Plenty of good tradies in Christchurch run on word of mouth and a Facebook page. It works until it doesn't: a quiet month, a new suburb, or a customer who searches Google instead of asking a mate. Here's why a website still matters in 2026, and what yours needs.
How customers find a tradie now
Someone with a leaking hot water cylinder in Riccarton doesn't scroll Facebook. They search "plumber Riccarton" or ask their phone. Google shows three businesses on a map, then the websites, and more and more often an AI Overview at the top that summarises who to call.
All three of those draw on the same two things: your Google Business Profile and your website. No website means less for Google to show and less for the AI to say about you.
Isn't a Facebook page enough?
Facebook is good for showing off finished jobs to people who already follow you. It's poor at being found by strangers searching Google, and you don't control it: the layout changes, posts get buried, and some customers simply don't use it.
What a tradie website actually needs
- Your services and the suburbs you cover, in plain words. This is what Google matches searches to.
- Photos of real jobs. Stock photos don't win trust.
- Your Google reviews, shown on the page.
- A big phone button and a quote form that works on a phone, since most visitors are on one.
- Fast loading. A slow site loses people before they read anything.
That's it. You don't need a blog, a shop or 20 pages to start.
What to watch out for
Be wary of big quotes for a simple five-page site, and of "free" websites that lock you into a long monthly contract with no way to take the site with you. Ask who owns the site and the domain, and what changes cost after launch.
Do the Google profile first
If you only do one thing this week, set up your free Google Business Profile properly: correct categories, the suburbs you cover, photos and opening hours. Then ask your last ten happy customers for a review. Add the website next, and the two work together.