Do Tradesmen Still Need a Website in 2026? An Honest Answer for UK Trades

Websites are normal now. The government's UK Business Data Survey 2026 (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, published 18 June 2026) asked 4,450 UK businesses between October 2025 and January 2026. 78% said they have a website, up from 68% in 2023 to 2024. Sole traders were at 76%, up from 65%, and micro businesses (up to nine employees) at 84%.

Construction came in at 65%, the lowest of the sectors the report picks out. That covers construction firms of all sizes, not just one-person trades, and businesses reported it themselves, so treat it as a guide. It still points one way: the trades are behind. That's a gap, and good news if you're one of the ones who sorts it.

Trust matters too. NICEIC, the electrical certification body, says in a July 2025 article that more than one in five (22%) potential customers are suspicious of a tradesperson with no website or social media profile. That's NICEIC's figure, not mine.

I'd rather be honest than sell you something. You can probably skip it for now if:

• You're fully booked with the work you want.
• All your work comes from one main contractor or housing association.
• You're winding down.
• You work in one postcode, on call-outs only, and have plenty of Google reviews.

Each one has a catch. Single-client work is a risk if that contract goes. Being fully booked lasts until your diary goes quiet. If one of those is you, a properly filled-in Google profile is the sensible minimum.

• You want more or better local jobs. Yes, a simple site.
• You're busy on referrals, but people Google your name before ringing. Yes, to close the referrals you already earn.
• You pay a lead site every month. Yes, so you've got somewhere of your own to send people. The AI Till has a plain answer on how much Checkatrade costs, and my lead generation page covers getting enquiries direct.
• You do bigger jobs (kitchens, extensions, rewires, solar). Yes. People want photos, accreditations and proof before spending thousands.
• You want work in the next town over. Yes. A page for each service and each town you cover shows where you work. My guide to getting into the Google Maps 3-pack covers the map side.

Google Business Profile

Free, and the first thing to do. My guide to setting up your Google Business Profile walks you through it. But it's Google's page, not yours. Google switched off the free websites people had made with Business Profiles. Visitors were redirected to the profile from 5 March 2024, and after 10 June 2024 the old business.site addresses showed "page not found". Anyone who relied on one had to build a new site.

Your profile has a spot for your website address, so a site that shows the same name, area and phone number backs it up.

Facebook

Good for photos and local groups, and plenty of trades get work there. NICEIC cites Direct Line Business Insurance research in which 60% of tradespeople rated Facebook the most effective platform. But reach and rules can change, not everyone uses it, and in my view a Facebook page is harder to find in a Google search than your own site. My social profiles page covers setting one up properly.

Checkatrade and lead sites

Useful, but you're renting the spot. A listing site shows the customer lots of tradespeople side by side, and it's their site, not yours.

Use all of them, but point them all at one place you own.

A one-page site can do all of this:

1. Trade and town in the headline. "Plumber in Heywood and Bury", not "Welcome to our website".
2. Your phone number at the top, tap-to-call on mobile, plus WhatsApp if you use it.
3. The jobs you want more of, listed plainly, and the towns you cover.
4. Six to ten real photos of finished jobs, before and after if you have them. NICEIC says almost 40% of people look for images of completed work before choosing a tradesperson.
5. Reviews. Pull in or screenshot your Google reviews and link to your profile. The AI Till has a guide on how tradesmen get more Google reviews.
6. Proof. If you have a Gas Safe, NICEIC or other trade body number, show it, plus your insurance and guarantees.
7. A simple contact form, so evening enquiries don't get lost, and a plan for missed calls. See my automations page and The AI Till's guide to missed-call text-back tools.
8. Fast on a phone, and kept up to date. Prices shown as "from", current photos, the right phone number.

One more point. Tools like ChatGPT and Google's AI answers can read websites when they describe local businesses. Plain text saying what you do and where gives them something accurate to work with. I can't give you a number on it, but it costs nothing.

Free and DIY. If you've got nothing today, a one-page landing page is a start. GetResponse (affiliate link) has a free plan that lets you build and publish a landing page, collect enquiries with signup and contact forms, keep up to 500 contacts and send 2,500 emails a month. That email side is handy for staying in touch with past customers.

Check the limits first. Free landing pages are capped at 1,000 unique visitors, a GetResponse badge goes on your emails, and the 500 contacts is described differently in places on their site. The full website builder is only on the paid Creator plan, which GetResponse lists from €62 a month for 1,000 contacts, or €50.84 a month billed yearly. So it's a starter page, not a full trade website.

Done for you. My website cost guide has real price ranges, so I won't repeat them here. My websites page shows what I build.

A simple page you own beats a fancy one you never finish.

Answer yes or no:

1. Do new customers Google your name before they ring?
2. Do you want more of one type of job?
3. Are you paying a lead site every month?
4. Do your bigger jobs need photos and proof before people commit?
5. Has your diary gone quiet at least once in the last year?

Two or more yeses: get a simple site. None: you're fine for now, but set up your Google profile properly.

I'm James, a local business owner in Heywood. If you're a trade in Heywood, Bury, Rochdale or Middleton and you're not sure whether a website is worth it for you, give me a shout. I'll give you a straight answer, even if that answer is "you don't need one yet". If you want one, have a look at how I build simple trade websites.