Website vs Checkatrade for Locksmiths — Which Gets You More Work?

Locksmiths have a problem that most other trades don't: your entire industry has a trust crisis. Scam call centres dominate Google, overcharge customers, and damage the reputation of every legitimate locksmith out there. That context changes everything about how you should market yourself.

So when it comes to getting more work, should you invest in your own website or stick with Checkatrade? Let's look at the reality for locksmiths specifically.

The Trust Problem

Before we compare platforms, let's acknowledge the elephant in the room. When a homeowner searches "locksmith near me," they've probably heard horror stories about dodgy operators charging three times the quoted price. They're suspicious before they've even clicked a result.

This means trust signals aren't optional for locksmiths — they're the whole game. MLA membership, DBS checks, a real name, a real address, real photos. Whoever communicates trust most effectively gets the call.

That's the lens through which we need to evaluate both options.

How Checkatrade Works for Locksmiths

Checkatrade provides third-party verification. You pay a monthly fee, pass their vetting process, and get listed in their directory with customer reviews.

What works:

• The Checkatrade badge carries weight with homeowners who've been burned before
• Reviews are verified, which matters more for locksmiths than most trades
• You benefit from Checkatrade's own advertising and brand recognition
• Customers actively searching Checkatrade are ready to hire

What doesn't:

• You're listed alongside other locksmiths — including some who may be less reputable
• Most emergency locksmith searches happen on Google, not Checkatrade. When someone's locked out at midnight, they're not opening the Checkatrade app
• You pay monthly whether you get leads or not
• You have zero control over how your profile looks or what the platform does next
• Checkatrade can change pricing, rules, or algorithms at any time

How Your Own Website Works for Locksmiths

Your website is a trust machine that you control completely. When someone finds you on Google — whether through organic search or ads — they land on a page where you're the only option, displaying every credential and trust signal you have.

What works:

• Full control over trust signals — MLA badge, DBS check, your photo, your real address, displayed exactly how you want
• You're the only locksmith on the page — no competitors, no comparison shopping
• Emergency searches go straight to you — "Emergency locksmith [your town]" leads to your site, not a directory
• SEO compounds over time — the longer your site exists, the more Google trusts it
• One-time cost — no monthly platform fees eating into your margins
• Landing page for everything else — Google Ads, social media, business cards all point to your site

What doesn't:

• Takes time to rank organically (3-6 months for local searches)
• Requires initial investment
• Needs occasional content updates for best SEO results

Emergency Searches Bypass Checkatrade Entirely

This is the critical point for locksmiths. Your bread-and-butter work — emergency lockouts — almost never comes through Checkatrade. When someone's standing outside their front door at 11pm, they Google "emergency locksmith near me." They don't download the Checkatrade app.

Google shows them the map pack and organic results. If you have a website optimised for emergency locksmith searches in your area, you show up. If you only have a Checkatrade profile, you're invisible in the moment that matters most.

A locksmith website built with local SEO targets exactly these searches — "locked out in [your town]," "emergency locksmith [your area]," "24 hour locksmith near me." These are the highest-intent, most valuable searches in your trade, and a website is the only way to capture them.

Trust: Website Wins Decisively

Here's what a scam locksmith call centre typically has: a generic website with stock photos, no real address, no named individuals, and a phone number that routes to a dispatch centre.

Here's what your website should have:

• Your real name and photo
• Your MLA membership number (verifiable)
• Your DBS check confirmation
• Your real business address
• Photos of your van, your work, and you on the job
• Genuine customer reviews with full names
• Clear, fixed pricing — no surprises

Checkatrade gives you a profile box with limited customisation. Your own locksmith website lets you build an entire trust narrative. When a nervous homeowner is deciding who to let into their house at midnight, the locksmith with the comprehensive, professional website wins every time.

Cost Comparison

Checkatrade:

• Monthly membership: approximately £60-120/month
• Annual cost: £720-£1,440/year
• Plus you're sharing leads with other locksmiths on the platform

Your own website:

• One-time build cost: £497 (hand-coded, SEO optimised)
• Annual domain renewal: £10-15/year
• First year total: approximately £510
• Ongoing years: approximately £15/year

After year one, your website costs next to nothing while Checkatrade keeps charging. Over three years, the difference is stark — roughly £550 for a website versus £2,160-£4,320 for Checkatrade.

The Smart Strategy

Checkatrade and a website serve different purposes for locksmiths. The best approach:

1. Get a website first — it's your trust foundation and captures emergency searches that Checkatrade completely misses
2. Link it from your Checkatrade profile — locksmiths with professional websites get significantly more clicks on Checkatrade
3. Use your website as your Google Ads landing page — send paid traffic somewhere you control, not a directory where customers can compare you with competitors
4. Let SEO build over time — within 6-12 months, organic traffic from emergency searches may reduce your dependence on Checkatrade entirely

The Verdict

For locksmiths, a website isn't just slightly better than Checkatrade — it's essential in a way that doesn't apply to most other trades. The trust crisis in your industry means you need every tool available to prove you're legitimate, and a website gives you far more space and control to do that than any directory listing.

Checkatrade is a useful supplement, but it misses your most valuable leads entirely. Emergency lockout customers — the ones who need you right now and will pay your full rate without haggling — are searching Google, not Checkatrade.

If you want a professional locksmith website that builds trust and captures emergency searches, we can have you online in 7 days. One-time payment of £497, no monthly fees, and built specifically to help legitimate locksmiths beat the scam operators.

Axel

Full-stack developer specializing in Shopify and Django. Building automated e-commerce solutions.