don’t need professional photography for every project, either. Clear, well-lit photographs taken on your phone can work brilliantly! Especially when they show the finer details of your craftsmanship.
3. Build Confidence with Reviews and Accreditations
Choosing someone to carry out work on your home or create something bespoke often involves a significant investment, so customers naturally want reassurance that they’re making the right decision.
Including genuine customer reviews on your website helps build that confidence. Testimonials that mention the quality of your work, your reliability or the customer’s overall experience can be particularly valuable because they give visitors an insight into what it’s like to work with you.
Importantly, your professional memberships and accreditations also deserve a prominent place. As a Guild of Master Craftsmen member, you have a professional association worth highlighting, alongside any relevant qualifications or industry credentials.
Displaying your Guild membership badge in accordance with the Guild’s guidelines can help visitors recognise your professional affiliation and give them another reason to explore your services.
4. Make Your Craft or Trade Website Easy to Navigate
Even the most impressive website won’t be particularly helpful if visitors struggle to find what they’re looking for. People want information quickly, so keeping your website simple and well-organised is essential.
Your main navigation should make it easy to find your services, examples of previous work, information about your business and contact details. And, avoid filling the menu with too many options or using technical language that customers might not understand.
It’s also important to think about how your website works on a mobile phone. Many people search for local trades or craftsmen while they’re out and about. So, your website needs to look good and work properly on smaller screens.
TOP TIP: Make sure the text is easy to read, photographs load quickly and buttons are simple to tap. A website that’s easy to use makes it much easier for customers to take the next step.
5. Help Local Customers Find Your Business
If your work depends on customers in a particular area, your website should make it clear where you operate.
Including your town, county or service areas throughout the relevant parts of your website helps potential customers understand whether you cover their location. It can also help search engines connect your business with relevant local searches.
For example, someone searching for a traditional stonemason in Northumberland is more likely to find useful results when businesses clearly explain their services and locations.
You don’t need to mention your location in every sentence, but including it naturally on your homepage, service pages and contact page can help improve your local online visibility. It’s also worth making sure these details match the information on your Google Business Profile, so customers see consistent information wherever they discover your business.
6. Make It Easy for Customers to Get in Touch
A good craft or trade website should do more than showcase your skills. It should encourage people to take the next step and contact you.
Make sure your phone number, email address or enquiry form is easy to find. Rather than hiding your contact details away at the bottom of a page.
You can also use simple prompts throughout your website, such as ‘Get in touch to discuss your project’ or ‘Request a quote’, to guide visitors towards making an enquiry.
Also, if customers need to provide certain information before you can offer a quote, explain this clearly. Asking for details such as their location, the type of work required, and their preferred timescale can help you respond more efficiently.
The easier you make the process, the more likely visitors are to get in touch.
Your Craft or Trade Website Should Work as Hard as You Do
Your craft or trade website doesn’t need complicated features or an expensive design to make a positive impression. What matters is that it reflects the quality of your craftsmanship, builds trust and makes it easy for potential customers to understand what you offer.
A good trade website brings together clear service information, photographs of your work, genuine reviews, professional credentials and straightforward contact options. Together, these elements can help turn someone who’s simply browsing into a customer who’s ready to discuss their project.
Through our Crafting Your Digital Presence – Traditional Skills, Modern Visibility series, the Guild of Master Craftsmen and The Digital Department are sharing practical advice to help members build a stronger online presence without the unnecessary jargon.
Because your skills deserve to be seen, and your website should help make that happen.
Get started on your new Craft or Trade Website Today
Want to learn more about how your craft or trade business can benefit from digital marketing solutions tailored to your industry? Browse the dedicated Guild of Master Craftsman members page, at The Digital Department.
