Nominet is promoting website awareness among builders with Bacon and Web Café open days.
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.
New research from the .uk domain, run by Nominet, reveals tradespeople who have set up their own website pick up an additional 21 jobs a year, on average worth £16,590. Over a third (39%) are winning jobs outside their main patch and 36% are pulling in jobs from clients with heavyweight budgets.
Despite the monetary rewards on offer, over a third, the equivalent to 334,600 tradesmen and women in the UK (35%) are yet to make the move from ‘on site’ to ‘website’. Not knowing where to start prevents almost a quarter (24%) from getting online and 1 in 10 (10%) believe it would be expensive to set up.
Russell Haworth, CEO Nominet, which runs the .uk domain said, “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. 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% of traders having their own professional website. Other hotspots include Bristol (72%) and London (71%). This compares to less than half (47%) of all tradespeople in Leeds taking their business online.
Aerial fitters are seeking out new customers online with 81% owning their own site. This is followed by bathroom fitters (77%); and security specialists (76%).
To help tradespeople get started with their own professional website, The .uk domain is teaming up with four of the UK’s most popular breakfast venues to create the first-ever ‘Bacon & Web’ cafés. Tradespeople can visit the cafes to get a website built for free over breakfast.
The first ‘Bacon & Web Café’ opened in Old Street, London on 10th May.
The campaign is supported by a new website, www.tradebetteronline.uk, giving tradespeople simple tips and advice to help them quickly and cost effectively get online. The site also includes location details and opening times for the London ‘Bacon & Web Cafe’. Additional cafés to launch in Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham later this year. Check out the website for details.