Trade directories bring work, but you're listed next to your competitors and you pay to be there. Your own website takes longer but the calls only come to you. Here's how to weigh it up.
Most tradespeople we speak to get work from a mix of word of mouth, a directory or two like Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Rated People or Bark, and Facebook. Fewer have a website that brings in work on its own. So which is better? The honest answer is that they do different jobs.
What directories are good at
Directories are quick. Join, get vetted, and you can be getting enquiries within days, without building anything yourself.
They also lend you trust. A homeowner who's never heard of you may feel safer picking someone with a badge and a page of reviews on a site they recognise.
The catch
You pay to be there, whether that's a monthly membership or a fee for each lead, and the price goes up as the platform grows.
You're listed next to your competitors. The customer who finds you is looking at several other trades on the same page, and on some sites the same job is sent to more than one tradesperson. That tends to push prices down.
And you don't own it. Your reviews and your profile live on someone else's platform. If you stop paying, or the rules change, your presence goes with it.
What your own website and Google listing are good at
When someone finds you through your own Google listing or website, they're not comparing you with four others on the same page. The call comes only to you.
It builds over time. A website and Google listing that are looked after tend to bring more calls each year, and there's no fee per lead. And it's yours: your web address, your reviews on Google, your photos.
The catch
It's slower to start. A new website and Google listing take a few months to climb, unless you add Google Ads to cover the gap. And it needs looking after, or doing for you.
So which should you choose?
For most trades, it isn't either-or. Use directories while they pay their way, especially when you're starting out. At the same time, build your own website and Google listing so that, over time, more of your work comes to you directly, without a fee and without competing on the same page.
A good test: work out what each directory costs you per job won. If it's sensible, keep it. If the number keeps creeping up, that's the money to put into getting found on Google instead.
That's what we help trades do. Our Get Found plan builds your website and Google listing and counts every call, so you can see exactly what it brings in compared with your directories.