All Florida Contractors need a website. But what exactly do we need on our website. It can get confusing with all of the gimmicks and new technologies. Here are three simple things that you MUST have on your website.
- Who are you?
- What are you offering me?
- How can I contact you?
Even if it’s just a static 1 page business card, that is more than most contractors have . But let’s look at more that just an online business card.
Your Domain Name:
What are you going to call your website? If possible your business name is what most people choose. If not try to get something that is easy to spell and remember. When someone sees your web address on the side of your truck you want them to remember it.
Make it very specific. If you are a general contractor, what kind of work do you do? Industrial? Commercial? Residential? Do you specialize in new construction or remodels?
Make it obvious who you are and what you do.
Your phone number:
This may seem obvious but a lot of contractors simply make it too hard to find their phone number. A lot of times it is buried in a “contact us” page.
It is imperative that your phone number is visible on every single page of your website. It is best if you prominently display your number in the header of your website, right next to your name.
You should also add your phone number and contact info to the footer of your website. Don’t stop there, make sure it is at the bottom of every single post, blog or article that you have written. This is the one thing that you can’t have too much of. Put your phone number everywhere and make it visible.
Your Email Address:
Your email address should be simple, you@yourdomain.com. It shows professionalism and is used to promote your company. When you add your email to your business cards and jobsite signs it tells a customer that email is an acceptable form of communication with you, so remember to check your email daily.
Blog(s):
You will need a blog. It is a simple way to boost your search engine results and it helps you connect to your clients. It keeps your site updated with current information and lets people know that you interested and active in your business. Don’t skip this one. You can post hints, ideas, videos, or anything else that is useful information.
Testimonials:
You must have testimonials on your website. It there is one thing that I can’t stress enough, it is testimonials. Place them everywhere and make sure to get new testimonials from every client.
Online appointment scheduler:
This is my secret weapon. My website generated four times as many leads when I added this baby.
A lot of contractors have a “contact us” form. This is next to worthless. Prospective clients will not use this form because it is way to generic. They simply don’t know what to do with it. On the other hand, if you have a “schedule an appointment now” button, your clients will use it. A lot. Ideally this system will automatically book an estimate at a time of your clients choice. You can set up blocks of time that you are available and the system will let your client choose the best time.
Make a quick follow up call the day before the scheduled appointment to verify that you are still on.
The best thing about this system is that it automatically collects all of the clients info and adds it to your database. You now have a hot lead ready to enter into your marketing machine.
