Key takeaways
- Most trade jobs start with a Google search, a look at the map results and a scan of your reviews, even when you were recommended.
- Before-and-after photos are the most persuasive content a tradie can post.
- Your website's main job is to make calling or requesting a quote easy on a phone.
- Looking established lets you quote at the level your work deserves and attract fewer price shoppers.
Most tradies we talk to get plenty of work through word of mouth, until it slows down. And even when someone recommends you, the first thing the customer does is Google you. They look at your reviews, tap through to your website, and compare you with whoever else came up.
This guide covers how Perth trades and home service businesses (electricians, plumbers, builders, landscapers, painters, cleaners, pool and solar installers) can make that moment count, in order of what to do first.
How customers choose a tradie
- A recommendation or a search. “Electrician near me”, “plumber Victoria Park”, “bathroom renovation Perth”.
- The map results. Star rating, number of reviews, photos, how close you are.
- Your website. Are you licensed, do you do this kind of job, does the work look good, is it easy to get a quote?
- The call or form. Whoever answers first, or makes it easiest, often wins.
You can influence every step.
The tradie marketing checklist, in order
| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Set up your Google Business Profile fully | Most local calls come from the map |
| 2 | Ask for a review after every good job | Reviews decide between you and the next listing |
| 3 | Take before-and-after photos of every job | Your most persuasive content |
| 4 | Get a simple website that makes calling easy | Where people check you out properly |
| 5 | Look as established as you are | Lets you quote at the right level |
| 6 | Post what you’re working on | Keeps you front of mind for referrals |
1. Show up on Google Maps
When someone searches “electrician near me” or “plumber Victoria Park”, the map results get a large share of the clicks. Set up your Google Business Profile properly:
- Category: the most specific one that fits (“Electrician”, “Plumber”, “Landscaper”).
- Service area: list the suburbs you actually travel to, instead of showing a home address.
- Hours: including whether you do after-hours or emergency work.
- Photos: real jobs, your team, your vehicles. Add new ones every month.
- Services: list each one with a short description.
2. Ask for reviews every time
Make it part of finishing the job. Before you leave, ask: “If you’re happy with it, would you mind leaving us a quick Google review? I’ll text you the link.” Then send it the same day.
Reply to every review, good and bad. A short, professional reply to a negative review shows future customers how you handle problems, which matters a lot in trades.
A business with dozens of recent reviews looks like a safer bet than one with six from 2021, even if the work is the same.
3. Before and after, every job
Nothing sells a trade like the transformation. Make it a habit:
- Take the before photo from the same spot and angle you’ll take the after.
- Turn the lights on, tidy the area, and shoot horizontally for your website and vertically for socials.
- Add a one-line description: suburb, job, what made it tricky.
Post them, add them to your website, and use them in quotes. They answer “can they do my job?” better than any sales pitch.
4. A website that makes calling easy
Your website doesn’t need 30 pages. It needs to do one job well: turn a visitor into a call or a quote request.
- What you do and where, in the first line. “Licensed electricians servicing Perth’s south-east.”
- A click-to-call button that’s always visible on mobile.
- A short quote form: name, phone, suburb, job, photos optional.
- Real photos of your work, your team and your vehicles.
- Service area: the suburbs you cover.
- Licence or registration details. In WA, trades like electrical, plumbing, gas fitting and building need a licence or registration, and customers look for it.
- Reviews on the page, not just a link to Google.
- A page for each main service, so you show up for specific searches like “switchboard upgrade Perth”.
Speed matters. Most visitors are on a phone, often on site or in the car. Our guide to website costs in Perth explains what to expect to pay.
5. Look as established as you are
If you’re a team of eight with good systems but you look like one person with a phone, customers treat you like one, including on price. A consistent logo, uniforms, signage on the vehicles, branded quotes and a sharp website let you quote at the level your work deserves.
Your vehicles are also your biggest billboard. A clean, readable wrap with your name, trade and phone number works every time you park on a customer’s street.
6. Post what you’re working on
You don’t need to be on camera, and you definitely don’t need to dance. A 15-second clip of a finished job, a quick time-lapse, a photo of the team on site or a “can you spot the problem?” photo is plenty. Consistency matters more than polish.
Content ideas for tradies:
- Before and after of this week’s best job
- A common problem you fix, explained in 20 seconds
- What a fair quote should include
- A day on site, sped up
- Meet the team
- Tools or gear you swear by
7. Answer fast
Whoever calls back first often wins the job. If you can’t answer while you’re on the tools, set up a voicemail that says when you’ll call back, and a text auto-reply. Then call back the same day.
Common mistakes
- No photos of real work, or only stock images.
- A website that doesn’t say which suburbs you cover.
- A phone number you can’t tap on mobile.
- Paying for ads before the website and reviews are sorted.
- Inconsistent business names across Google, the website and the ute.
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FAQs
What is the best marketing for tradies in Perth?
Start with a fully set up Google Business Profile, a steady flow of reviews and a simple, fast website with a click-to-call button and real photos of your work. Then add before-and-after content and consistent branding on your vehicles and uniforms.
Do tradies need a website if they have Google and Facebook?
Yes, for most trades. Your website is where people check you're licensed, see your work in one place and request a quote. It also helps your Google profile rank, because Google looks at both.
Do tradies need Instagram?
It helps, especially for renovations, landscaping, pools, cabinetry and anything visual. For most trades, Google and reviews matter more.
Should tradies pay for Google Ads?
They can work well once your website converts visitors into calls. Fix the website and Google profile first, or you're paying to send people somewhere that loses them.
How do I get more Google reviews for my trade business?
Ask at the end of every job you're proud of, then send your review link by text the same day while it's fresh. Reply to every review. Make it a step in finishing the job, not something you remember occasionally.
What should a tradie website include?
What you do and where in the first line, a click-to-call button on every page, a short quote form, real photos of your work, your service areas, your licence or registration details, and reviews.
