Tech-savvy tradespeople bring home the bacon

A new breed of tech-savvy tradesmen and women are reaping the rewards of going online, as the web replaces word-of-mouth as the way homeowners choose tradespeople for essential jobs.

New research from the .uk domain, run by Nominet, reveals tradespeople who have set up their own website pick up an additional 21 jobs a year, on average worth £16,590. 39% are winning jobs outside their main patch and 36% are pulling in jobs from clients with heavyweight budgets.

Despite the monetary rewards on offer, 35% are yet to make the move from ‘on site’ to ‘website’. Not knowing where to start prevents almost a quarter from getting online and 10% believe it would be expensive to set up.

Russell Haworth, CEO Nominet, which runs the .uk domain, said: “Moving from on site to website is giving a financial boost to tradespeople and up and down the country. With more of us going online to look for trade services, many plumbers… might find themselves losing out on business when consumers need expert help in a hurry. From displaying pictures of past jobs to customer testimonials and accreditation badges, a website isn’t just your online CV, it’s your chance to make a great first impression.”

To help tradespeople get started with their own professional website, the .uk domain is teaming up with four of the UK’s most popular breakfast venues to create the first-ever ‘Bacon & Web’ cafés. Tradespeople can visit the cafés to get a website built for free over breakfast.

The first ‘Bacon & Web Café’ opens in Old Street, London.

The campaign is supported by a new website, www.tradebetteronline.uk, giving tradespeople simple tips and advice to help them quickly and cost effectively get online. The site also includes location details and opening times for the London ‘Bacon & Web Cafe’. Additional cafés are to launch in Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham later this year. Check out the website for details.

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