Many contractors I come across still don’t have a web presence. They think there is no need to have any representation online for the type of work they do. This was a flawed strategy in 2005, but it can be the kiss of death to any construction company in 2011.
Why are sites such a big deal?
Because a website has become the primary way many contracting companies are generating leads. Sites like Angie’s List, Google Places, Thumbtack and Manta among others, drive tons of would be buyers to construction websites every day. In fact, my own 60 something year old Mom asked me over Easter about this “Facebook think.”
Mix the old with the new
Don’t get me wrong, other platforms such as print (direct mail, YP, local news & magazines) are still viable options for many contractors, but your site has to become the “destination”. And since most contractors don’t have a physical retail location to show off their products or services, their website has to become THE place to send potential clients or customers to see their work. Their online showroom if you will.
The nice part is this, if you set it up right, your site can be a lead generation source for years to come without the high cost of running a showroom.
But you can’t just slap up a site on the Web and call it a day for the next 10 years. You have to be constantly feeding it new content; updated job site pictures and videos, new product information or updated company information are just a few of the things you can use to get more visitor to convert into clients or customers.
So spend a little more…
Without the expensive carrying costs of a physical showroom, you should splurge a bit and really make your site pop, which will create a differentiator between you and the guy who built his site years ago with FrontPage and hasn’t updated it since Bush 1.