Small business website design
The pages, words and details a small business website needs to bring in enquiries.
Trades website design
A website that shows the work you've done, the areas you cover and why you're safe to let into someone's home. Your phone photos become project pages, for one monthly fee with no contract.
80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites
Track record from Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.
The short answer
A builder's or tradesman's website should show photos of real projects, the work you take on, the towns you cover, how you quote, your insurance and memberships such as the FMB or TrustMark, and reviews. It needs a simple way to ask for a quote and must work well on a phone. Our web design for tradesmen covers all of it, from £49 a month, no contract.
At a glance
80+ websites built by Charlie through Transform Sites.
Tap a number to see where it sits on the page. Example template: Oakfield Builders is a made-up business.
Four things I put on every builder's website, because they're what people check before asking for a quote.
Real jobs, from the bare site to the finished kitchen or extension. Send the photos from your phone and I'll crop, caption and add them.
What the job is, where and roughly when, straight to your inbox. Pro adds a dedicated quote form that asks for budget and timings too.
FMB, TrustMark or trade memberships you hold, and the insurance you carry. People about to spend thousands do look for them.
Named towns and villages, so the enquiries come from where you actually want to work.
Hiring a builder is one of the biggest spends most households make, and people go into it nervous. They've heard the stories. So they research: they ask neighbours, read directory reviews, then look you up. Your website is where they check you're real, see what you've built and decide whether to ask you round to quote.
What reassures them is specific. Photos of finished projects near them. A named person who'll run the job. How you quote, because a written, itemised quote beats a figure on the back of an envelope. Your insurance, any membership such as the Federation of Master Builders or TrustMark, and how you deal with Building Control and planning.
The same goes for roofers, joiners, plasterers, decorators and kitchen fitters. The details differ, but the question in the customer's head is the same: can I trust this person with my house and my money? Good web design for tradesmen answers it before they pick up the phone.
Send me the facts and the photos. I'll write it up so it reads like you on a good day.
A few finished jobs with a line or two each: what the client wanted, how long it took, what was tricky. Three good projects beat thirty random pictures.
Whether you visit to price, how long a written quote takes and what it includes. It sets expectations before the first call.
Public liability cover isn't a legal requirement, but customers expect it. If you employ anyone, employers' liability insurance is required by law, so say you have it.
FMB, TrustMark, NFRC for roofers or a manufacturer's approved installer status. Only the ones you hold, so people can check them.
Say who handles drawings and Building Control notices. Homeowners often don't know they need them, and it shows you do things properly.
“Currently booking from March” saves calls from people who need it done next week, and quietly shows you're in demand.
This is the live builder template, and it suits most trades that do planned work in people's homes. Type your business name into the form at the top of the page and watch it change.
What to notice
Most builders have hundreds of photos and no time to sort them. Here's how they become something that wins work.
Ideally different kinds of work, in towns where you'd like more of it.
Before, during and after, straight from your phone by email or WhatsApp. No need to edit them.
What did the client want, how long did it take and what was the tricky bit. Voice notes are fine.
Each project gets a short write-up with the town, which helps people nearby find you. New projects go up as you finish them.
Directory and lead sites such as Checkatrade, MyBuilder and Rated People can bring in work, and for some trades they're worth the fee. They typically charge either a membership or a fee for each lead, and on some you're competing with other firms for the same job.
The profile, the reviews and your place in their listings belong to the platform, though. Your own website is what people land on when they search your name after seeing your van or a board outside a job. Plenty of builders use both: a directory for new leads, and a website they control for everyone who already has their name.
If you're weighing it up, look at where your best jobs came from last year. If most came from recommendations, a site that makes those people feel confident is worth more than extra leads. Growth adds your Google Business Profile too, which is free to appear in.
From Charlie
Builders are some of the busiest people I work with, so I don't ask for a brief, a meeting or any writing. Send me photos and a few voice notes from the van and I'll turn them into pages.
80 websites and counting, built for small businesses through Transform Sites, MonthlySite's parent company.
I only publish genuine reviews, and MonthlySite's first ones are on their way. Until then, here's my promise: you'll deal with me, and I'll reply within one working day.
Charlie, founder
Every plan includes design, hosting, security updates and changes by email. Growth suits most builders, with room for project pages and your Google Business Profile set up for you. Pro adds a quote form and a page for each area you cover.
£1.61a day for Starter, billed as £49 a month. No contract.
Starter
£49a month
Growth Charlie's pick
£79a month
Pro
£99a month
No contract. Cancel any month. No upfront fee.
Compare plans in detailFree. No card. About 60 seconds.
Rather own it outright? One-off builds from £549.
Yes. Send them from your phone whenever you finish a job and I'll crop, caption and add them. Growth and Pro include unlimited small edits, so new projects can go up as often as you like. Starter includes 1 change a month, which suits a gallery you refresh now and then.
It depends on your trade and area, and plenty of builders use both. Directories can bring new leads for a fee, but the profile and reviews live on their platform. Your own website is what people find when they search your name, and it's yours to point your van, site boards and quotes at.
Ask every happy client for a Google review, keep your Google Business Profile complete, reply to enquiries the same day and send written quotes quickly. A website supports all of that by giving people one place to check you out. Growth includes the Google Business Profile setup and local SEO for your town.
Yes. Send me your membership details and I'll show them near the top of the site, using each scheme's logo only in line with its own rules. Customers can then check you on the scheme's website. Only list memberships that are current.
Yes. The builder template suits roofers, joiners, plasterers, decorators, kitchen fitters and most trades that do planned work in people's homes. Plumbers, electricians and gardeners have their own templates, built around what their customers look for.
Your site goes live within 1 working day of your answers to a few quick questions: your services, areas, photos and any membership numbers. A 15-minute call works if that's easier than typing. Then you check it between jobs and tell me what to change, by email or WhatsApp.
Pick your trade, add your business name and see it on a laptop and a phone. If you like it, plans start at £49 a month with no contract.
Hi, I'm Charlie
I build every website myself. Ask me anything, big or small. I reply within one working day.
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