Becoming a trade professional is a straightforward decision for many of us. We have a certain skill set, are interested in a certain industry or simply want to get involved in a trade that can secure a stable career and income. However, things aren’t always as simple as picking up your tools and heading out to work. If you work for someone else, this is fine and will work. But if you want to work for yourself, you’re going to have to put in the work of securing clients and customers on a routine enough basis to generate a consistent income.
Nowadays, this means having a good quality website. Think about it – if you’re looking for a tradesperson, what would you do? Chances are, you’d type a few keywords like “plumber” or “roofer” into a search engine and click one of the first results to put up. You’d learn what you needed from their website and would make a decision on whether you want to use their services or not based on this. So, if you’re going to make a success of yourself, here are a few suggestions that can help you to create the website you need to secure your sales!
Use Web Designers and Developers
First, you’re going to need to reach out to a web designer and developer. They’ll be able to create the actual website for you. When talking to these professionals, it’s good to discuss things like the color scheme you’d like, creating a logo, how the pages are laid out and so much more. You may also want to reach out to a UX designer, who will be able to make sure that the pages are easy to use and direct people, step by step, to actually getting in touch with you. Once your website is up and running, you’re going to need to use specialists in SEO to help it rank in search engine results. This means when people search for the services you’re providing, your site will appear at the top of the list of links.
Get a Photographer
A photographer will be able to take pictures of your work to secure further sales going forward. It’s a good idea to get a few photos of you at work, doing whatever trade you might do, as well as your tools and equipment. This will give you some content for the website itself, such as on your “about me” or “services” pages. Then, you could do with some quality pictures of the work you’ve completed, which is ideal for a portfolio page, where potential clients can browse your work and see how good you are at what you do! Most photographers will edit and resize images to perfectly fit your site in their post-production processes. If you’re unsure, check whether this is a part of their package or a service that they offer. If it’s not included, you can easily find online tools or software that offer a photo size converter to ensure your images are optimized for your website.
Use a Copywriter
If you’re not too good with words, you should reach out to a copywriter too. This professional will be able to write all of the text on your website. They’ll be able to explain what you do and advertise it well. This can help people to get a good idea of your skill sets, how long projects could take and can work as a form of advertising and marketing, showing you in the best light possible. Many freelancers or agencies will complete this work for a reasonable price. Make sure to have a consultation with them to ensure they know everything that you have as a selling factor, from qualifications to specialist skill sets or experience and how far you’re willing to travel. You can write a list for them to refer to and check the copy over once it’s complete. If anything’s missing, or anything comes to mind later, you can always request edits.
Get Reviews
It’s a good idea to dedicate a part of your site to reviews from previous and existing clients. This is a form of social proof that will give new customers confidence in actually using your services. Ask previous customers to write up a short review and submit it on your page. This can really enhance your reputation and secure a lot more bookings or sales.
As you can see, there are a fair few steps you’re going to need to take when it comes to creating a website for your services and securing the sales you need to keep your business up and running. Hopefully, some of the information above should help you to experience as much success as possible.
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