CentriWebThe cheapest way to get more customers as a tradie is to make the most of the channels you own and control: a complete Google Business Profile, a steady flow of genuine reviews, repeat and referral customers, simple local pages on your website and well-signed vehicles. Paid ads and lead sites can fill gaps, but you pay for every enquiry and have less control over who you’re competing with. Whatever the channel, answer every call, because a customer who can’t get through will often ring the next number.
This guide ranks the main channels by cost and control, and gives you something practical to do with each one this month. It’s written for plumbers, sparkies, chippies, painters, landscapers and other trades who’d rather be on the tools than doing marketing.
Which channels get more customers for tradies?
Every channel has a cost, even the free ones, because they take your time. The difference is how much control you have and whether the work keeps paying off after you stop.
| Channel | Cost | Control | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repeat and referral customers | Mostly time | High | Steady, trusting work |
| Google Business Profile | Free, plus time | High | Local “near me” searches |
| Reviews | Free, plus time | Medium | Turning searchers into callers |
| Local pages on your website | One-off build cost | High | Specific services in specific suburbs |
| Vehicle and site signage | One-off cost | High | Neighbours of jobs you’re already doing |
| Builder and trade relationships | Time | Medium | Regular, larger jobs |
| Paid search ads | Ongoing spend | Medium | Filling gaps quickly |
| Lead marketplaces | Per lead or subscription | Low | Volume when you’re starting out |
The channels near the top cost less per job over time and keep working. The ones near the bottom are faster to switch on but stop the moment you stop paying.
Is your Google Business Profile doing its job?
For most local trades, the map results with phone numbers and reviews are where the calls come from. Your Google Business Profile gets you into those results, and our full checklist covers setup and upkeep.
The essentials, from Google’s Business Profile guidelines:
- use your real business name, the one on your ute and invoices, with no added keywords
- if customers don’t come to you, hide your home address and list the areas you work in
- keep your service area realistic: the guidelines say it generally shouldn’t extend beyond about two hours’ drive from your base
- use a phone number you control, and have only one profile for the business
Then keep it active with photos from recent jobs and a quick check of your hours and details each month.
How do you get more reviews without breaking the rules?
Reviews are often what decides whether someone rings you or the next tradie on the list. The simplest system works best: ask every customer, at the end of every job, with a direct link sent by text.
Two sets of rules apply. Google’s review policy doesn’t allow offering payment, discounts or free work for reviews, or asking only the customers you know are happy. Under the Australian Consumer Law, the ACCC’s guidance on online reviews says businesses must not write fake reviews or suppress genuine negative ones. This is general information, not legal advice.
Our guide to getting more Google reviews has message templates you can copy.
Are you looking after repeat and referral customers?
A past customer already knows your work and trusts you. Yet many tradies finish the job, send the invoice and never contact that customer again.
- Service reminders. Hot water systems, air conditioners, switchboards, gutters and gardens all need regular attention. A reminder message at the right time brings back work you’ve already earned.
- Ask for referrals. When a customer thanks you, ask if they know anyone else who needs the same work. Make it easy with a short link or your business card.
- Keep a simple customer list. Name, address, the job and the date. Without it, you can’t follow up.
- Get permission before marketing. If you send marketing messages by text or email, the ACMA’s spam guidance says you need consent, must identify yourself and must include a way to unsubscribe.
Do local pages and signage still work?
Local pages on your website
One useful page for each main service, saying clearly where you work, helps both Google and customers. “Switchboard upgrades in the Inner West” with photos, typical jobs and answers to common questions is far more useful than a single “Services” page. If you would rather have someone build those pages, our websites service covers it.
Don’t overdo it. Google’s spam policies list near-identical pages made for each suburb, and blocks of text listing every suburb you target, as examples of spam. A handful of genuinely useful pages beats a hundred copies with the suburb swapped.
Vehicle and site signage
Your ute is parked outside a customer’s house all day while the neighbours walk past. Clear signage with your name, trade, phone number and website costs once and works for years. A tidy site sign, with the owner’s permission, does the same.
Check your licensing rules. In Queensland, the QBCC lists vehicle signage as advertising and says it must show your licensed name and licence number. Other states have their own rules, so check with your regulator.
Where do builders, paid ads and lead sites fit?
Builder and trade relationships
A builder who trusts you can send regular work for years. Turn up when you say you will, leave the site clean, communicate clearly and invoice on time. Builders remember the trades who make their life easier.
Paid search ads
Ads put you at the top of Google straight away, which helps when you need work fast or you’re launching in a new area. Keep them tight: only the suburbs you work in, only the services you want, and a page that matches the ad. Judge them by jobs won, not clicks.
Lead marketplaces
Lead sites can be useful when you’re starting out or have gaps to fill. Go in with your eyes open. If the same enquiry goes to several tradies, the first useful reply usually wins the conversation, so you need to respond fast. Read how you’re charged, whether you can dispute poor leads, and how you cancel. Then compare the cost per job won against your other channels.
Are you answering every call?
All the marketing in the world is wasted if the phone rings out while you’re up a ladder. Someone with a burst pipe or a power fault won’t wait for a call back.
- set up missed call text back, so anyone you miss gets a text within a minute saying you’ll call them shortly
- record a voicemail greeting that says when you’ll ring back
- block out time each day to return calls and messages
- reply to website enquiries the same day
Where to start
- Fix your Google Business Profile: real name, hidden address, realistic service area.
- Send a review link to your last ten customers.
- Set up missed call text back.
- Build a simple list of past customers and plan one service reminder.
- Add your name, number and licence details to your vehicle.
- Start asking “How did you hear about us?” on every call.
If you work with homeowners on bigger jobs, PreBuild, our partner for builders and trades, helps bring in more homeowner leads, earn their trust and win the job. For websites, profiles and call handling built for trades, see how we work with trades businesses.