Okay, love is a strong word but people do not hesitate in using it when describing things that they...well like, a lot. So, when people are looking to get work done on their home and they land on your contractor website, you need to put your best face forward. Having a website that is properly optimized, designed with mobile in mind and able to generate leads will set your site apart from all the other contractor websites in your region.As a contractor your reputation is extremely important. You need to give visitors that trustworthy feeling when they land on your site or they probably won't hire you. What's more, your website could be a lead generation and sales tool for your business if it's set up correctly. If you're interested in getting more bang for your buck then the list below will help you achieve this.
1. Optimized for mobile
Almost half of internet users use mobile devices to access the internet. If your site isn’t mobile optimized then visitors are missing important information and cues about your business. Your site might look good on a laptop/desktop monitor but once you squeeze that down into a tablet or mobile phone screen, chunks of information and content may not show up at all or elements might get cut off and jumbled on top of one another. If visitors have to pinch, scroll, zoom or twist the phone to view the site they'll most likely miss important information like a phone number...causing you to miss out on a potential customer. If that's not scary enough, then remember these words: Mobilegeddon. Mobilegeddon is a Google update that penalizes websites that aren't mobile-friendly and strengthens websites that are mobile compliant. That means if your contractor website is not mobile optimized, your business is not going to show up in any search engine pages.
2. Quick Load Time
Websites should load in 2 seconds or less, that's the rule of thumb. If it takes anymore than 3 seconds, the majority of people will abandon your site and move onto some other site. Longer load times not only frustrate visitors but affect the perception of your business. If your site is slow to load on a desktop just think what happens on mobile phones which rely on slower cellular connections. People will blame your site first, not their carrier. Load times can be impacted by images, video and other factors such as the code behind the site.
3. You Offer Call-to-Actions
Call-to-actions tell a visitor to download, sign up, watch a video or take that pivotal next step. One of the most important ingredients of your site, a great call-to-action button will improve conversion rates by getting users to take a desired action. However, you can’t just slap a CTA up and hope for the best. You need to think creatively and strategically as your call-to-action is part of a bigger strategy. If you're serious about using your website a contractor sales tool, then strategic call-to-actions are a must.
4. Good Navigation
Can people easily find the right information after they land on your site? Website navigation is the map to the different pages and information within your site. If it's clear and easy to navigate, visitors stay. A simple, less cluttered menu allows visitors to easily find their way around your site. Make sure the menu doesn't change from page to page as consistency will add to the ease of use. A visitor needs to be able to find their way around and back again if they wish. Use a hamburger menu as opposed to a regular drop down menu for mobile sites.
5. Use Video
Pictures are one thing, video takes it to another level. Video is the premiere communication tool as it not only shows proof but builds rapport and trust as well (if done correctly). It shows, it tells and there are so many different things you can use it for. Customer testimonials, before and after shots, how-to videos and virtual tours are just some of the types of videos being used in the construction field. Video for contractors is fast becoming the way differentiate one self from the competition and the go-to tool to help close customers. Once you have video yu can use it in other places as well. Imagine, when you go to bid a job and you show the home owner a video on your tablet of past work, successes and testimonials, how impressed they will be. It provides proof that your are the best company for the job.
6. Use Custom Images
The use of imagery on your site is great but only if it’s right. Use your own company photos as opposed to stock photos. Use real employees, real customers in real situations, your location, your product and services. Hiring a photographer to come in and take pictures for the day might be a good idea. Everyone has access to stock photography and it’s a great service. But remember there are a lot of generic photos that everyone else can use (like the one below). Be selective and picky when using stock photos. If you do use a picture, please make sure it doesn’t have a watermark on it. We’ve actually seen many examples of people using an image that still has a watermark on it from the stock photography site. You know what that says? It says your too cheap to pay for it. And above all else, do not steal, meaning do not use a photo that you do not have permission to use.
7. Clear Concise Copy
Make sure your site doesn't read like a corporate robot wrote it. Don't make the visitor have to read it 2-3x before they actually understand what the heck you do? People don't have time, nor desire to read long and lengthy excerpts. Be clear, be concise, be short with your words. This is where video and imagery is going to help communicate your message. Giving the choice of reading or watching a video, consumers will choose the later.
8. Social Sharing Buttons
Social buttons make it easy for your visitors to share your content on social media networks. Having interesting, educational and compelling content on your site gives people more incentive to share it. What's the point of social sharing? Social proof...and we all know how important that is know days. Have those social buttons on your site and encourage visitors to share, tweet, follow or post about your content. Social sharing options means your content gets more visibility, which means more site traffic, better search engine rankings, and more lead generation opportunities.
9. No Keyword Stuffing
While keywords are crucial to driving SEO success, having too many keywords is the one of the most common mistakes of search engine optimization. Google's algorithm is so advanced today it can determine if you're keyword stuffing your pages and will penalize you for doing it. It also makes for a bad reading experience. If you're not familiar with the keyword concepts then you should contact us for a quick overview of how you should be using them for your business.
10. You Have a Blog
If you don't have a blog, you're missing out on an opportunity to provide your visitors with a ton of valuable information and missing out on ranking opportunities too. Consistent blogging is a great way to drive traffic to your site and helps convert that traffic into leads. A blog can also establish you as an authority in your area because you provide content that's helpful to visitors.
11. Prove You're Human
People are robo called (cold called), bombarded with direct mail, and interrupted with advertising lies through the airwaves everyday. Now more than ever consumers are empowered to perform company research on their own before ever contacting a salesperson or company representative. If they find answers to their problems in your company's blog, videos or content, they're much more likely to come into the sales process trusting what you have to say. As a contractor, people are looking to you to solve their problem.
