What most tradesperson websites get wrong
Four things, again and again: an About page that says far too much, no proof of the work near the top, no reviews, and a contact form that feels like a chore. Underneath all four is one bigger mistake: treating the website as a box to tick instead of something that can bring in work.
Written by Ryan Nicholls, Founder of Archline Digital Solutions Ltd, who builds websites, booking and quoting systems for businesses in Chippenham and across Wiltshire. Updated 25 October 2026.
01
The About page does too much
Most trades sites bury the visitor in the story of the business. A visitor deciding whether to ring you wants to know what you do, where you do it and whether you are any good. The life story can sit lower down, or on its own page, for the few who want it.
02
The proof is not near the top
Saying you can do the work is not the same as showing it. Photos of finished jobs, with a line on what was done and where, belong high on the page, close to where a visitor first lands. Evidence that you can do what you claim is what turns a browser into an enquiry.
03
There are no reviews on the site
Reviews are social proof, and a surprising number of trades sites leave them off entirely, even when the business has plenty. Show real customer words on your own site, next to the work they are about, not only on a listing the visitor has to go and find.
Use real reviews from real customers, with their permission, and never invent or tidy them up.
04
The contact form is a chore
Long contact boxes where a customer has to type out a paragraph are not how people like to get in touch now. A short form asking for the least you need, plus your phone number clearly visible, gets more people over the line than a blank box that feels like homework.
Whatever the customer sends, it should reach you as a notification on your phone, so the enquiry is seen while the customer is still looking.
05
The mistake underneath all four
Many tradespeople treat the website as a low-level must-have: something you need to have, so you have one. A website can be one of the few places in the business that works for you when you are on a job, bringing in leads and, over time, more work.
Once you see it that way, the four fixes above stop being cosmetic. They are what makes the site earn its keep.
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