THE 3 BIGGEST MISTAKES CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES MAKE ON THEIR WEBSITES

BY ALEXIS LINCOLN | CRAFTECH COMPUTER SOLUTIONS

In 2021, a website is often the first thing a consumer searches to find information on a business. Yet, not many business owners can say their website is top-performing and has no room for improvement. For many business owners, online presence is the last thing on their minds. Business owners are caught up in the day-to-day workload and don’t have time to focus on small details such as website design. However, having a good website can turn a visitor into a customer.

Here is a list of the most common website mistakes Craftech Solutions sees on a daily basis:

1. It Does Not Establish Credibility: Reviews or testimonials are the best way to establish business credibility. Consumers do not want to be the first to use a service; they need evidence that the service is worth the investment. No one wants their purchase to feel like a gamble. Good reviews build trust, especially since reviews posted on platforms like Google are not editable by the business owner. Therefore, business websites should always post their reviews to convince potential buyers of their credibility. Another mistake business owners make is to not fully describe their services on their website. Don’t just write, “Our business does this, this, and this.” Show it. Write out the details of the service. Tell the reader why this business does it best. Bulleted lists of services are not enough; they are not convincing. Consumers need to know if the service is for them and meets their individual needs. For example, writing “We do home renovations” is not enough. What kind of renovations? For what kind of homes? In what area? People are often too lazy to call a business for more information; the website needs to clarify what the company does and its audience. Make it easy for a buyer to do the research; give them as much relevant information as possible. Even better, connect reviews mentioning a particular service to that service’s description. Along with proper descriptions, people like visuals. The images on a website are one of the first elements to catch a visitor’s attention. The photos should be high resolution and formatted correctly (not stretched out, pixelated, or blurry.) Photos are an excellent opportunity to represent the company and show off work well done. But incorrectly formatted photos give the wrong impression to website viewers.

2. It’s Hard To Get Information: Websites often capture hesitant leads. Customers searching for the right business to meet their needs do not want to call multiple places to compare. In truth, some people will do anything to avoid making a phone call. So, an online form is the low-pressure, low commitment point of contact.

Also, an online form is a way to reach a business at any time. For example, if a company operates 9 am-5 pm, customers are still online before and after those hours. Not many companies answer the phones 24/7, so an online form is a way for people to reach out without returning later or waiting until opening hours to call. Catch website visitors while they are active and before they lose interest. To go the extra mile in driving website traffic, update webpages regularly with new content. Doing this informs search engines like Google and Bing that a website is still in use, so the search engines will know to show it in search results. Search engines will not show outdated, inactive websites to new visitors. New, consistently improving sites will bring in new visitors. Lastly, if a company posts on social media, it is easy to connect the two platforms: drive social media visitors to a website for more information, and guide website visitors to social media pages to stay connected.

3. It’s Not Secure: If a business’s website is not secure it’s a huge problem. Search engines do not promote unsecured websites, and websites will lose traffic and clients this way. When websites are not secure it is a risk for the consumer to visit. Any information exchanged between the consumer and the business is open to the public if the website is not secure. Most customers will not want to share their data through an unsecured website and allow it to become available to spammers. On top of that, most browsers specifically label unsecured websites, and warn viewers that it’s a risk to click.

Additionally, web-spammers target unsecured websites and change links to redirect to spam or malware instead of the business’s information. Protect your website’s users by securing it. Both viewers and business owners are negatively affected by this issue. Any business contact information listed on a website in plain text, such as an email address, releases that email address to spammers worldwide. Business owners think their website is not big enough to be a target, but countless bots constantly scroll the web for new contact information because it sells. Protect contact information on websites and save the headache of deleting spam emails. A website is a company’s first impression, so be sure it’s a good one. Implement these steps to capture new business leads and stop driving away potential clients. As time goes on, more and more people rely on online searches to find their next purchase. Is your business ready for the technology-driven future?