How to Get More Customers for Your Trade Business (Without Paying for Leads)

• Word of mouth still wins. Research by Ding, reported by HPM in June 2025, found 51% of UK homeowners found a tradesperson through word of mouth. Among 18 to 34s, 24% used WhatsApp and 19% Facebook Marketplace.
• Recommendations build trust. A survey of 2,000 homeowners for the Federation of Master Builders and TrustMark (reported by Project Scotland, 29 January 2025) found personal recommendations give people confidence (64%), followed by trade body membership (50%) and positive directory reviews (48%).
• Reviews get checked. BrightLocal's Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 (1,002 US adults, so not a UK sample) found 97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses, 74% look for reviews from the last three months, and 47% won't use a business with fewer than 20 reviews.

Recommendations bring people to you. Reviews make them ring.

This is the cheapest work there is. Think about who you've done a job for in the last couple of years, and give them a reason to hear from you:

• boiler and gas checks before the cold sets in
• gutters after the leaves have come down
• outside lights for the dark nights
• a "book your spring job now" list, so you start the year with work in the diary

Are you allowed to email or text old customers?

Often, yes, but there are rules. The ICO calls it the "soft opt-in". You can email or text your own customers without asking for fresh consent if all of these are true:

• you got their details directly from them, while they bought or asked about a job
• you're only telling them about your own similar services
• you gave them a simple way to opt out when you took their details
• every message gives them a way to opt out

It doesn't cover bought-in lists or people who never dealt with you. The ICO also says sole traders count as individuals, so the same rules apply to them.

The honest catch: if you never offered an opt-out when you took their details, the soft opt-in doesn't apply, and you'd need their consent first. From now on, ask at the job: "Is it OK if I drop you a message about servicing or similar work? Just say if not."

In practice: say who you are, add "reply STOP and I won't message again", and keep a do-not-contact list.

Keep it short and personal

A few lines from you beats a glossy newsletter. For example:

Hi Sarah, it's Dave the plumber, I fitted your new bathroom tap in the summer. I'm booking in boiler services for November and December if you'd like one before the cold. Just reply and I'll sort a time. Reply STOP if you'd rather not hear from me.

If your list runs past a few dozen, an email tool will handle unsubscribes and timing for you. GetResponse (affiliate link) has a 14-day free trial with no credit card, and its Starter plan includes unlimited monthly email sends, a welcome email series and one automation workflow (checked 1 November 2026).

For quotes that went quiet, see how to follow up a quote without being pushy. If you'd rather have it set up for you, that's what automations are for.

Happy customers rarely think to pass your name on. So ask at handover:

"If you know anyone who needs the same doing, I'd really appreciate you passing my number on."

Leave a card, or send a link they can forward on WhatsApp. Keep referrals and reviews separate: thanking someone for a referral is one thing, rewarding a review is another (more on that below).

Team up with 2 to 4 trades who aren't your competition

Squote suggests a reciprocal referral network with 2 to 4 complementary trades. Its examples: a plumber with gas engineers, electricians, tilers, kitchen fitters and bathroom fitters; a plasterer with decorators, builders and electricians; a roofer with builders, guttering specialists and loft conversion firms.

Only refer people whose work you'd put your name to.

Ask at handover, then send your direct review link within a day or two. Put a QR code on your invoice, card and van.

The rules, because a lot of advice gets this wrong:

• Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 bans fake reviews and reviews that hide the fact they were incentivised (Schedule 20, paragraph 13).
• The CMA's fake reviews guidance (4 April 2025) gives "offering an existing customer a free or discounted product in exchange for a five-star review" as an example of what's banned.
• Google goes further. Its policy bans offering any incentive, like payment, discounts or free goods or services, in exchange for posting any review.

So the simple rule: never offer anything for a review. My advice on top of that: ask everyone, not just the ones you think will be happy, and never ask for a star rating.

Reply to every review. BrightLocal 2026 found 80% of consumers say they're likely to use a business that responds to all its reviews.

The AI Till has the full method in its guide on how tradesmen get more Google reviews.

Your Google Business Profile is often the first thing people see. Keep it simple:

• the right main category and the towns you cover
• real photos of your own jobs
• opening hours that are actually right, including over Christmas
• a short post every week or two through winter

Our free Google Business Profile checklist walks you through it.

If you miss a call up a ladder, a quick text back keeps the job alive. My post on missed-call text-back for trades covers what to send and how to set it up.

Local Facebook groups and Nextdoor are full of "anyone know a good...?" posts. Answer the genuine ones and don't spam. WhatsApp Business is handy for quick photo quotes, and Ding found 24% of 18 to 34s used WhatsApp to find a trade.

If your profiles need tidying first, see social profiles.

People check you out before they ring. Your website or page needs a number they can tap to call, real photos, your reviews and the towns you cover. More on that in do tradesmen need a website? and on our websites page.

Fine as a top-up, not as the plan. I've compared them in Checkatrade vs your own website, and The AI Till has a page on how much Checkatrade costs.

• Day 1: list past customers from your invoices and phone.
• Day 2: send the short message, with an opt-out, to the ones the soft opt-in covers.
• Day 3: ask your last 10 customers for a review with your direct link.
• Day 4: tidy your Google profile and add five photos of real jobs.
• Day 5: ring two complementary trades about swapping referrals.
• Day 6: answer genuine posts in two local Facebook groups.
• Day 7: check your phone number works with one tap on a mobile.

I'm James, the local tech guy in Heywood, covering Rochdale, Bury and Middleton. If one techy thing is holding you back, like a review link, a missed-call text or a profile that won't update, I'll sort one problem free, up to 30 minutes, remotely, with nothing to buy. Get in touch, or see how lead generation works.