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🔧 Why Every Trade Business Needs Lead Management (and How We Help)

  🔧 Why Every Trade Business Needs Lead Management (and How We Help) * This post contains affiliate links. See our policies for more details. Let’s set the scene: You're knee-deep in a job, tools in hand, phone buzzing in your pocket. You glance at it between tasks—it's a new enquiry. Great! But by the time you’re done with the job, you’ve forgotten who messaged, what they needed, and now... the lead’s gone cold. Sound familiar? If you're running a trades business, you’re not just the builder, electrician, or plumber—you’re also the  scheduler, marketer, and customer service rep . And unless you've got a smart system in place, those valuable leads can easily slip through the cracks. At  BlueWood Office , we help busy tradies like you turn chaos into clarity with  simple, streamlined lead management —powered by tools like  Zoho CRM  and  WhatsApp for Business . 📲 Why Lead Management Matters (More Than You Think) Let’s break it down. Leads = opportuni...

5 Must-Have Website Features for Tradespeople

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5 Must-Have Website Features for Tradespeople

Hi folks – Conrad here 👋 I’m a carpenter, tutor, and founder of BlueWood Office and BlueWood Handyman. I help tradespeople like us build better businesses — and that includes building better websites.

Most tradies now know they need a website. But far too many of us have websites that just sit there doing nothing — no leads, no bookings, and no admin time saved. That's not good enough anymore. So here's the question: is your website doing any actual work for you?

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through 5 essential features every tradesperson’s website should have to actually make your life easier — not harder.



⭐ 1. Live Google Reviews Widget

Think of it like this — online reviews are today’s version of word of mouth. If your customers love your work, you want that praise right at the top of your website. Not in a dusty testimonial page that no one visits. Not copy-and-pasted quotes that look fake. I mean real, live, automatic reviews from your Google Business Profile.

I use the Elfsight Reviews widget on my site to automatically display my latest reviews — it’s front and centre. It builds trust instantly, especially when you pair it with a visible star rating badge.

📋 2. Enquiry Form Connected to Your CRM

Your website should have a dedicated enquiry page with a proper form that captures all the basics: name, address, job type, phone, email, and a short message. You can even let them upload photos.

I link my enquiry form to Zoho CRM, so everything gets saved in one place. From there, I can send estimates, follow-ups, reminders — the works.

💬 3. WhatsApp for Business (Not Personal!)

Set up an auto-reply like: “Thanks for your message. Please fill out the enquiry form here: [link].” It saves you replying immediately while still giving the client something to do.

Tip: Use WhatsApp Business with a virtual number so your personal contacts stay separate.

📅 4. Online Booking System Linked to Your Calendar

Use a system like Zoho Bookings so clients can book available times without needing a phone call. Your calendar stays up to date, and you stay sane.

💳 5. Payment System – Take Deposits Upfront

Integrate a tool like Stripe to collect deposits when clients book. It shows you’re serious, and so are they. Plus, it’s great for cash flow.


🧱 Bonus: Your Website Is Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Behind these tools is a whole ICT system that supports your business — marketing and sales, admin and customer care, bookings, and finance. I call this the F-SMART-F framework and I’ll be covering it more in upcoming posts.

🔗 Useful Links

💬 Final Thought

If this post gave you an “aha!” moment about your own site, feel free to share it, comment below, or give the YouTube video a like. Let’s build better businesses — one solid website at a time.

Written by Conrad – Carpenter, Tutor, ICT Consultant, and Trades Business Advocate


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