A strong online presence is essential to every type of business in our information age, and general contractors are no exception. If you have established a company website and feel content that you have done the minimum required, read on to learn why it can benefit your business to update your contractor website today.
1) Your website helps you build your brand name.
A strong brand is memorable and speaks volumes about your company and business model. If your website has not been kept up to date, the message it may be sending about your company is that it is behind the times, lacks sophistication, or lacks technological savvy. This is probably not the vision you have for your business, so make sure that your website captures the essence of your brand, because that is where potential customers are going to look for you.
2) Customers are going to decide whether or not to contact you based on your website.
Before you even are aware that they are considering your company’s services, prospective clients are going to look at your website. As a vitally important first impression, your website needs to be ready to compel these visitors to take contact a step further. A modern, user friendly interface will begin the process of building trust with that person, but a clunky website can scare them away before you have a chance to tell them that it isn’t representative of your business as a whole.
3) Customers will revisit your website when deciding which quote to accept.
Beyond the first impression, clients will go back to your website when they are considering which contractor to hire. They have received multiple quotes, probably some that are separated by insignificant amounts. Now they are hoping that the information, photo galleries, and simply the feeling they get from looking at your website will help them make a decision. Don’t lose a job because your website still have images on it from 2009.
4) Your website is your opportunity to give your entire marketing message.
Prospective clients are only going to remember a portion of what you tell them in person, and you will undoubtedly not say everything that you wish you could. However, on your website you have the opportunity to put your entire message before them. This helps for several reasons. They will appreciate being able to find the answers to all of their questions without having to call you again. You will save time not having to field calls for basic frequently asked questions. Finally, the portion of your marketing message that they may have missed earlier might be what seals the deal when they read it on your website.
5) Customers expect continuous improvement.
Clients who are considering hiring you want to be assured that you work toward continuous improvement. Of course, this entails hiring skilled employees, investing in continuing education, and utilizing modern methods and equipment. To your customer, your commitment to continuous improvement will be evinced through your website. If you are using a template from ten years ago, they will assume the same of your building and renovation skills.
6) Responsiveness is essential.
Another problem with out of date, clunky website design is the lack of responsiveness. Internet users have become increasingly difficult to please, and if your website takes more than a couple of seconds to load or respond to a command you will lose them. Update your website with a modern design that flows well, makes information easy to find, and navigates intuitively.
7) Remove out of date information and images.
If your website homepage announces news from a year ago and your photo gallery includes dated projects, customers will begin to wonder if you’re even still in business. At best, they will question your ability to handle modern, complex projects. At worst, they will move on to someone who can impress them with finished product pictures and current news.
8) Improve your search engine ranking.
Old website content does not rank well when your prospective customers are searching for a contractor online. As part of the complex search engine algorithms, websites that are not frequently updated plummet in results. If you’re not on that first page, your likeliness of being noticed drops like a rock.
9) Coordinate with your current business model and marketing message.
Your website is arguably the most important element of your marketing strategy. This is your opportunity to update it and ensure that it projects the message that you want your ideal customer to hear. Coordinate blogs articles with specials you are offering or projects that you have going on. This is your one opportunity to tell an unlimited audience what is so wonderful about your company.
10) Make it mobile ready.
A large percentage of consumers aren’t even going online on a PC anymore. They are using smartphones, tablets, and other devices. If your website doesn’t load or respond well on these devices, you definitely need an update. Choose either a separate mobile website or have your main website redesigned to accommodate various operating systems and screen sizes. This is one update that is an absolute must if you are to compete in today’s marketplace.
Bonus
If your website does not already include a blog, now is the time to add one. A photo gallery is also a must for contractors to display your best work, but a blog is the number one element that drives traffic to websites. Strive to offer homeowners advice that will be useful to them. Then they will share and spread the word about your company and frequently come back for new posts. When they decide it’s time to hire a contractor, you will be who automatically comes to mind.