For trades
Website design for trades: what a contractor’s site needs
A homeowner who’s about to spend a few thousand dollars on a job doesn’t call the first name they see. They check who you are first. Your website is where that check happens, and it either gets you the call or quietly loses it.
Updated · By AltaSmith, Calgary
What a homeowner checks before they call
Whether they found you on Google, on a map, through a friend, or by asking ChatGPT, the next move is usually the same: look you up. BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey found about 45% of consumers now use AI tools such as ChatGPT to find local businesses, up from 6% a year earlier, and that about two-thirds keep researching after reading reviews rather than booking on the spot. In that moment they’re asking:
- Is this a real business? Real name, real photos of real work, a clear service area.
- Can I trust them in my home? Licence and insurance where I can see them, and reviews from people like me.
- Can I reach someone quickly? A phone number I can tap and hours I can trust.
- Do they do my exact job? A page about that service, not a generic list.
- Roughly what will it cost? Honest guidance, not a mystery.
What a trades website needs
| Element | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| A tappable phone number, visible without scrolling | On a phone it’s the shortest path from “this looks right” to a call. |
| Your service area, named | Tells Google and the customer you work where they live. |
| A page for each service | Someone searching one job should land on a page about that job. |
| Licence, insurance, and certifications | Settles the trust question before the customer has to ask. |
| Real photos of your own work | Stock photos tell a visitor nothing about you. |
| Reviews, and a way to leave one | Reviews and your site are checked together. |
| A quote form that asks what the job is | You get a useful enquiry, not just a name and number. |
| Fast on a phone | Much local searching happens on a phone, and slow pages lose visitors. |
Guides by trade
Every trade has its own customers and its own worries. Pick yours for the specifics:
- Plumbers — Emergency calls and planned jobs are two different customers. Serve both.
- Electricians — Safety is the worry. Show licensing, permits, and exactly what you do.
- HVAC — A no-heat call in January and a furnace replacement are very different buyers.
- Roofers — After a hailstorm, homeowners are wary. Show you’re local and here next year.
- Cleaning & restoration — Homeowners in a crisis, adjusters, and property managers all read your site.
Which package fits a trade
- One main service, or just starting: Starter ($1,499) — a single custom page with your domain, hosting, and a quote form wired to your inbox.
- Several services: Professional ($3,499) — one page per service, plus About, FAQ, and Contact.
- Selling product online: Commerce ($5,499) adds a store you manage yourself.
Every package is a one-time build price plus a monthly care plan for hosting, security, and updates; see the full cost breakdown.
A real example
Foothills Cleaning (Cleaning & Restoration · Calgary): Site for a residential/commercial cleaning and disaster restoration company serving Calgary and the Foothills — free-quote request form, service area, and insurance-adjuster-friendly restoration info in one place. Visit the live site.
What we won’t promise
We won’t guarantee a number 1 ranking, and be wary of anyone who does: rankings depend on your reviews, your competition, and time as well as the site. What we do is make sure everything Google and AI assistants rely on is set up properly, then keep it current.
Common questions
Referrals still matter most for many trades, but a referral now usually gets checked online before anyone calls. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, about two-thirds of people did more research after reading reviews instead of booking straight away. Your website is where that check ends. If it’s missing or looks neglected, some of those referrals quietly go to someone else.
If you want to be found for each service, yes. Someone searching for one specific job lands on the page that’s about exactly that. That’s what the Professional package ($3,499) is built for: 5–6 pages, one per service. A single-service trade can start with Starter ($1,499).
Yes. Tell us what you hold and we’ll put it where a visitor sees it without hunting, and keep it current when it changes.
Nobody can honestly promise that, and we don’t. What we do is set up the things Google and AI assistants actually use: a clear page for each service, correct business details, your Google Business Profile, and fast, mobile-friendly pages. Rankings for competitive searches take time and depend on reviews and links as well as the site.
About two weeks once we have your logo, photos, and a few paragraphs about your business. If it’s easier, tell us what you do and we’ll help put it into words.
Want a straight price for your business?
Tell us what you do and we’ll reply within 1 business day with a clear number — no sales call required.