Builders' Merchants research

Which businesses are included?

• This edition covers UK merchants supplying building materials to trade and retail customers, whether or not their website supports online ordering. Profile and branch details are checked before publication.

What does The Index measure?

Five jobs a customer needs a website to do. Each is scored out of 20, giving a total out of 100. For builders' merchants, the journeys can include:

1. 1. Find the product

   Site search and categories that understand trade names, sizes and product codes.

2. 2. Choose the right one

   Sizes, grade and treatment, units of sale, datasheets and calculators that help a customer choose the right product and quantity.

3. 3. See the price and availability

   Prices with VAT treatment and units of sale made clear, branch stock and a delivery date where available.

4. 4. Buy it

   A clear route through quotes or checkout, including mixed collection and delivery where offered.

5. 5. Buy again and self-serve

   Account applications, order history, invoices and repeat orders without calling the counter, where those services are available.

How is a review carried out?

1. We visit the business's public website as a customer would, on desktop and on a phone.
2. We work through the five jobs using real products from the business's own range.
3. We record what we find with dated screenshots and the pages checked, using four evidence statuses: Detected, Observed, Not found in this review and Not checked.
4. Checkout and logged-in journeys are reviewed only where access is available and authorised.
5. A reviewer checks the findings before anything is published.

What the score means, and what it does not

The Index score describes what a customer can do on a business's public website on the day it was reviewed. Each of the five jobs is scored out of 20, giving a total out of 100, using dated evidence that anyone can check. It does not rate the business, its products, its staff or its service, and it is not a measure of size or sales.

Who uses it

• Merchants who want to see how their website compares with others in the trade
• Builders, installers and contractors choosing where to buy
• Suppliers and buying groups looking at how their products are sold online

Why this matters for builders' merchants

Trade customers order from site, often on a phone, and often need a mixed load from more than one branch. They buy by length, pack, square metre and bulk bag, on account terms agreed with their merchant. A website that shows branch stock, handles those units and lets a customer reorder saves a phone call to the counter for both sides.

Why iWeb publishes this

iWeb has built and supported ecommerce websites since 1995 and is employee-owned. Much of that work has been for builders’ merchants, timber merchants and building product suppliers. It covers the storefront and the systems behind it: product data, pricing, branch stock, trade accounts and orders. That is why we know what a trade customer needs from a merchant’s website, and what it takes to provide it.

How we keep it fair

• Every published review uses the same five jobs, from public evidence that anyone can check.
• Not found in this review means we looked and did not see it on the pages checked. It is not proof that a feature does not exist.
• Recommendations are hypotheses to test, not claims about lost sales.
• Existing iWeb clients are represented through a case study, not a public critique.
• If a detail is wrong, the business can tell us and we will check it.

Key terms

Branch stock

Stock shown for a named branch rather than for the business as a whole.

Trade account

A credit or cash account that gives a business customer its own prices and terms.

Click and collect

Ordering online and collecting from a branch.

Unit of sale

How a product is priced and sold, such as per length, pack, square metre or bulk bag.

Bulk bag

A large bag of loose material such as sand or aggregate, usually delivered by crane lorry.

Edition

One sector of The Index, with its own map, directory and reviews.

Questions about The Index

Can a business pay to be listed or to improve its score?

There is no fee to improve a score, and payment cannot change it. Public profiles require checks of business identity, profile and branch details, permission to publish and sufficient public evidence before publication. Inclusion is not automatic.

Are iWeb's clients treated differently?

iWeb's clients are represented through case studies rather than public critiques.

Does a low score mean a business is poorly run?

No. The score reflects the public website only, not how the business is run. Many merchants trade successfully through branches and by phone.

What if a feature sits behind a login?

It is reviewed only where authorised access is available. Otherwise it is recorded as Not checked.

How often are reviews updated?

The review date is shown on profiles, so you can see when the website was checked.

My business is listed. How do I correct something?

Contact iWeb through the existing contact route linked below. Include the business name, the detail that needs correcting and a source if you have one. We will check it before making a change.

My business is not listed. Can it be added?

Contact iWeb with your business name and website. We will consider the request; inclusion is not automatic, and the current publication checks still apply.

How should I cite The Index?

Name The Index by iWeb, link to the profile or edition page you are citing, and include the review date when referring to a score or finding.

What are The Index Awards?

Annual awards based on Index scores. No entry or fee is needed. Read about The Index Awards for details.

• How we review and score
• The Index Awards
• Browse the directory
• iWeb's work with builders' merchants
• Contact iWeb