Many tradespeople still get plenty of work from word of mouth and Facebook, so no, a website is not strictly essential. In 2026 more customers Google a trade before they call, and with no proper site you are invisible to a lot of them. A simple page builds trust, works overnight, and unlike a social profile it is something you actually own.
That is the short version. The longer one is about who can wait, who is quietly losing jobs, and what a site needs to do if you decide to have one.
Does word of mouth still cover it?
If you are a sole trader booked solid from recommendations, you may feel no pain at all. Word of mouth is still the best advertising there is. A busy trade can run for years on referrals alone. A Facebook page can help too. It is free, people can message you, and you can post photos. Checkatrade and similar sites do a similar job for people who already trust those platforms.
So I am not going to pretend you will go out of business without a website. You will not. The gap is quieter than that. Someone gets your name from a neighbour, types it into Google, finds nothing useful, and rings the next person on the list. You never hear about that job.
If you want the social side in more detail, do I need a website if I have Facebook is the companion piece. This post is the trades version: when a site is worth it, and when it is not.
What has actually changed for customers?
The jobs are the same: a consumer unit, a boiler service, an extension quote. The extra step is the search. When someone gets your name, a lot of them now check you are real before they pick up the phone.
They want the trade, the area, a few photos, and a number they can tap. If nothing comes up, or just a half-finished Facebook page last updated in 2022, some hesitate. A few quietly call the next name.
A website does not replace word of mouth. It backs it up. It turns “someone mentioned you” into “yes, that is the one.” Landlords and letting agents like a link they can file. Homeowners commissioning bigger work like a page they can show a partner.
BW Electrical in Hassocks is the plain example: NICEIC-registered, covering the towns people type, and invisible to anyone who did not already know the name until they had a site. Oilfire Heating in Uckfield had a five-star Google rating and no page to land on. Phoenix Piling had no site at all, which is common for specialist contractors until a main contractor searches and cannot find them.
None of that is a ranking claim. It is the pattern I see from Hassocks: the work is there, the page is not, so the call goes elsewhere.
What does a website do that Facebook cannot?
This is the part that surprises people. A Facebook page feels like enough until you put the two side by side.
A proper website gives you your own domain, a page Google can actually understand, a professional email, and control of the message. Facebook pages rarely rank well for “electrician near me”. A real site, tied to a complete Google Business Profile, is how you show up when someone searches the trade and the town. you@yourbusiness.co.uk looks better on a quote than a Hotmail address. You decide what sits at the top: the service, the towns, the phone number. No algorithm burying it under a reel from last Tuesday.
Your Facebook page is rented space. Your website is property you own. You can still post on Facebook. The site is what the cautious customer checks, and what Google and AI assistants can quote.
Directories have the same limit. They are useful proof, not a home. Sindall in Haywards Heath already had more than 200 Checkatrade reviews before the site rebuild. The reviews were not the gap. The slow Wix page that hid the work was the gap.
What if I am too busy and not technical?
This is the real objection, and it is a fair one. You are on the tools all day. The last thing you want is evenings spent fighting a website builder.
You do not have to. You do not need ten pages, a blog, or a booking system. For most trades, one good page is enough: what you do, where you work, photos, reviews, and a clear way to get in touch.
I build websites for tradespeople from Hassocks for that brief. You answer a few questions. We handle the domain, the email, the hosting and the page. A standard one-pager is live in about five working days. No jargon homework, and no login after a ten-hour day.
If you later need more, that is a quoted job. Most sparks and heating engineers do not need it on day one.
Who can honestly wait, and who should not?
Be straight with yourself.
You can probably wait if you are booked solid for the next year, you never lose a job to a competitor you can name, and the people who hire you already know you. A site would still be useful insurance. It is not urgent.
You should not wait if landlords keep asking for a website, if Facebook is the only thing with your name on it, or if you are tired of explaining the same three facts on every first call. That is most local trades I speak to in Mid Sussex.
A site will not flood the phone. Anyone who promises that is selling. What it does is quietly win the jobs you would otherwise lose to a hesitant customer who could not find you. If you already have a page that is slow, vague or missing the number, fix that page. Do not add a second one.
What does a simple trade site actually cost?
At Page Forge a standard site is £99 to set up and £29 a month, or £299 if you pay the year. Hosting, domain and the dull upkeep are included. SEO and GEO start at £99 as a one-off. A multi-page site or a shop is quoted.
The breakdown is on pricing. Staying on Facebook is a reasonable choice. Know what you are choosing: rented space, weaker search, and no page for the customer who wants to check you. If you want the page done for you, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Isn’t a Facebook page enough on its own?
It is a good start, but it is not a replacement. You do not own it, it rarely shows up well on Google, and it does not give you a professional email or your own domain. A simple website works alongside Facebook and catches the customers who search before they call.
Do I really only need one page?
For most tradespeople, yes. One well-built page covering your services, your area, photos of your work, reviews and your contact details is all most customers are looking for. It loads fast, it is easy to keep current, and it costs less than a big site you will not update. Builders with a real project list sometimes need more room. That is a quote, not a default.
Will a website flood me with work?
No, and you should be suspicious of anyone who says it will. A clear site plus a complete Google Business Profile helps the right people find you and trust you. The phone still depends on the work, the reviews and whether you answer. The site stops you losing the cautious ones.
Can I just use Checkatrade or Rated People instead?
Use them if they already bring you work. They are proof, not a home. You do not control the listing the way you control a page, and a lot of customers still search Google first. Sindall’s Checkatrade record is genuine and useful. They still needed a site that matched it.
How much does a Page Forge site cost?
£99 to set up and £29 a month, or £299 for the year. SEO and GEO from £99 as a one-off. Multi-page sites and shops are quoted. If that sounds useful, get in touch.