Your own website vs renting space on a directory
Checkatrade helps homeowners find a tradesperson from a shared listing. That can work for visibility, but you compete on the same profile template as dozens of rivals, pay ongoing listing fees, and the enquiry often stays on their platform — not your phone workflow. ProWebsite Co is the opposite model: an asset on your domain plus automations that recover missed calls and web enquiries, so you own the relationship instead of renting a row in someone else's directory.
Directories rent visibility. A site plus automations is an asset you control.
What Checkatrade is good for
If you have almost no web presence, a directory can surface your name when someone searches a generic term. Reviews on the platform give homeowners social proof before they call, and some trades get a steady trickle of jobs without building a site themselves.
- Brand recognition with homeowners who know the name
- Review social proof collected on the directory profile
- Low effort if you only need occasional leads and do not mind shared listings
- Useful when you are starting out and need any visibility at all
Where directory listings fall short
You do not control the page design, tracking, or follow-up after the first tap. The homeowner often shortlists several listed firms and calls until someone answers — so speed matters more than your star rating. Missed calls still go unanswered unless you fix that yourself. Quote follow-up, review asks after jobs, and knowing which van or ad drove the ring are not included in the listing fee.
- Shared shortlist — the customer calls several listed firms
- Ongoing fees without owning a marketing asset
- Limited attribution (which channel actually produced the job)
- Enquiry flow stays partly on their terms, not your automations
What ProWebsite Co does instead
We build a conversion-focused site on your domain and wire missed-call SMS, enquiry capture, and follow-up automations to how you already work. You keep the relationship; we help you respond faster than the next name on Google. Monthly automation fees replace the logic of paying forever for the same rented visibility.
- Own domain, brand, and page structure for UK trades
- Missed call SMS in ~60 seconds (automation A1)
- Web forms with instant alerts and optional customer confirmation (A3)
- Quote follow-up on estimates you already sent (A4)
- Call tracking and monthly source reporting on Growth+ packages
Typical setup path
Many clients keep a basic Checkatrade profile for NAP and trust while sending serious traffic to their own site. Start with a website package from £1,597 setup + £79/mo, or add automations to an existing site from £297 setup + £49/mo. The goal is fewer missed rings and more booked jobs from demand you already generate — not another directory subscription as your only plan.
Who is Checkatrade for?
Checkatrade suits trades who want homeowner-facing trust on a known brand and are early in building their own marketing. It fits when you need to appear somewhere credible quickly and you accept competing on the same page as rivals.
- New or part-time trades with minimal web presence
- Businesses happy to pay listing fees for shared visibility
- Owners who rely on directory reviews as their main social proof
- Less ideal if you want to own leads, track sources, or recover missed calls automatically
ProWebsite Co vs Checkatrade
| Feature | ProWebsite Co | Checkatrade |
|---|---|---|
| Primary model | Owned website + recurring automations | Rented directory listing + fees |
| Own domain & brand | Yes — your URL and design | Profile on Checkatrade domain |
| Missed call SMS (~60s) | Yes — core automation (A1) | Not included |
| Web enquiry instant alerts | Yes (A3) | Platform messaging; not your full stack |
| Quote follow-up automation | Yes (A4) | Not part of listing |
| Compete on same shortlist | You are the destination | Listed beside many rivals |
| Marketing asset you keep | Site + automations on your stack | Stops when you cancel listing |
| Call tracking by source | Growth+ packages | Limited / not your analytics |
| UK trade-focused setup | Founder-led, published pricing | Directory sales process |
Why trades businesses switch
1. Tired of renting visibility
Listing fees add up year after year without giving you a domain, design, or automation you control. ProWebsite Co builds an asset on your name and wires response systems behind it — recurring spend that improves how every enquiry is handled.
2. Homeowners call three names on the list
Directories put you in a race with everyone else on the shortlist. A fast missed-call text and instant form reply on your own site helps you win the job before they dial the next plumber.
3. No idea which marketing actually works
Van livery, Google, and referrals all drive calls — directories rarely tell you which source booked the job. We add call tracking and reporting so you invest in channels that pay back.
Who ProWebsite Co is best for
Trades who want to own leads and response speed, not only appear in a shared list.
Keep the directory if you want — own the serious enquiries
Tell us how leads reach you today. We will map missed calls and form leakage and quote a website or automation package with published UK pricing.