Your Website Is A Marketing Tool! - Page 9 - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

MOTB · 08-08-2009, 07:15 AM

I liked your directness. For some reason people like to go back and forth on deciding to have a website. I have yet to find someone who did not put in a little effort and get a return, far better than the yellow pages and other forms of advertising. Again, I am referring to a return on investment. Spend $X and get Y amount of leads and Z amount of sales. A decent website will bring in leads, then it is up to the contractor to follow through to make the sale.

The bottom line is that every service provider should have at least, a starter webpage. It should include some basic SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques to maximize against local searches. A contractor doesn't have to care a bit about being exposed beyond their local business area which makes it easier for SEO, as compared to someone like me that has to compete on the national stage.

After getting the above started, people will now be able to find your website and then come to your website. At that point you wish to include a few graphics to show off your work, then ensure to include some testimonials so people can see that you care about what people think of you.

Include your license and insurance information so people know that you are completely professional and legal. Believe it or not, that is on everyone's mind when finding someone new.

And then comes including the few ways to Contact you, via a submission form, a direct email address and a phone number. Include all three since you never know how the prospect likes to interact. In fact, I call to see how people answer their phones, and have even just hung up when someone sounds arrogant. I think to myself, just imagine if I am stuck with this guy who is interested in getting my business in the first place. But diplomacy is a whole other topic.

A website is the only 24x7 business card and any contractor still thinking about it will soon simply not be able to compete for new jobs. Sure, there still be some word of mouth, but people will be treating you as a business person that has a landline, and it is rotary to boot.

So get a website today and turn the notch up.

Brian

DISCLAIMER: I am in the software business, but not the website business and have nothing to gain except ensuring that the industry moves forward by embracing technology, the internet and smart marketing to bring in more business.

MattCoops · 08-10-2009, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMDesigns

I just completed a website for a local contractor here in Orange County CA.

http://www.spam.com/

Actually we have yet to even finish it, as we are adding more content now, but it has been online for 1 week in this new format, it was picked up by Google and already got him a call, which lead to contract, which he made 10x the amount he paid me to do it.

I can not tell you enough about website design, it is so important now days. Two weeks after completing: http://spam.com/
George the owner got a similar call and came back for more stuff to add to his site.

I would be happy to help anyone who needs it, and I also build everything in a program I GIVE YOU and you can make your own adjustment and changes. The program is easier to use then Microcrap WORD. Its all drag and drop. Or let me take care of everything, more business for you and me..!!!

Dave
[truncated]

Dave, did you code that website? Or did you use a "What You See is What You Get" text editor?
If you are going to disrespect Microsoft, then why use windows? Why not go to Sun Microsystems or Macintosh, or even IBM and get one of their operating systems. Kind of ignorant to bash a company that records keystrokes, don't you think?

SKETCH3D · 08-11-2009, 03:20 AM

Hi,
Great thread, I took the plunge a couple of years ago in creating a decent web site. Its still working great and brings the majority of my work.

I dabbled in google adwords but found it to be a waste of time. I then concentrated on natural rankings. In the UK if you did a search for 'house extension plans' or 'house extension designs' I will always appear on the first page. I am still learning about site optimization, but doing the whole web site thing takes time away from what makes me money so its got to be a careful balance.

Looking now at ways of getting top listings for other search phases.

Lighting Retro · 08-11-2009, 07:20 AM

We currently get 100% of our work from referral and search engines. I highly recommend investing the time and effort to get a decent website. However, as others have stated, the web site will do you NO good unless it is optimized and you have back links. Be sure to consider all of the ways someone might find you on google. Not too many sites will list the city names and zip codes they service.

Also, be sure to put google analytics on your site, as it will give you further ideas of what to optimize for and track how people found you. Make sure to optimize for things that are most profitable for you. For instance, generators are good business for us, so we want to show up for generators. Hanging a ceiling fan, not so much. You get the idea.

DMDesigns · 08-14-2009, 12:14 PM

Hello Matt,

Well not to get into a match with you over Microsoft, Yes, I do use Vista 64bit and I do like it, even after using Apple and Others.

I think you just miss-understood my humor.

As for website design, I use many different programs, again another good reason to use Windows with all the programs out there for it.

I did www.24carrots.com about 6 years ago, and I used FLASH

I did my website using HTML Notepad / FLASH / PSP / Dreamweaver / WPM / and more.

I have designed many websites that have helped the business grow and get jobs. I think websites are the new way to have a shop without all the muss, fuss and cleaning lady..!!!

Dave

zookies · 08-20-2009, 04:03 PM

I have been working on a web-site for a roofing contractor, and in the Atlanta market there are at least one hundred roofing contractors with web-sites. My customer does not want to spend money on adwords, so organic ranking will come with time. At least we have the web page now, with a contact form and phone number. For the cost of hosting going forward, and $ 9.95 a year for the domain name, you can't beat the 24/7 nature of having our contact info out there.

As far as Microsoft vs Unix, I love that battle too. And while I know a lot about Linux, Unix, vi and bourne shell, including putty and cron, for the desktop I am using windows XP. I am hoping to build a vista 64 desktop in the next week or two, so color me as a contradictory crumudgon.

Wish I knew more about Mac, but with these Macbooks that run windows app's, I am sure I will soon enough.

DMDesigns · 08-20-2009, 05:00 PM

To get more hits,

I noticed that .com names are it - when someone searches for lets say a roofing company in Orange County, CA. What helps is to have a .com name that has those keywords, then just point it to your site, or make many little one page sites.

I helped a few companies around here get that exact result. Its nice pretty cheap tool, as domain names can be FREE with most hosting accounts.

EAMPLE"http://www.google.com/search?q=draft...ient=firefox-a"

Dave

ContractorWife · 09-05-2009, 09:29 PM

The internet is definitely not in it's infancy. The contracting and construction industry is with using technology!

Your website is very important. However, keep in mind that most of your potential clients will not spend tons of time on your website like we do in these forums. So you need to make your first page as powerful and informative as you can in a way that will require the least amount of energy (and reading) from the visitor.

You can also have a Contact Us link on the front page so the visitor doesn't have to dig through the site to find out how to contact you. Some of the best performing websites actually have the contact info on the front (and all pages for that matter) so the viewer can see it at all times.

Rickle · 09-06-2009, 12:06 PM

I'm getting more leads from my web site than through yellow page ads. And what really gets me is my web site is really just a free place to park my domain name.

Heh heh I love freebies.

Kenny K · 09-09-2009, 03:26 PM

i agree, not a more cost effective way to get leads!!

cyezza · 09-10-2009, 05:56 AM

Unique content on your site is a must. Try this site: http://www.interactmedia.com/ Interact Media is a Content marketing company that uses expert writers that research your market and writes unique content, Keyword research etc. and its reasonably priced. Lots of useful info on this site.