For Remodeling Contractors to have an effective website and “Online Presence” it is essential to have a web presence that promotes credibility. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 consumers will research a company ONLINE before deciding to call for an appointment, meet, visit or retain their services. Think about your own practices, you probably check numerous things ONLINE prior to making a decision on where to shop, what to buy, who to buy from etc… You get the picture. This will be especially true for a remodeling contractor that could be working on a project with a value of 100K or more and not to mention they will be working on the family’s home and could change permanent aspects of the house. Creditability is essential.
Since the competition is one click away, a company with a poor web presence runs the risk of never getting the telephone call (or form completion) from a potential customer. Think about it, are you going to trust a company that doesn’t have a website, or has a site that appears to be build through a web builder for $200? If there are a few competitors in the area, the company with a very credible web presence is going to be weighed more heavily in a consumers mind.
So here’s what Remodeling Contractors need for their website:
- A great portfolio or gallery section that shows prospective customers prior projects.
- Links to various manufacturers for windows, doors, siding, flooring, lighting fixtures, etc. – You can either provide links to the manufacturer site or build these sections on your website so the user never leaves your website.
- When linking to a manufacturer site, link directly to the area the user will need. If its windows, bring them directly to the window page to view options and sizes.
- Blog or article section for posting tips, ideas, hints for remodeling. This will provide additional content to help your organic search visibility while providing changing content which the search engines can pick up.
- Have each page focus on a particular specialty, i.e. if you do architectural molding, make that one page and focus on page content and keywords for molding. Don’t mix all of your services on one page.
- By having helpful manufacturer links the contractor has the opportunity to direct the prospect to the company website as a point of reference, re-enforcing credibility.
- Write good page content that separates you from the competition.
- Be likable and trust worthy online.
- Testimonials: Everyone knows that a company would never post bad testimonials however its helpful for users to see testimonials. This page should be current, you should always continue to ask for a review or testimonial.
- Insurance information and Licensee number
- In some cases, it may be helpful to have a calculator on the website so users can calculate the rough cost of a project.
- Social Media Integration – Any company that doesn’t have at least a facebook fan
- Helpful Tips
- What to ask your contractor
- How to compare estimates
- Preparation guide
- How to hire the right contractor
With a Remodeling Contractor website designed in WordPress, you have the flexibility to make changes in-house; providing you the power to maintain your website without a web designer’s assistance. A WordPress site comes with a complete content management system or admin panel, so you can easily add/change page content, add blog posts, add articles, change pictures, up-load image gallery’s, add/remove pages, create landing pages, change advertising banners, just about anything. If you have a website that changes on a daily or weekly basis, WordPress is the perfect option to manipulate your website with out having formal html/php coding knowledge. Keep in mind, it’s important to communicate with your WordPress web designer the areas that will change and the kinds of changing content that will appear on the site. By doing this, your Remodeling Contractor Web Designer can make it easier for you to make changes and manipulate the page content.
Even if you don’t plan on making website changes in-house, if the website is built in WordPress your web designer will be able to make changes, additions, even a theme overhaul pretty easily and cost effectively.
Ask your Remodeling Contractor website designer about the option of a complete content management system.