As a savvy business owner, you’d never pump money into an asset that wouldn’t earn a return. You know that an investment that pays needs to be backed by research, analysis, and strategy.
Your website is a marketing asset that will only pay you back if you build it with intention. So, what should be included on a contractor’s website? In this article, we’ll give you the blueprints for the foundation of a lead-generating construction website.
How Do I Start a Construction Website?
You start a construction website just like you would any project: by establishing your goals. A construction website’s goals are not unlike the goals of any website. In its simplest form, the goal of a website is to increase your bottom line. A smart website can draw in targeted traffic, and turn them into sales leads, then clients, and eventually, repeat clients.
As a construction contractor, however, your website needs to do more to get the same results. Why? Because you’re not hawking fidget spinners on an e-store. You’re targeting a niche client base and seeking high-dollar contracts.
So, close WordPress and grab a pen and piece of paper. Before you even think about starting a construction website, you should focus on how your branding, messaging, and mission statements are going to read.
What are your company’s values? What do you do better than your competitors?
The answers to these questions will echo across all the pages of your website, building authority, trust, and a clear story that will connect with your ideal client.
Branding and Design
Good news: if you haven’t already established your brand’s identity, now is a perfect time. Online or print, your brand needs to be easy to recognize across all channels.
Choose symbols and styles that align with the values you identified above. For example, if durable construction is a point of pride, a hammer shows strength. Sans-serif fonts eliminate flair and get down to brass tacks.
Part of designing a website includes making it easy for readers to find their way around. Be sure to have a menu in the header of your website and links where relevant throughout. Laid out strategically, you can guide readers on a client journey that ends with a submitted contact form.
And finally, use beautiful, striking, professional images, especially when it comes to your case studies. A construction contractor’s website needs to be highly visual. Show off your past successes in a spectacular way.
Must-Have Pages
There are five web pages that every construction website needs:
- Homepage
- About page
- Services page(s)
- Case studies/portfolio page
- Contact page
Your homepage is your introduction to your reader. Here, you can use strategically place links and buttons to help guide readers to where they want to go. Homepages often act as a preview of what’s to come if the reader keeps exploring your website. They’re your first impression, so keep it professional, simple, and inviting.
Your about page should include your mission, goals, and successes. Let your reader know exactly what services you offer and the type of clients you work with to attract better leads.
Your services pages outline what services you offer. These pages are an opportunity to demonstrate authority in your niche.
Case studies are arguably the most important, best-converting content on your website. Filled with mouth-watering photos of past projects, case studies should outline the scope of the project, what the challenge was, how you solved it, and the outcome for the client. Think of case studies as virtual walkthroughs of past projects, because they are!
An Example of Successful Construction Contractors’ Website
Snap Agency has helped construction contractors develop stunning, high-converting construction websites.
Our case study for RJM Construction is an excellent example of what your case studies should look like, and also an example of a successful construction website. Let’s take a deeper look into RJM Construction’s website so you can see what makes this website turn readers into clients.
The website opens with imagery that immediately makes clear what they’re about: real estate. You are presented with a clear menu, a highlighted opportunity to contact RJM, and a button to invite readers who are still in the exploring stage of their client journey to “Learn More”.
With several service pages that demonstrate the company’s expertise and the markets they serve, RJM’s website rounds out their website with a news section to draw in more traffic.
Finally, RJM’s portfolio page makes it easy to explore past projects. Each case study has 4-6 high-resolution photos on full display. Their content explains the scope of the project, how they accomplished it, and the finished result.
Let’s Start Planning Your Construction Website
Sound like a lot of work? It is. But you don’t have to do it alone. Get the best return on your investment by partnering with a construction marketing agency that understands your goals, audience, and industry like Snap Agency does.