10 Website Mistakes That Are Costing You Leads

The real reasons even good-looking trade websites don’t bring in work — and what to fix first.

Introduction

You finally built your website. It looks sharp, loads fast, and everyone says it’s “professional.” But if the phone isn’t ringing, the problem isn’t traffic — it’s trust and conversion.

Most tradies spend thousands on websites that look great but don’t actually work. They assume a nice design equals more enquiries. In reality, most sites fail because they’re not built around how real people decide to hire a tradie.

At ServiceScale, we’ve reviewed hundreds of trade websites — from plumbers to builders to sparkies — and the same hidden mistakes show up every time. Here are the ten biggest reasons your site might not be bringing in jobs, and how to fix them fast.

1. You Built for Looks, Not Conversions

It’s easy to fall for the “good design equals good marketing” myth. But a website isn’t a brochure — it’s a sales tool. A visually clean site that hides your quote button or forces visitors to hunt for your number will never convert.

A tradie’s website has one goal: make it easy to contact you. That means a phone number in the header, a visible quote form, and zero friction between interest and action.

A local electrical company we audited doubled conversions simply by adding a sticky call button and trimming a long form to four fields.

Start here:

• One clear CTA per page (“Get a Quote” or “Call Now”).
• Place your contact button in the top-right header.
• Test it on mobile — can someone call in two taps?

Websites with clear CTAs convert 202% better than those without (HubSpot, 2024).

2. No Proof You’re Real

People don’t hire logos — they hire people they trust. When your site has no faces, reviews, or completed jobs, it looks like every other template. In a local service industry, proof beats polish.

In 2023, 84% of consumers said they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations (BrightLocal, 2023). So when potential clients can’t see proof that you’re reliable, they move on to someone who shows it.

What to do instead:

• Display Google reviews directly on your homepage.
• Add photos of you or your team on-site — not stock images.
• Include “before and after” galleries for major jobs.
• Mention your ABN and trade license at the bottom of every page.

Small credibility cues add up. One concreter we worked with saw a 140% increase in calls after adding review screenshots and genuine project photos.

3. Weak or Generic Headlines

If your homepage headline says “Welcome to our website” or “Quality service you can trust,” you’ve wasted the most valuable real estate on your page. Generic statements don’t connect — they blend in.

A good headline answers the visitor’s first question: “Can this tradie fix my problem?” It should name the service and show confidence in the outcome.

Visitors read page headlines 80% more often than body copy (Nielsen Norman Group, 2023).

Quick win: Rewrite every headline to speak directly to customer pain. Ask: “If this was printed on the side of a van, would it make sense?”

4. Your Call-to-Action Is Buried

Most websites technically have a contact button — but if visitors have to scroll to find it, it’s as good as invisible. On mobile, that delay kills leads. In our audits, we’ve seen dozens of trade sites lose up to half their potential enquiries simply because the phone number isn’t tappable.

Your next move:

• Add a “Call Now” or “Get a Quote” button fixed to the bottom of every page on mobile.
• Keep forms short — name, number, postcode, brief job.
• Don’t make users think twice about how to reach you.

Adding a visible call-to-action button increases conversion rates by up to 30% (Think with Google, 2024).

5. Slow or Unresponsive Mobile Design

Your site might look fine on desktop — but 80% of local service searches happen on mobile (Google Consumer Insights, 2023). If your site loads slowly, has overlapping buttons, or text that doesn’t fit, users bounce.

Every second of load delay costs leads. A 2023 Portent study found that improving load speed from five to two seconds increased conversions by 17%.

Start here:

• Use Google PageSpeed Insights.
• Compress all images under 500KB.
• Remove unnecessary animations.
• Test it on a real phone, not just your designer’s preview.

6. No Local Targeting

“Servicing all areas” isn’t a location — it’s a red flag. Google doesn’t know where “all areas” are, and potential customers assume you’re not actually local.

46% of all Google searches are for local information (Think with Google, 2024).

What to do instead:

• Add your key suburbs or service zones naturally in your copy (“We service Bayside, Frankston, and Mornington”).
• Create a dedicated Service Areas page.
• Update your Google Business Profile with the same suburbs.

7. You Talk About Yourself, Not the Customer

The classic mistake: opening your homepage with “We’ve been in business for 20 years.” That’s great, but it doesn’t tell customers what’s in it for them. People care less about your story and more about whether you’ll show up on time, do a clean job, and charge fairly.

What to do instead:

Rewrite your copy from the customer’s perspective: “Need a fast repair or installation? Our licensed team is ready today.” Then move your “about us” story lower down the page, after you’ve earned interest.

Replacing “we” statements with “you” increases engagement by up to 25% (HubSpot, 2024).

8. You’re Driving Ads to the Wrong Page

We see this constantly: tradies running Google Ads that send clicks to their homepage. That’s like running a billboard that says “Turn left for a quote,” then sending drivers into a roundabout.

Every ad should take users to a specific landing page matching their search intent.

Example:

• Ad: “Blocked Drain Plumber Near Me.”
• Landing Page: “Blocked Drain Repairs — Fixed Fast, Same Day Service.”

Ad campaigns using dedicated landing pages convert 2.3x better than those using a homepage (Unbounce, 2023).

9. You Don’t Track Anything

You can’t fix what you don’t measure. If you’re not tracking phone clicks, form submissions, or quote requests, you have no idea what’s working.

GA4 and Google Tag Manager can show you where leads really come from. Most tradies discover that over half their calls start from Maps listings — not ads.

Your next move:

• Set up conversion tracking for phone clicks and form submissions.
• Review analytics monthly — which pages drive the most leads?
• Double down on those and improve or drop the rest.

Businesses that track conversions increase ROI by up to 70% within 90 days (HubSpot, 2024).

10. You Never Update the Site

A dead website looks abandoned — to both customers and Google. If you haven’t updated anything in six months, your rankings fade and so does credibility.

Start here:

• Add a new photo or review every week.
• Update content when you finish major jobs.
• Write one short blog monthly on customer questions.

Businesses that update their Google and website content regularly see 25% higher local visibility (Local Search Ranking Factors, 2024).

Wrap Up

Most trade websites fail for the same reason marketing fails: the wrong order of priorities. They focus on design before trust, traffic before structure, and spending before proof.

When you fix these ten mistakes, you stop burning money and start compounding results. Your website becomes a system — not a gamble.

So before you spend another dollar on ads, make sure your website earns the right to convert.

Download the free guide: 5 Costly Marketing Mistakes Every Tradie Should Avoid

It’ll show you how to fix your marketing foundations so every click, call, and quote counts.