Better business

What makes a good trade website?

These days, having a website for your business is essential, but what makes a good website? Our expert shares tips to help get yours up to scratch.

In 2026, a website is a business essential. If you currently have an up-to-date one that you’re proud of, you can stop reading. But if it’s something you’ve been putting off, or you’ve got a website that hasn’t been touched or updated in a decade, time to take note.

In 2026, a website is a business essential. If you currently have an up-to-date one that you’re proud of, you can stop reading. But if it’s something you’ve been putting off, or you’ve got a website that hasn’t been touched or updated in a decade, time to take note.

A good website is not just a box to tick when it comes to setting up shop, it’ll help you generate business now and in the future.

We asked Renee Orlop, Creative Director at Merge Media, all the hard-hitting questions – her answers provide everything you need to know about what makes a great website for painters.

Why should I have a website for my business?

Websites aren’t supposed to just sit there to prove you exist – it’s your most important online marketing tool. It’s your best opportunity to create trust, let people know who you are and make a great first impression on potential clients so they’ll choose you over your competitors, even if you’re a bit more expensive!

What are the primary goals?

Think of your website as your number-one salesperson that works for you even while you're asleep. Like any salesperson, it should look the part and be regularly updated about changes in your business. It should also be easy to understand and clear about who you are, what you do… and for whom.

Its primary purpose is to weed out the prospects you don’t want while attracting the ones you do, and to bring in quality leads so you can close the deal.

What information is essential?

A lot of service-based websites these days are pretty self-absorbed. This is who we are, this is what we do, this is where we are. That’s a bit boring, and let’s face it, Joe up the road probably offers exactly the same thing.

It may come as a shock, but people care less about what you do and more about knowing that you can solve their problems. So what are those problems? And how do you solve them?

Let people know who YOU are. Show your face, tell them your story and why you do what you do. What’s your point of difference, and why should potential clients choose you over your competitors?

With AI question-and-answer-based comparisons coming up above paid ads and organic Google searches these days, a regular ‘helpful tips’ or ‘news blog’ and a ‘frequently asked questions’ page is a must. These will be full of key search phrases and will answer questions your clients may have, portraying you as not only a helpful person but also an expert in your field. AI loves that stuff.

What makes a great trade website?

A good trade website should be on-brand using your logo, colours and fonts, easy to find and simple to navigate. It should have concise, clearly written content with keywords and phrases in mind, and be immediately obvious what it is you do and for whom.

A short promo video on the home page is a bonus, and if you have them, don’t forget to include links to your social media pages.

An online quote request form connected to a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system will capture every enquiry and create a central database of prospects and clients for you to keep in contact with and send email marketing campaigns to.

What about a bad one? 

A bad trade website, firstly, will be more focused on you and less focused on your clients and how you help them.

A badly designed, dated or generic logo won’t help (no, you don’t need a paintbrush just because you’re a painter), and remember, people won’t read pages and pages of text. Break it up into reader-friendly sections of around 400 words with images in between.

Using AI-generated or stock photos is a terrible idea. If budget allows, invest in the services of a professional brand photographer. About 20 high-quality, professional photos that are yours and truly represent you and your services will immediately create more trust in your business. No one wants to see your competitor using exactly the same generic photos on their site, so invest in your own! I guarantee the initial outlay (maybe $1500) will come back to you tenfold, set you apart and give you the wow factor your business deserves.

Does it need to be many pages?

Pages on a website are like fishhooks in the Google ocean. The more hooks you have, the more fish you’re likely to catch – makes sense, right?

Ideally, you’d want to start with some keyword and competitor analysis to find out what people are actually searching for to find your services and those of your competitors. You might call a service or product one thing, but the general public calls it something else entirely, meaning you could be missing out on a lot of search traffic.

This essential research should be the basis of your site map and content structure. Along with good on-page optimisation, a strong plan will ensure you’ve got a good chance of ranking well in search engines from the outset

While not everyone has the budget to start large, a website should be an ever-evolving document, so have a grand plan that splits your services out, start as your budget allows and add more pages as you can.