Top 10 tips for creating a great trade profile

In the 10 years since I founded MyWorkman I've read a lot of trade profiles. Some are great... and some are not. In this post I'll bring together all of our recommendations on how to create a really great trade profile.

These recommendations are based on our data about which profiles get shortlisted for jobs most often. So without further ado here are my top 10 tips for creating a great trade profile.

Tip #1: Remember your purpose

An online profile needs to communicate 3 things about yourself and your business: that you are competent, trustworthy and friendly. Every element of your profile should reinforce those three qualities.

Tip #2: Plain English please

Homeowners should feel you are speaking directly to them. There may be a section in which you are able to list services, but this is not the first thing homeowners want to read. Introduce yourself in plain English. Avoid caps lock and don't overuse exclamation marks. Avoid internet acronyms.

Tip #3: Smile

Potential customers want to know who they are dealing with. Putting up a good quality picture of yourself smiling will go a long way to making their experience more personal. Be warned though, bad photos (e.g. blurred photos, silly props or head-wear, beer or cigarette in hand, on holiday with silly shirt on, etc..) will make things worse.

#4: Spelling & Grammer

Understandably homeowners want to be able to read a trade profile without being distracted by mistakes. Take the time to write an error-free profile. It will pay dividends.

#5: Dust doesn't sell

Potential customers want to see work that you've done. Upload good quality photos of completed work (not work in progress). If you've taken the time to take some good photos that illustrate your workmanship, there is a good chance users will take the time to contact you to ask for a quote.

#6: No job too small?

In my experience, too many trades try to cover any and all jobs. Homeowners are more likely to shortlist you for a job if you can show your skill and workmanship for a particular type of work.

#7: Location, Location, Location

You might be surprised to find how many trades don't mention where they are based and how far you are willing to travel for work. It's essential for customers to gauge whether you're a good match.

#8: Check out the competition

Whilst every business is different there is something to be said for looking at how the very best trades market themselves. Take a look a some of our top trades to see how they how they created their winning profiles.

#9: Participate

Participating actively in online conversations or Q&As can help build your online reputation. Be warned though: a bad or impolite answer is far worse than no answer at all.

#10: Protect you profile

No matter how good the other elements of your online profile, homeowners value customer reviews more than any other. In an increasing online world, customers are becoming more and more informed and reputation matter more than ever. Going the extra mile for customers (even the difficult ones) will ultimately pay off. As businessman Warren Buffett says: "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently."