What Should Actually Be on Your Trade Business Website? The Pages That Get You Calls

You know you need a website. You've probably known for a while. But every time you think about it, the same question stops you: what do I actually put on it?

It's a fair question. Most advice online is vague — "tell your story," "showcase your brand," "build trust." That's not helpful when you're a plumber in Kettering trying to figure out whether you need an About page.

So here's a straightforward breakdown. Page by page, section by section — what belongs on a trade business website, what doesn't, and why each piece is there.

Homepage — you have five seconds

Your homepage isn't a brochure. It's a filter. Someone lands on it and makes a snap decision: is this business relevant to me, and should I stay?

That decision happens in the first five seconds, before any scrolling. So the top of your homepage needs to answer three questions immediately:

1. What do you do? Not in vague terms. "Plumbing & Heating Services" is better than "Your Local Trusted Partner."
2. Where do you do it? "Serving Northampton & Surrounding Areas" tells people instantly whether you're relevant to them.
3. What should I do next? A visible button — "Get a Free Quote," "Call Now," "Book a Call" — that links to your contact page or phone number.

Below that, your homepage can include a brief summary of your services, a few photos of completed work, and two or three testimonials. That's enough. The homepage's job is to get people to the next page — usually your contact page.

Don't try to say everything on the homepage. You'll end up saying nothing clearly.

Services — one page per service, not a bullet list

This is where most trade websites fall short. They have a single "Services" page with a list of everything they do in bullet points. Boiler installation, bathroom fitting, emergency callouts, underfloor heating, power flushing — all on one page, each getting one line.

That approach is bad for two reasons.

First, it tells Google nothing useful. A page that mentions fifteen services briefly won't rank for any of them. A dedicated page about "Boiler Installation in Northampton" that explains what's involved, what it costs, and why customers should choose you — that page can rank.

Second, it doesn't help the customer. Someone looking for a bathroom refit wants to see that you've done bathrooms before, what your process looks like, and photos of finished work. A bullet point doesn't give them that.

Create a separate page for each of your core services. Three to five is usually enough. Each page should include:

• What the service involves
• Who it's for
• Photos of your work (if available)
• A call to action — phone number, quote button, or contact form

This is one of the most effective things you can do for local SEO. Each service page is a new opportunity to rank for a specific search term in your area.

Gallery or portfolio — show, don't tell

People hire tradespeople based on evidence. They want to see what you've done, not just read about it.

A gallery page with photos of completed projects is one of the highest-trust elements you can have on your site. Before-and-after shots are particularly powerful — they show the transformation and demonstrate skill in a way that words can't.

You don't need professional photography. Phone photos are fine, as long as they're reasonably clear and well-lit. What matters is that they're real — your actual work, for real customers, in real homes or businesses.

Organise photos by service type if you can (bathrooms, kitchens, extensions, etc.). Add a short caption to each — even just "Kitchen refurbishment — Milton Keynes, 2026" adds context and helps with search visibility.

If you don't have many photos yet, start now. Take a photo of every job you complete from this point forward. Within a few months you'll have more than enough.

Testimonials — not optional

Testimonials are the online version of word-of-mouth. They're one of the most important elements on any trade website, and most businesses either don't have them or hide them at the bottom of a page nobody visits.

Place your strongest testimonials on the homepage. Put more on a dedicated reviews page. If you have Google reviews, mention your rating and link to your Google Business Profile.

The best testimonials are specific. "Great job, would recommend" is fine but forgettable. "Dan fitted our new bathroom in four days, was tidy throughout, and the finish was excellent. Really happy with the result." — that's the kind of review that makes someone pick up the phone.

Ask your satisfied customers for a review. Most are happy to help — they just need a nudge and a direct link.

About page — keep it short and human

An About page isn't about writing a company history that starts with "Founded in 2019..." It's about giving people a reason to feel comfortable hiring you.

A few sentences about who you are, how long you've been doing this, and why you do it well. A photo of yourself or your team — not a stock image. Mention any qualifications, accreditations, or insurance. If you're a one-person business, say so — many customers prefer that.

Keep it to a couple of paragraphs. People aren't reading your life story. They're scanning for signals that you're real, competent, and trustworthy.

Contact page — remove every barrier

Your contact page has one purpose: make it as easy as possible for someone to get in touch.

This means:

• Phone number — visible, clickable on mobile
• Contact form — name, email, phone, message. Four fields. No more
• Email address — some people prefer email
• WhatsApp link — increasingly popular, especially with younger customers
• Your area — "Based in Northampton, covering Northamptonshire and surrounding areas"

Don't add a CAPTCHA unless you're getting spammed. Don't require a dropdown for "How did you hear about us?" Don't ask for their address, budget, or preferred date before you've even spoken to them.

Every extra field is a reason for someone to close the tab. The most common website mistakes we see are on the contact page — and they're usually about making things harder than they need to be.

Test your own form. Submit a test enquiry. If it doesn't arrive in your inbox within a minute, it's broken — and you might have been losing leads for weeks without knowing.

Pages you probably don't need

• Blog — useful for SEO over time, but not essential at launch. If you're going to blog, commit to one article a month minimum. An empty blog page looks worse than no blog at all.
• FAQ — usually better handled by answering common questions within your service pages.
• Team page — unless you have a team of five or more, the About page covers it.
• News/updates — almost nobody reads these. If your latest "news" post is from 2024, remove the page entirely.

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Putting it together

A solid trade website needs five to eight pages:

1. Homepage
2. 3–5 service pages
3. Gallery / portfolio
4. Testimonials / reviews
5. About
6. Contact

That's a complete, professional website that covers everything a potential customer needs to see before getting in touch. No filler. No pages that exist because "a website should have them." Every page has a job, and every job is to move someone closer to calling you.