Lead sites or your own website: getting enquiries that are only yours
Last updated: 28 October 2026
Ask around on trade forums and the same complaints about lead sites keep coming up: the same job is sent to several trades at once, whoever rings back first wins, the monthly fee is due whether or not the work comes in, and fixed-term contracts are hard to leave. Some trades do well on them. Many others say the steadiest work comes from word of mouth, referrals and being easy to find on Google.
When a customer finds your website or your Google Business Profile and gets in touch, that enquiry goes to you and nobody else. You are not in a race with three other firms for the same phone call.
What a customer needs to see in the first few seconds
- Your trade and your town in the page title. That is the line Google shows in the results, so "Roofer in Bridlington | Your Company" beats just your company name.
- A phone number you can tap on a mobile. Most people searching for a trade are on their phone.
- The areas you cover, written out as town names, so both people and Google know where you work.
- A short quote form for people who would rather not call: name, phone or email, and what they need.
- Recent reviews, with a link to your Google reviews. Reviews from years ago make a site look abandoned.
- Real photos of your own work instead of stock pictures.
Your Google Business Profile matters as much as the site
For searches like "electrician near me", Google often shows the map listings first. A complete profile helps: the right main category, your service areas, opening hours, photos, and a steady trickle of new reviews. Ask every happy customer for a review the day you finish the job, with a direct link they can tap.
A five-minute check you can do today
- Search your trade plus your town on your phone. Do you appear, on the map or below it?
- Open your own website on your phone. Can you call with one tap?
- Read your page title in the Google result. Does it say what you do and where?
- Look at your newest Google review. Is it from this year?
If any answer is no, that is where enquiries are slipping away.
How Avant Trades helps
We build UK trades a website that gets found, and set up your Google Business Profile and a simple way to collect reviews. Every enquiry goes straight to you. It is £59 a month with no upfront fee, you only start paying once your first enquiry has come in, and if none comes in within 60 days of going live, you can leave at no cost.