Website Design for Construction Companies | Web Design for Construction Websites
With so much business now conducted in the digital world, no construction company can afford to ignore the importance of a website. Marketing research has found that the majority of potential clients will first go to a website before getting in contact with a company, where they will search for services offered, images of completed work, or contact details.
Any construction company that has an inadequate website or no web presence is losing money to competitors, as clients are more likely to leave a website that doesn't have the information they want and head to a competitor's site.
Does website design matter?
Any website is better than no website, right?
While it could be argued that this statement is true, It's also important to remember that a website is the digital shopfront for a company, and customers judge it on the way it is presented. In the real world, a client might hesitate to do business with a company that has a shabby appearance or poor attitude from staff. In the digital world, it is no different. Website visitors are likely to move on if a website looks outdated, is difficult to navigate, slow to load, or has glitches.
Good website design means presenting a confident image for your company that reassures clients and builds trust. Your construction website is your most important marketing asset for your building company, so cutting corners or failing to maintain it doesn't make sense.
Great design includes important elements that make a client's experience on your website smooth and inviting. A visitor will return to a website that has useful information, is easy to use, and is current. Returning visitors are more likely to become clients and could even recommend a website or company based on their experience. A good website really is the best way to inform potential clients about your business.
How do successful construction company websites attract customers?
One of the most important things to consider with website design is your target audience. Who are the people your construction business wants to attract? As an example, if you mostly work with corporate clients, your construction website will look different from a construction website aimed at small businesses or homeowners.
If you already know who your clients are, your website design team can include design elements in your website that will appeal to your target market, inform them, and persuade them to take action. If you are unclear about who your company wants to attract, some market research might be useful before your design team begins a new web design. At Website Wife, we do the market research for our clients so they can focus on doing the things they do best.
Good design goes hand-in-hand with a sound knowledge of your customer base. Depending on your circumstances and goals, market research may be a good investment, especially if you want your company to become a leader in its area of expertise.
Construction website design that does the talking
An online search for successful construction companies reveals that most have something in common. They have websites that showcase their products or services, are easy to use, and provide useful information. They know who their clients are, and their messaging appeals to the right people.
These websites are doing the heavy lifting for their owners. They are effective and persuasive, and visitors trust them enough to take action. Such websites make clients out of casual visitors simply because the design is the right fit to attract the target audience.
Website woes: Does your site need a redesign?
Many building companies have construction websites already, but the design is outdated, the pages are slow to load, or crucial information is not easy to find. If you believe that your website visitors are not converting into business for your construction company, perhaps it's time to take a look at your web design to see if it needs some tweaks.
Sometimes all it takes is understanding your client base better, or updating the appearance of your website, or getting it to load quickly. A redesign is not always a massive undertaking, but when you own a website, it does need regular maintenance to stay relevant and keep up with industry trends. Even if it is shiny and new and looks fabulous, it's not something you can set and forget. In time, you will need to make changes to stay abreast of website trends (or risk appearing outdated or irrelevant). That first two-second impression is crucial for convincing visitors to stay around and explore your website rather than leaving to find something better somewhere else.
Unique web design to suit your business
Not every construction website design is the same, and yours needs to be unique because your business is unlike any other. Even if you have close competition, there will always be differences between your construction business and your competitors' businesses. There are things you do better than anyone else, or perhaps your business offers particular services or expertise that other construction companies don't. A good website design showcases your unique strengths to appeal to your target market.
So it's important to find a website design company that understands your customer base and your niche. Good designers get it. They can create a web design that attracts your clients and makes your website stand out in a marketplace that's crowded with construction industry websites. Building the right website is a combination of technical skill and marketing knowledge, so finding a web design company that's a good fit makes sense.
I'm a roofing contractor, so do I need to think about construction websites?
The answer to this question depends on your business goals, but contractors and tradespeople often benefit from a website. It will help your clients to discover you, especially if you are trying to grow your contractor business, and is a good place to showcase your work. According to a research study conducted by marketing firm Visual Objects, 76% of consumers will search for a business online before visiting in person, and 44% of consumers say they are likely to search for businesses in a specific location. Not having a website makes it more difficult for your clients to find you and could mean missed opportunities.
This doesn't mean that you need a complicated website with all the bells and whistles. Simple construction websites can work just as effectively as long as the designers pay attention to the key elements that make up successful design.
Catch their attention with the right website design
Catching a website visitor's attention within the first two seconds of their visit is critical. If the website hasn't managed to grab their attention in that time, they are likely to leave and find a better option, which means lost revenue.
