How To Build A Professional Contractor Website

Not sure how to build a website for a General Contractor or construction business?

This information will help you get started.

Why invest the resources in developing a new website for your construction company?

Building a quality contractor website is of the utmost importance to the success of your business. Below are the top 5 reasons why:

Websites age and the technology becomes too obsolete to be functional. A website that was super successful and generated new leads 3-5 years ago may ‘look old’ to visitors and job seekers. Your website is representative of your business, so having a professionally built and modern website should be a priority.
Your business has probably changed in the last 3-5 years and if your website isn’t maintained you have a lot of outdated information facing the public. Old information on your site will lead to prospects asking you to bid on projects you may not want. And, your Project and Team pages may give the wrong impression about your “what, how, and who.”
Internet surfing technology changes over time. A website that was built to function on all “known devices” 5 years ago, like desktop computers, will be less amazing on new handheld devices. And, new devices are being introduced every day to the internet using public. Your site must be responsive to keep up with evolving tech.
Search Engine ranking changes over time. Search engines are constantly modifying their algorithms. A site that started at the top after launching a few years ago may find it has fallen off the first page of search results and has been replace by a competitor or 10. OUCH!
And, for all of the GCs who say, “We don’t need our website to generate sales. Our business developers do that.” Beware! ALL new clients conduct research online about you and your business prior to starting a new project. Other than your bid submittal, it is the only way they can compare you to your competition.

So how does your construction company measure-up online? If you are looking for in-depth facts on why your website may not be performing, consider contacting us. Or you can work to DIY it with one of our go-to tools Semrush. We love their competitor analysis tool.

What is needed to build a strong website for General Contractors or Construction businesses?

Your website is one of your most important employees. Why is your website so important?

It is the point of contact for new clients, the face of your company on the world wide web and the first impression a prospect will have of you.

Whether you are a small contractor that offers residential remodeling services or a large GC taking on $100 million+ projects, your website can work as your best Business Developer and HR team member.

You may be asking yourself these important questions:

What are the key pages to market construction website?
What are the key sections for prospective employees?
What info is important for new clients searching for you?
Which images and information might someone be looking for if they have received your RFP response?
What are Google and Bing looking for to rank your site in the top 10 on search results?

There are key pages that every construction industry website should have for sales and marketing, and for the best SEO. The content of your website and how it is designed can be the deciding factor for potential clients and employees.

What are the key pages, or sections, of a successful contractor website?

Expertise Page

Long gone are the days of a single Services page with 1-2 sentences describing each service you offer – get ready to expand. Potential buyers want to know exactly how your services could benefit them and see the proof to back your claims.

This gives you a chance to share the details of what you offer. This page is single-handedly one of the most important pages on your website because this is where your potential clients will go to see if you have what they are looking for.

You may want to include photos of your work with a description of what it is you are offering.

We call this method the “VIA” formula: Capture their attention with a visual, keep their interest with an attention-grabbing information section and end with a call-to-action.

About Us Page

The “About Us” section gives you the chance to share specialized and differentiating information with prospects and potential employees. Use this section to share how your venture started, your missions or goals, what you’re passionate about building, and what makes you different from every other construction company in your competitive space.

Your “About Us” page shouldn’t come from a bulleted list of tips and should be completely unique to your company.

A great way to draft this section is to first tell your start-up story then continue with your company’s values and what has kept you in the game for so long.

Pro Tip: People love a good story. It doesn’t matter if you have a small developer looking to build a strip mall, or a big corporation with a $75 million dollar project. People love to hear where you came from and what is keeping you going. As you tell your story, spotlight people and experiences that have shaped your company through the years. (Find more Pro Tips at the end of the blog!)

A robust Construction Projects page

Seeing is believing, especially when someone is looking to spend a lot of money.

Your description of each project needs to tell the process of the project and provide details on how your company succeeded. Consider including testimonials and reviews on your page. The world runs on reviews these days, so having past clients share the positive experience they had with your company will make a powerful statement about your real capabilities.

What is the most vital part of your Projects page?

The photos you use on your Portfolio or Projects page are extremely important. Studies show that up to 60% of people will choose one construction company over the other based upon the quality of pictures and video they have on their website.

What are some best practices for your project photos?

The Setup: Make sure the job-site is clean and cleared of lingering debris or equipment.
The Project: Try to choose a shot that clearly shows off your abilities as a construction company. Proper lighting and good shot-angles are all things to carefully consider.
The Process: Document the entire project from start to finish so potential clients can truly see transformation and where your project was before you started.
The Crew: It is always good to include pictures with people in them so your potential clients can “put some faces to the name” of your company. Try getting some good candid shots: Candid shots are always more intriguing because it shows your workers in action.

Consultation Request Page

This is simply your contact page, but it is essential to your website. You want a place for your potential clients to be able to contact you if they’re interested, right?

The first thing the visitor should see is your contact information: Phone number, Fax number, email address, location, social media accounts, etc. Leaving off any of these makes it seem like you’re hiding something, or don’t really want to provide customer service.

It’s good policy to have a web contact form, asking for their name, company name, email, phone number and a comment section where they can tell you exactly what services they are in need of.

Pro Tip: Make sure your contact us page and web contact form includes software that screens for robots. Scammers are everywhere and will be trying to get access to your staff by submitting requests you don’t want.

Careers Page

With The Great Resignation wreaking havoc on the construction industry today, this page is crucial to the success of your business. One of our client’s websites, namely Kaufman Lynn Construction, was recently showcased at the 2022 SMPS Southeastern Regional Conference for having the ideal Careers Page for a construction website (see the featured Careers Page here). So, we can confidently say that we know how to build a page that will attract the best potential employees for your company.

Your Careers Page should have an updated list of job positions with descriptions for each, leadership organization, photos of your crew, safety and training measures, and a section on your company’s values that reflects your core culture and principles. Your messaging should speak to the type of talent and work ethic you are looking for.

Not having enough employees means reduced project capacity. You can’t expand business without people, right?

PRO Tips:

1. Spend more money and time on the careers section. Hire a videographer to make an employee-focused video that highlights the true culture of your company. Let your roster of great people do the selling for you. Get your potential new employees excited about their career journey with you!

2. People are more likely to develop a personal connection with your construction company if you include photos in the About Us section. Share pictures of your company in the start-up phase, job sites through the years, award winning projects, staff milestones, etc.

An overall stellar construction website should contain all of these pages with a seamless design that is consistent with your branding. Content is vital, but professional design is an entirely different animal.

Need help with your website? You work hard enough. Consider hiring professionals to plan and create your site. Contact us today, and see how we can turn your website into a sales and marketing powerhouse. Let’s increase your hit-rate and help you reach your hiring goals. Click here to see how we can help!