Your own website or a trade directory listing
This one isn't like-for-like, and that matters. A trade directory is a lead service you pay to appear in. 3 Wee Pages is your own website. Many trades do best with both.
Trade directories put you in front of people who are already searching for a trade, with reviews built in. For some trades that's a steady source of work, and the enquiries can start quickly. That's a real strength.
The trade-off is the model. Many have a free profile and paid tiers charged monthly, and some ask for a minimum term, so read the contract. Whatever you pay, you're renting a place on someone else's site, listed next to your competitors. Stop paying and the paid listing goes.
A 3 Wee Pages site is yours: your name, a .co.uk registered to you, your photos, and no competitors on the page. It won't bring enquiries the way a directory can in the first weeks. It's where a customer lands when they search your business name, and it's still yours years from now.
Side by side
| 3 Wee Pages | A trade directory listing | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your own three-page website | A listing on a directory, usually with paid tiers |
| Cost model | £149 to launch, then £49 a year, fixed | A free profile, then monthly tiers; some have a minimum term |
| What you own | Your site, and a .co.uk registered in your name | The listing is theirs; reviews usually stay on their site |
| Competitors on the page | None: it's only you | You're listed alongside others in your trade |
| Enquiries in the first weeks | Slower: it's your shopfront, not a lead service | Faster: that's what directories are built for |
| If you stop paying | Your domain stays yours | The paid listing goes |
| Best for | Looking established when people search your name | Paying for enquiries while you build a reputation |
3 Wee Pages is the better fit when…
You want a professional home for your business that you own: somewhere to send customers, put on the van, and show up when people search your name, without paying monthly to stay visible.
A trade directory is the better choice when…
your priority right now is a steady flow of new enquiries and you're happy to pay for them. Directories are good at bringing enquiries quickly, especially when you're starting out and don't yet have word of mouth. They do a job a three-page website doesn't.
It's rarely either/or. A directory brings enquiries; your own site is an address you keep. If you'd like a free directory profile to go with your site, our sister product GotAPal lists UK trades at no cost.
Common questions
Should I cancel my directory listing and get a website instead?
Not necessarily. They do different jobs. If a directory brings you steady work, keep it, and add a site of your own so customers who search your name find you looking professional.
Is there a free directory option?
Yes. GotAPal, our sister product, gives UK trades a free profile. It pairs well with a 3 Wee Pages site: the profile helps people find you, and the site shows them who you are.
Ready when you are.
Answer a few questions and watch your three pages build. See it before you pay — £149 to launch, your own .co.uk included.