The internet is a visual smorgasbord, and visitors will often decide if it's worth their while to stick around based purely on the visual aspects of your website. In-depth, written content also has its place, as do other forms of media such as videos. But getting a visitor's attention in the first two seconds of their visit relies almost solely on the aesthetics and visual appeal of your website. It doesn't matter what your niche is; every construction company website needs to be visually appealing. It's also important to note that visual trends change over time, so a good web design team can help you stay current.
Crucial construction website design elements: What your website needs
Some construction company websites are going to be different from yours, of course. Each company's services and target market are unique. But the successful ones have some things in common and include (but are not limited to) many of the elements on the list below.
Branded color scheme
The color scheme should be consistent throughout the website, from a simple construction landing page to a company's About page. Consistent branding across the entire site is important to give visual cohesion to the web design and to provide a visually seamless experience for users. Colors should incorporate and reflect a company's brand, making it recognizable when visitors see it. Consistency helps to build trust, as does color choice (clients regard some colors as more credible and trustworthy than others).
CTA on each page
It's surprising how many website designs fail to include a clear call to action (cta). Tell your visitors what you want them to do next. Make it easy for them, and conversions will increase. Your visitors are more likely to become clients if you give them clear directions on the next step.
A project gallery or portfolio page
Any good construction company website design will include a gallery with a significant number of images for visitors to browse. Website users who are interested enough to look through photos or videos of completed projects want to know more, and a beautiful, easy-to-use gallery is a must.
Relevant information for your processes
Many visitors want to know about your processes, especially if they are considering hiring you for a project. Adding relevant information helps them to know what to expect. Do you have specific steps to take before or after you start a project? Tell your visitors about it. They will appreciate it.
Examples of construction methods if applicable
Website visitors are often interested in details, and even if you consider something irrelevant or uninteresting, it might be just the thing they are searching for. Many businesses have built trust and credibility in their niche simply by providing value through information, examples and education and becoming customer favorites. By becoming the go-to source of information in their field, these businesses have become trusted industry leaders.
Blog posts, videos, tutorials, and other media are great ways of connecting with visitors who want to know more about how your business does things. Many web design companies also manage the creation or distribution of content, so it's easy to outsource those tasks if you don't have time to do it yourself.
Services page
A company website design should always include a Services page that's easy to find and navigate. Many visitors go to a site looking for a specific service, and if they can't find it quickly or easily, are likely to move on. Lost leads mean lost revenue and the chance to secure repeat customers. While most businesses recognize its importance, sometimes the design falls short because it doesn't load quickly or is difficult to use.
Contact page
Surprisingly, many businesses fail to provide adequate company contact information on their websites. The information is often missing, incomplete, or hard to find. Few visitors are going to take the time to search for it; they will simply move on to a competitor with a better website. It works best when the contact information is readily available, easy to navigate, and kept up to date.
Contractor arrangements and time frames if relevant
Transparency is an important factor in building trust and credibility in the marketplace, so it can be helpful to place information on your company website about your arrangements or time frames, especially if you carry out repeat projects that are similar. Does a particular project take a month? Let your clients know what to expect (with the caveat that things don't always go to plan, of course). Does your company use a roofing contractor or expert for a certain task? Does your team require outside help sometimes? Be open about it. Authenticity is valuable.
Other things to consider
Simple navigation
A well-designed construction website has a layout that's easy to navigate. Keep the design clean and uncluttered for a good visitor experience, and install a user-friendly menu to enable fast navigation on each page.
Avoid jargon or industry phrases
While industry jargon might be second nature to you, avoid using it on your website. It's likely to sound like a foreign language to industry outsiders and could turn away potential clients. Keep the language simple and readable. People from every walk of life should be able to understand the language used on a good construction website.
Aesthetics matter
Web development companies, app development companies, and software development companies agree on this point: Aesthetics matter. Visiting a website or using an app is primarily a visual experience, and falling short in the visual arena is sure to lead to failure. Good web design pays attention to visual details, and any worthwhile website design company will spend time getting this element right.
Clear messaging
Save your clients the frustration of trying to work out what your message is by keeping it clear and distinct. Avoid long, rambling paragraphs of text or roundabout descriptions. Use concise text and stay on track with the information you deliver. Many web design companies employ professional content creators to ensure that their clients get the best content for their sites, so outsourcing this task is a route taken by many construction companies.
Building a custom construction company website with our designers
Construction company web design is easy with our experienced designers. We can create your ideal construction website, ensuring that it perfectly showcases your brand and what you have to offer. We handle all the technical aspects of the build as well as SEO, content, editing, and more. We can also redesign or update an existing website, and we take care of all aspects of web design. Talk to us today about your needs and what we can do to bring your vision to life.