How trades get more enquiries: 7 ways compared.
There’s no single best way for a trade to get work. There’s a best order. Here are the seven channels most UK trades rely on, what each costs, and which to fix first.
The main ways UK trades get more enquiries are: 1) a complete Google Business Profile, 2) a steady flow of Google reviews, 3) a clear website that names your services and areas, 4) answering every call and enquiry fast, 5) reactivating past customers and old quotes, 6) Facebook and Instagram ads, and 7) lead sites like Checkatrade or MyBuilder. Fix the free and cheap ones first (profile, reviews, response speed), then add paid channels.
1. Google Business Profile
Free, and for most trades the biggest single source of local enquiries. Fill in every field: categories, services, the areas you cover, photos of real jobs, opening hours. Post updates now and then so it looks active.
Cost: free · Speed: weeks · Control: high · More on this
2. Google reviews
Reviews push you up the map results and convince people to ring. Plenty of happy customers will leave one if asked at the right moment with a one-tap link. Set up an automatic text after every job so you never forget.
Cost: free to low · Speed: builds monthly · Control: high · More on this
3. A clear website
Homeowners check you out before ringing, and Google and AI tools need something to read. Name every service and every area, show real work, and put the phone number everywhere.
Cost: one-off · Speed: 1 to 2 weeks · Control: total · More on this
4. Answering fast
The cheapest win on this list. Homeowners often contact several trades and go with whoever replies first. Missed-call text-back and instant replies stop enquiries going cold.
Cost: low · Speed: immediate · Control: high · More on this
5. Reactivating old customers
Past customers and quotes that went quiet are warm leads you’ve already paid to win. A short, friendly message campaign brings some back without any ad spend.
Cost: low · Speed: days · Control: high · More on this
6. Facebook & Instagram ads
Puts your work in front of homeowners in chosen postcodes, and brings in new enquiries on demand. Only worth it once you can answer every lead fast.
Cost: ad spend + management · Speed: days · Control: medium · More on this
7. Lead sites
Checkatrade, MyBuilder, Rated People and Bark are quick to start and carry trusted brands, but you pay per lead or membership, and leads are often shared.
Cost: ongoing fees · Speed: fast · Control: low · More on this
The order we’d do it in
- Answer every call and enquiry fast. It costs least and wastes least.
- Complete your Google Business Profile and start collecting reviews.
- Get a clear website that names your services and areas.
- Message past customers and old quotes.
- Then add ads, once every lead will be caught.
Lead sites can sit alongside any of this while your own channels build.
Questions trades ask
What’s the cheapest way for a tradesman to get more work?
Fix what you already have: complete your Google Business Profile, ask every happy customer for a Google review, reply to every call and enquiry fast, and message past customers. All four cost little or nothing.
Should a trade use Checkatrade or Facebook ads?
Lead sites are faster to start but you share leads and pay ongoing fees. Facebook ads bring enquiries only to you but need a landing page and fast replies to work. Many trades start with a lead site and move to their own channels as they grow.
Do trades need a website in 2026?
Yes. Most homeowners check a trade online before ringing, and AI tools like ChatGPT recommend businesses based on what their websites say. A clear site with your services and areas is the base everything else builds on.
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