A new breed of tech-savvy tradesmen and women are reaping the rewards of going online, as the web replaces word-of-mouth as the way homeowners choose tradespeople for essential jobs around the house.
Tradespeople who have set up their own website pick up an additional 21 jobs a year, on average worth £16,590, according to a study by the .uk domain, run by Nominet.
More than a third (39 per cent) are winning jobs outside their main patch and 36 per cent are pulling in jobs from clients with heavyweight budgets.
Despite the monetary rewards on offer, more than a third, the equivalent to 334,600 tradesmen and women in the UK (35 per cent) are yet to make the move from ‘on site’ to ‘website’.
Not knowing where to start prevents almost a quarter (24 per cent) from getting online and one in ten (10 per cent) believe it would be expensive to set up.
Russell Haworth, CEO of Nominet, which runs the .uk domain says that moving from on site to website is giving a financial boost to tradespeople and up and down the country.
‘With more of us going online to look for trade services, many plumbers and painters might find themselves losing out on business when consumers need expert help in a hurry,’ he says.
‘From displaying pictures of past jobs, to customer testimonials and accreditation badges, a website isn’t just your online CV, it’s your chance to make a great first impression.’
Glasgow tops Britain’s most tech-savvy tradespeople town with 74 per cent of traders having their own professional website.
Other hotspots include Bristol (72 per cent) and London (71 per cent). This compares to less than half (47 per cent) of all tradespeople in Leeds taking their business online.
Aerial fitters are seeking out new customers online with 81 per cent owning their own site. This is followed by bathroom fitters (77 per cent); and security specialists (76 per cent).
Further reading about websites
