Sitework-owned publication
The Trade Verdict, built to test our own advice.
An independent UK publication covering the websites, lead platforms, software and AI tools tradespeople are asked to pay for.
- Project
- Sitework-owned publication
- Audience
- UK trades
- Scope
- Brand, website and publishing
- Status
- Live and growing
A working editorial asset, not a demonstration.
The Trade Verdict lets Sitework operate the same systems it recommends to clients. It has to earn attention, organise a growing archive and publish useful work on a real domain.
The design treats each issue as a publication rather than a blog feed. Clear subject routes separate websites, getting found, lead platforms and AI tools, while the verdict format gives reviews a consistent editorial structure.
The newspaper-influenced visual system gives the publication a recognisable voice separate from Sitework.
Verdicts, explainers and comparisons share a system that can expand without becoming a loose archive.
Search visibility, internal links and reader journeys are tested on a property Sitework controls directly.
How the build was shaped
The subject map came first. The website was designed only after the editorial boundaries, verdict structure and reader questions were clear. The result is maintained as an active publication rather than left as a finished portfolio piece.
The Trade Verdict is written for UK tradespeople. Pricing, regulations, platforms and terminology are framed around the UK market, so national relevance is more useful than attaching the project to a single city.