Construction Website Design: Getting More Leads
A crucial aspect that sets the construction industry apart from several others when it comes to marketing is the importance of personal contact. Word of mouth continues to rule the roost, with around 75% consumers saying it plays a vital role in their purchasing decision. Besides, a significant percentage of customers who make it to a sales representative have already done a fair bit of groundwork. Despite the fact that we live a rapidly evolving world, we continue to deal with consumers who place more faith in word of mouth over traditional forms of advertising. In addition, they have the ability to find the information they seek on their own. So, how do you reach out to these consumers? Then, how do you convert them into leads? With increased leads come increased customers, and this is made possible through effectively building construction websites.
The Opportunity Your Construction Website Provides While consumers refer to local listings and reviews, expect them to turn to your website when they need comprehensive information about your business. What goes on your construction website is under your control, which makes you responsible for the message it conveys to your probable customers. Your
website also gives potential customers a glimpse into your company’s values. Unfortunately, not many companies are taking advantage of the opportunity that the right kind of construction website design has to offer.
More Than a Portfolio Your website gives you the ability to put forth much more than before and after photos of completed projects, which is why run-of-the-mill construction websites templates are now passé. A photographic portfolio is part of the parcel, no doubt, but this section comes with immense potential when it comes to converting potential customers. Your projects’ listing as a part of the overall construction website design, as a result, requires careful consideration. While portfolios of projects and case studies give you easy means to promote the end result, they also let you demonstrate expertise, strategic consideration, and problem solving skills. This is often not the case with most commonly found construction websites templates. If you feel you don’t have a sizeable list of before and after photos, consider adding more to the collection. Use photos that illustrate your customers’ goals, the barriers you faced, and what you did to overcome challenges. When it comes to construction company website content, in case you feel you may not have enough to put across in textually, understand that even a single paragraph can be beneficial, as long as it talks about a problem and solution.
Think Testimonials Back in 2015, more than 90% people read online reviews and testimonials for local businesses. In addition, customers now are likely to spend around 30% more on businesses that have excellent reviews. Testimonials are powerful, of course, but there’s a downside as well. For instance, displaying a customer’s testimonial on your website can end up striking a controversy. While testimonials give you an easy way to establish a positive brand image and build customer trust, there are a few aspects that require your attention:
Not without permission. If you plan to get a customer to endorse your business, make sure you get permission in writing. It will serve your business well to include a clause in your company’s Privacy Policy or Terms and Conditions stating you may use user reviews and testimonials for marketing purposes. Remember, it is better to err on the side of caution with this aspect. Use of photos. Photo testimonials are effective, not because people in them are well known – more often than not, they’re not. Research shows that adding pictures has a noticeable positive impact on click-through-rates. Besides, potential customers like putting a face to a name. It gives them a feeling that the testimonials are written by real people, making them more confident about your claims.
Display awards and accreditations All the awards and accreditations your business has received should be put out there for the world to see, and this aspect plays a significant role in construction website design. If you don’t have any awards yet, start by partaking in local and regional competitions. As and when you win, include their mention on your website and issue press releases. An award, after all, serves as a guarantee of quality, and a good
marketing team should be able to capitalize on it in the right manner – by boosting brand awareness and driving inbound leads.
The Opportunity Social Media Presents Is building construction websites in the right manner enough to succeed in this realm? Consider these statistics:
More than 70% consumers who have positive social media services experiences are likely to recommend a brand to others. Around 70% consumers assisted via social media customer service return as customers in the future. Social media influences the purchases of more than 30% consumers. More than 20% consumers have made purchases through social media. Listening to your customers and engaging with them plays an important role in marketing, and this moves beyond effective construction website design. Simply being available and helpful can have a positive impact on the number of potential clients getting in touch with your business. With different social media platforms at your disposal, you get a great opportunity to build brand authority and generate quality leads. While social media remains rather underutilized by the construction industry, it gives you a quick and easy way to connect with your customers, listen to concerns, and provide solutions.
Remain active In the U.S., more than 80% of the population had social media profiles in 2016. That put the total number of users at around 207 million. Using social media as a marketing tool might be time consuming, although not jumping on the bandwagon in this day and age is akin to not having a website. How do your remain active? If you keep getting asked similar questions, post helpful links on your social media accounts. Do the same each time you win an award. Relevancy is important when it comes to what you share via social media. While industry related news might seem interesting around the office, it is unlikely that your customers will benefit from the same information. Your main aim should be to create content that people find worthy of sharing. What also helps is several social media platforms work in indexing content for search engines, providing you with an even greater outreach. For instance, if you answer a customer’s question about what kind of roofing to use, others with similar queries will benefit as well. Return on Investment (ROI) is not easy to track with social media. However, it should be an important part in trying to create positive word of mouth. Ignoring social media is a folly, especially for a construction business, where much depends on customers’ feedback and reviews.
Address negative reviews It is not uncommon for disgruntled customers to be rude and loud on social media platforms. However, it is imperative that you address these concerns, especially when your business is in a position to defend itself. When replying to negative feedback, take time to formulate a suitable answer.
Keeping your replies simple is the ideal way to go, and don’t forget to thank your customers for their patronage and feedback. Remember that a simple apology makes way for a human connect, showing potential customers that your business is accountable. When making purchasing decisions, while 43% Americans pay more attention to positive reviews, around 55% focus more on negative reviews. Ignoring negative reviews, as a result, is a mistake best avoided, and this is something any construction website design professional will vouch for.