I never planned to care about marketing. Most of us picked up tools because we’re good with our hands, not because we wanted to mess about with websites and social media.
I remember thinking, “I’m a proper good electrician, why am I struggling to get enough work?” But here’s the hard truth I learned: being brilliant at your trade means nothing if potential customers can’t find you.
The good news? You don’t need to become some digital marketing guru or spend a fortune on fancy ads. A few simple changes to how you present your business online can make the phone ring off the hook.
Here’s what worked for me and countless other sparkies I know, no technical jargon, just straight-talking advice any electrician can use:
1. Make Your Google Listing Actually Pull Its Weight
Most of us set up our Google Business thing years ago, stuck our address and hours in, and forgot about it. Big mistake.
Here’s what a proper Google listing needs:
- Loads of photos of your actual work (I take a few quick snaps on every job)
- A dead-simple system for getting reviews (more on this in a sec)
- Every single service you offer clearly listed
- Proper responses to all reviews, yes, even the dodgy ones
- All your service areas properly mapped out
The absolute game-changer for me was setting up a text message that goes out after every job with a direct link to leave a review. I literally just say, “Thanks for choosing us today. If you were happy with the work, I’d really appreciate a quick review, here’s the link.”
Before doing this, maybe 1 in 20 customers would bother leaving a review. Now it’s nearly half of them. The difference is night and day.
For example: When someone searches for an electrician in Sydney’s eastern suburbs or wherever you happen to work, a listing with loads of good reviews jumps straight to the top. One sparky I know doubled his calls within two months just from sorting this out.
2. Stop Being Vague About Where You Actually Work
I used to have that typical “Servicing the greater metropolitan area” rubbish on my website. It was doing me no favours.
Instead, make specific pages for the exact places you work:
- Talk about common electrical problems in that specific suburb
- Mention the kinds of properties there (“1970s flats in Hackney often have these consumer unit issues…”)
- Chuck in some photos of your work in the area
- Use testimonials from locals
This isn’t just fluff, it actually helps you rank in Google. Plus, when someone from that area lands on your page, they immediately think, “This electrician knows my neighbourhood.”
I’ve seen this work for rural electricians covering multiple villages, city sparkies focusing on particular postcodes, and commercial specialists targeting industrial estates. It works every time.
3. Answer The Same Boring Questions You Get Asked Every Day
You know those questions that make you want to bang your head against the wall because you’ve answered them five million times?
“Why does my light flicker sometimes?” “Is it dangerous if my socket is making a buzzing noise?” “How much does rewiring a three-bed semi usually cost?”
Guess what, people are typing these exact questions into Google before they even pick up the phone.
Put together some straight-talking answers on your website. No need for fancy writing, just explain it exactly how you would to a customer in their kitchen.
The best bit? When they call up and say, “I read your article about flickering lights and I think I’ve got the same problem,” they’re already half-sold on using you. You’re the expert who helped them understand the issue.
4. Remember Your Old Customers Still Exist
This one’s so simple it hurts. Most electricians finish a job, get paid, and then never contact that customer again until they call with another problem.
Set up a basic system to keep in touch:
- Get customer emails (just ask if they mind receiving occasional tips)
- Send useful seasonal reminders (checking smoke alarms, Christmas lighting safety)
- Maybe do a quick quarterly update with electrical safety info
- Chuck in the odd special offer for previous customers
Nothing spammy, just genuinely useful stuff. The key is to actually help, not just flog your services.
I know one sparky who sends out a simple email before winter reminding people to check their heating systems and offering a discounted safety check. He books about 30 jobs from one email.
5. Make Your Website Dead Easy To Use
Most electricians’ websites are absolute nightmares, especially on mobile phones. And guess what? That’s how most people are searching when their lights have gone out.
Focus on making it ridiculously easy for people to contact you:
- Make sure it works perfectly on phones
- Have a big “Call Now” button that follows as people scroll
- Keep your contact form short (name, number, quick message, that’s it)
- Be clear about what you charge (at least ballpark figures)
- Show off your reviews prominently
The biggest change I made was binning all the vague waffle about “premier electrical solutions” and just clearly explaining what we do, where we do it, and roughly what it costs.
My website conversion rate went from about 1 in 100 visitors getting in touch to about 8 in 100. That’s a massive difference from just a few hours of work.
What This Actually Means For Your Business
Getting more enquiries isn’t just about being busier, it changes how your whole business works:
You can be choosier about jobs. No more taking on headache work that you hate just to keep the bills paid.
Your customers are better informed. They’ve usually read your content first, so they understand what you’re talking about.
You get fewer price-shoppers. People who find you through good reviews and helpful content aren’t just looking for whoever’s cheapest.
Your work stays steadier year-round. The quiet periods get much less quiet.
And yes, you might actually need to grow. I ended up taking on two more sparkies because we couldn’t handle all the work ourselves.
How To Actually Make This Happen
Look, I know electricians are busy, and marketing is probably the last thing you want to faff about with. But even small improvements make a big difference.
Try this:
- Spend one hour sorting your Google Business listing this week
- Create just one location page for your website
- Write down three questions you get asked constantly and answer them on your site
- Set up a dead simple system for asking for reviews
- Check your website on your phone and see if it’s easy to use
I’m not a marketing genius, I’m just a sparky who got fed up with not having enough work. If I can do this, trust me, you can too.
The best thing? Once you’ve set most of this up, it just keeps working for you, day in, day out. It’s like hiring a salesperson who never sleeps.
What’s worked for your electrical business? Drop a comment below, I’d love to hear what’s working for other tradies.
