Building a successful Checkatrade account.

Hi guys a lot of people ask about checkatrade as it does have mixed reviews and I do believe it works for some and not for others, however it’s important to be active and be consistent with your part to your account to give it the best opportunity to do well. Now I’m not suggesting I know it all but I’ve had relatively good success on checkatrade and every month usually do at least 4 figures worst case but sometimes this in a week with it. Upon joining checkatrade I was sceptical as so many other locksmiths said it’s gone down hill, load of rubbish, rip off merchants and waste of time etc. After being put off for some years and even another locksmith saying over 50 locksmiths that cover your area so not worth it, a couple friends said it covers itself so I thought well il give it a try and can honestly say it’s one of the best moves I’ve done in my career as a locksmith. Upon joining I quickly gained a return and was in profit but along the way and after some time it eased off, as I enjoyed the monetary influx I rang the team to see how I could get it back booming again after many calls with my time on checkatrade I’ve picked up some important tips, tricks and hacks to help you along the way, however it does still go quiet time go time but generally tally’s in with it being quiet all round. 

Reviews are so important on checkatrade, and I would recommend try to get one weekly if possible, the reason why this is important is because every review you get the postcode acts as a pin 📌 on that location and the surrounding area around that pin is highlighted for you. When someone close to that proximity of the previous reviews looks on checkatrade your account will be in prime position making you the number 1 candidate for the job. As you can imagine after lots of reviews and good consistency you’ve pinned alot of jobs which helps build continuous momentum.

Checkatrade like to see pictures of your work they believe the customers often check pictures out before enquiring so well worth having a nice variety on there, clear good photos and good to add now and again to keep account activity.

Checkatrade don’t always tell you this but there are variable types of accounts like light & pro these will give you different visibility on their site the more you pay the more they will display. 

Make sure your in the correct sections when customers are looking, for example if you offer car keys add auto and key cutting, missing out on some sections may lose you the job to a competitor who’s more efficient with the listing.

Checkatrade don’t always tell you this also but you can have multiple listings in different areas you cover, the more areas you cover the more visibility when customers searching creating more work.

Give them a call and see what areas within your cover have the most demand, the least locksmiths and the most often enquires. Choosing a suitable area for additional postcode can get you leads you don’t expect and maybe you can get work in an additional area to build up too.

It sounds so simple but it can add a good additional few pounds on a job, I usually stock Yale rim cylinders as I know they come with 2 keys standard, however most customers want 3,4,5 so great way to make £99 job a £117 and the cost of stock to have in the van is small in comparison to the gain. Many small upsells can lead to small growth.

Most people offer upgrades as standard but always good to have a few on board to push up that end price for the customer, some customers are happy to pay a bit more knowing the quality of the lock is superior so always worth a mention.

Espags, Glass repairs & board ups, don’t touch windows? Well give it a go I’ve personally I’ve found that the window repair section is increasing in demand for me, I went a few years without not even touching windows, but a great additional job to offer. Especially for managing agents & estate agents etc 

Boards up - sometimes it’s worth having a small boards in the van if you have space as you never know when you need it? And glass repairs can profitable but you will need to probably learn from someone experienced as many mistakes can be made. 

I’ve mentioned this is the past and I stand by it 100%

You may work by yourself but surround yourself by fellow locksmiths that can raise your work load or share the burden or problem. 

I have a handful of locksmith friends I can rely on to give me jobs, pass jobs on to, call if there’s a problem or chat about their business model, some of my best decisions stemmed from a chat and a brainstorm with a friend. 

Once again simple old information that’s seems so standard, but most do not use social media to build their awareness of their brand! Local communities love to use local trusted people they can build a relationship with and recommend to others in their community, in our field word of mouth is very important for continued business. Website updates and local community posts pay dividends and cost you nothing with just a little effort.

Wishing you all the best with your locksmith business in 2024 🔑

Danny