For tradies

How to get more customers as a tradie

A practical checklist for Australian tradies. Most of it is free, and none of it needs a marketing agency.

List your business: $19/mo →See an example listing

Updated · Find My Tradie

Most tradies get work from three places: word of mouth, Google, and paid lead sites. Word of mouth is the best work but you can't turn it up when it's quiet. Lead sites can fill the diary but you pay per lead whether you win the job or not. The trick is to stack up several cheap, always-on sources so you're not relying on one.

Here's the order we'd tackle it in, from free and high-impact down to paid.

1. Set up your Google Business Profile (free)

When someone searches "plumber near me", the map results at the top come from Google Business Profiles. It's free, and for most local trades it's the single biggest source of calls.

  • Choose your main category carefully (e.g. "Electrician", not "Contractor") and add secondary ones.
  • If you work from home, set it up as a service-area business and hide your address. List the suburbs you actually cover.
  • Add real photos of your work, your van and your team. Post an update or photo every week or two.
  • Fill in your hours, phone, website and services. Answer every review.

2. Ask every happy customer for a review

Reviews are the deciding factor for a lot of homeowners. The easiest way to get them is to ask at the moment the customer is happiest, usually when you finish the job, and send a direct link by SMS the same day.

Never buy reviews, write your own or offer something in exchange for only positive ones. The ACCC treats fake or selectively solicited reviews as misleading conduct under the Australian Consumer Law.

3. Make referrals easy

  • Leave a business card or magnet on every job, and put your licence number on it where your state requires it.
  • Build relationships with trades that hand off work: builders, real estate property managers, strata managers, other trades who don't do your work.
  • Follow up past customers before seasonal jobs, like a reminder about an air-con service before summer, or gutters before storm season.

4. Be findable in more places

Homeowners don't only search Google. They also look in directories, ask in local Facebook groups and check a business's website. Every accurate listing with your name, phone and service area is another way in, and it helps Google trust your business details.

  • Free listings: Bing Places, Apple Business Connect, Yellow Pages/True Local (free tier), Hotfrog, StartLocal.
  • Low-cost listings such as Find My Tradie at $19 a month give you a full profile page with your logo, trades, service area and contact details, with no per-lead charges.
  • Keep your business name, phone and website identical everywhere.

5. A simple website (or a good profile page)

You don't need an expensive website. You need a page that shows what you do, where you work, your licence, some photos and a phone number that's easy to tap on a mobile. If you don't have a website yet, a directory profile page can do this job in the meantime. Here's what a Find My Tradie profile looks like.

6. Paid lead sites: use them with your eyes open

Lead marketplaces can bring real jobs, especially when you're starting out. The catch is the cost model: typically a monthly subscription plus credits or a fee per lead, and the same lead often goes to several businesses. Work out your cost per won job, not per lead. Our hipages alternative guide compares the models in plain English.

7. Track where your work comes from

Ask every new customer "how did you find us?" and jot it in your job notes. After a couple of months you'll know which sources are worth paying for and which to drop.

Straight up: Find My Tradie is new (launched October 2026). We're signing up tradies first, area by area, so homeowners find a full directory when we start promoting it to them. We can't guarantee leads or work, and we won't pretend to. What you get is a cheap, permanent profile page with no lock-in, so you can try it for a month and cancel by email if it isn't for you.

List your business for $19 a month

One flat price, inc GST. Your own profile page, shown to people searching for your trade in the suburbs you cover.

  • $19/month inc GST, billed monthly by direct debit
  • No lock-in, no setup fee, cancel any time by email
  • No lead fees, no commission, no paying per quote
List your business →See an example listing

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way for a tradie to get more customers?

Free channels come first: a complete Google Business Profile, asking every happy customer for a review, and making referrals easy. After that, low-cost directory listings and a simple profile page add more ways for people to find you.

Are lead sites worth it for tradies?

They can be, especially when you're starting out, but you usually pay per lead whether you win the job or not, and leads are often shared with other businesses. Track your cost per won job before committing to a long contract.

Do I need a website to get customers?

Not necessarily. You need somewhere that shows your work, service area, licence and phone number. A Google Business Profile plus a directory profile page can cover that until you're ready for a website.

How much does Find My Tradie cost?

$19 a month including GST, by direct debit. There is no lock-in, no setup fee and no lead fees or commission. You can cancel any time by emailing info@findmytradie.au.

General information only, not legal, financial or marketing advice. Prices and terms of other services are as published on their own websites on the date shown and can change, so check them directly.