What's the ROI of a website for a small trades business?

Run the simple version of the math first. If your average job is worth $400 and a $3,000 website brings in even one extra booked job a month, it pays for itself in under 8 months — and every job after that is close to pure upside, since the site keeps working without a recurring ad spend.

The comparison that actually matters isn't "website vs. nothing" — it's website vs. what you're spending now to get the same lead. A few reference points:

• A single paid lead from an ads platform can run $30–$150+ depending on your trade and area, and stops the moment you stop paying
• A one-time website build keeps generating organic leads for years, with no per-lead cost once it's live and ranking
• A site that also improves your Google Business Profile ranking (via the local SEO signals we cover in how to rank first on Google) compounds that value further — free organic leads, not paid ones

What actually determines your real ROI, beyond the sticker price:

• Your close rate — a site that builds trust and answers objections upfront sends you better-qualified leads, which close at a higher rate than cold ad clicks
• Your average job value — higher-ticket trades (roofing, HVAC replacement) recoup the investment faster than low-ticket, high-volume trades
• How long you keep the site live and maintained — a site you never touch again still pays back over years; one you actively grow (new pages, new blog content) pays back faster and keeps compounding

The honest caveat: a bad website — slow, hard to find, no clear way to contact you — has close to zero ROI regardless of price. The return isn't really "having a website," it's having one built around actually converting visitors into booked jobs. That's the whole difference between a $500 template and a site that pays for itself in a season.