Essential features needed for your home building industry website

Are you a contractor, architect or interior designer with an outdated website? Maybe you offer subcontracting services to those I just mentioned. Or maybe your business is all word-of-mouth and you think you don’t really need a website. Let me explain why you need a great website and the essential elements it should have.

When people invest in their homes, it’s usually one of the most expensive investments they will ever make. How you present your services online can make or break your chances with them picking you above all your competitors. Here’s what you need to stand out in the crowded arena of design and build.

1. Do your homework. What are your competitors doing right and wrong? If most of them don’t have mobile responsive design, an updated site will definitely give you an edge
2. Get some professional photography done of your best jobs. You don’t have to go back if you didn’t get great photos of every job you every had. Pick your 4-6 best projects and start from there with a professional photographer. If you already have great photos, great!
3. Keep it clean. The less you have competing with your amazing photos on the page, the better. You need enough text to convey what you do and let them know that they are in the right place.
4. Limit your portfolio size. My own portfolio shares only 10% of the over 300 websites I’ve designed. I’ve really just tried to share the best and most recent of the main categories and looks I have created. The same should be true for your own portfolio. Keep it simple with the most up-to-date work you have.  And share details on how you helped your customer while you are at it.
5. Testimonials.  A good testimonial can seal the deal.  Share them on your website and also ask clients to share them online at Yelp, Google and Facebook.
6. Call to action. Make sure you have a prominent contact button on each page. Better yet, build a list with a newsletter service like Mailchimp to send correspondences with clients and potential customers alike.

Do you have questions or need to update your own website?  Let’s get started!