Most trade businesses don't have a website. Not because they don't care. Word of mouth has worked for years.
Then a competitor shows up on Google. A customer wants to check your work before calling. Someone searches "plumber near me" and you're nowhere.
Without a website
Someone hears about your business. A neighbour recommends you. The first thing they do is search your name.
If they find nothing, two things happen. They call you anyway. Or they find a competitor with a website and call them instead.
You don't see the ones you lose. No missed call. No notification. They go somewhere else.
What a website does
A trade business website needs to do three things.
Show up when someone searches. A potential customer searches "electrician in Peterborough" or "plumber near me." Your website appears. Without one, Google doesn't know you exist.
Build trust in 10 seconds. Someone lands on your site. They see what you do, where you work, how to reach you. Photos of real work. A phone number they can tap. Clear services. Done.
Make contact easy. A phone number that works on mobile. A contact form. A WhatsApp link. Fewer steps between "I need a plumber" and "I've messaged one" means more work for you.
Two businesses we built for
We built a website for a barber shop in Peterborough. Before that, zero online presence. Customers found them through word of mouth only. Now people find them on Google, check prices, and book through their Booksy link. The site took two weeks. The impact was immediate.
We built a site for a mortgage broker with no website. Within the first week, inbound enquiries arrived from people who found them through Google. Before the site, every lead came through personal referrals.
Neither project was big or expensive. Both were focused on doing the basics well.
"I get all my work through word of mouth"
Good. You're doing great work and people talk about it.
A website doesn't replace word of mouth. It supports it. Someone recommends you. The other person Googles your name. They find a professional site with your services, photos, and phone number. Recommendation confirmed. Booking made.
They find nothing? Seed of doubt. They might still call. They might not.
Cost
A professional website for a trade business in the UK costs between £500 and £2,000. Page count, booking features, and existing content affect the price.
At Burch Studio, we build from scratch. No templates. No WordPress. Mobile-responsive design, SEO, and a contact form come as standard. You get a clear quote upfront. No hidden fees.
For most trade businesses, a website pays for itself within months through extra work it generates.
Choosing a web designer
Four things to check.
Their own website. If it looks dated or loads slow, yours will too. A web designer's site is their best portfolio piece.
Real examples. Not template demos. Websites they built for real businesses. Ask if you can contact those businesses.
Mobile performance. Over 60% of web traffic comes from phones. If your site doesn't work on mobile, it doesn't work.
What's included. Mobile-responsive design, SSL certificate, SEO, and a contact method. These are the minimum, not extras.
Get started
If you run a trade business without a website, or with one that isn't pulling its weight, we're happy to take a look.
No jargon. No pressure. An honest assessment of where you stand and what a site could do for your business.