INDUSTRY LANDSCAPE
The hardware and building supplies industry in Australia is a $30.4 billion market. While the renovation boom from a few years ago has levelled out, there are still nearly 6,000 businesses competing across the country.
The biggest change we're seeing is how people buy. Whether it’s a tradie ordering materials for a job or a homeowner looking for a specific fixture, the digital shopfront has replaced the catalogue, and often the showroom. For a business in building & trades, having a website that works is no longer a "nice to have", it’s how you stop customers from going to the your competitors.
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Digitalisation isn't just about big business. Highly digitally engaged small businesses earn 60 per cent more revenue per employee and grow 28 per cent faster than those with poor digital engagement.
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Australian Government Digital Technology Taskforce. [Source: DFAT]
COMMON INDUSTRY GOALS
- Selling and Booking at the same time: Making sure the website can handle both direct product sales and enquiries for installation or service work.
- Making complex products easy to buy: Building a site where customers can easily pick the right sizes, colours, and technical specs without getting frustrated.
- Building Trade Trust: Creating a professional online experience that makes builders and contractors feel confident buying from you or booking a job.
- Moving from items to solutions: Giving customers helpful guides and comparison tools so they see you as an expert, not just a supplier.
GROWTH CHALLENGES
The biggest hurdle for most trade businesses is what we call "Technical Friction." Unlike selling a pair of shoes, building supplies are complicated. They have different sizes, ratings, and finishes. If your website makes it too hard to find these details, customers won't call you to ask - they’ll just leave and find a site that makes it easy.
Another common issue is balancing product sales with service leads. If you sell a product and also offer the installation, your website needs to be very clear about both. Too often, we see businesses lose out on big installation contracts because the website looks like it only sells the DIY parts.
Lastly, there is bridging the content gap. To grow past a certain point, you can't just list a price. You need to show people how the product solves their problem. Without basic "how-to" guides or comparison tools, you’ll find it hard to win the bigger, more profitable trade contracts.
BUILDING STRONG FOUNDATIONS
In this industry, your website needs to be able to handle "heavy lifting." Since trade products often have lots of different options (like length, weight, or material), we move businesses onto platforms like Shopify. It’s built to handle thousands of items while still being easy for a customer to use on their phone. A great example is Acoustic Sound Products. We moved them from a clunky WordPress site to a clean Shopify store, and their online sales jumped 564% in the first year.
We also make sure the site is built with a "logical flow." This means it’s designed to figure out what the customer wants quickly—whether they just want to buy a bag of supplies or they need a full quote for a commercial job. By making those paths clear, you make sure you don't miss any opportunities.
KEY DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIES
Marketing for trades is about being helpful instead of just shouting "Buy Now!" Your strategy should focus on showing that you know your stuff. By providing the right information at the right time, you become a partner the customer can rely on.
- Local & Industry SEO: Most trade jobs start with a Google search. We optimise your site so you show up for "near me" searches in your areasas well as industry-specific terms.
- Google Ads: Use Search ads to capture people looking for services and Shopping ads to show your products, prices and photos directly in the search results.
- LinkedIn Outreach: For businesses looking to land bigger commercial contracts, reach out to businesses on LinkedIn.
- Paid Social Ads: People often find inspiration for their builds on social media.
- How-To Guides & Comparison Tools: Create simple, helpful content to help the customer make a decision faster and prove that you’re providing the solution.
MEASUREMENT & REPORTING
It's important to focus on tracking real business growth and where the growth is coming from. Look at your total revenue by combining your online shop sales with the leads that come through your website forms.
Use simple tracking to see exactly which ad or search term led to a phone call or a quote request. This way, you aren't guessing where your marketing budget is going, and you can see clearly how much it costs to acquire a new customer.