Once upon a time contractors relied mostly on word of mouth marketing to help get them jobs.  They relied on newspaper ads.  They relied on advertisements in the Yellow Pages, in the classifieds, and posters that they put up around the neighborhood.  Some contractors still rely on these tactics, but smart contractors have now moved their business online.

I know what you may be thinking.  You’re a contractor.  You may already not make a whole lot of extra money, and now you’re supposed to spend money on a website for your business?  No thanks.  BUT what a lot of contractors don’t realize is just how valuable having an online presence is.

Think about it: people receive phone books every year, with most of them ending up either in the recycling or as something to prop up a table leg.  Many municipalities and counties tear down any posters that are posted around town, and less people are flipping through newspapers due to lower subscriptions than ever.  What people are using to find contractors and other businesses that they want to deal with, however, are search engines.

Also, for more on how your business can benefit from search engine optimization (SEO), be sure to check out our FREE eBook, “10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your SEO.”

Some Surprising Quick Stats

I get that you may not be convinced that you need a website at this point, so here are some stats that may convince you thinking otherwise:

  • 90% of online commercial searches result in offline purchases (comScore)
  • 82% of local searchers will then follow up by visiting the actual store to make a purchase, or by making a phone call to confirm an appointment (TMP/comScore)
  • 74% of Internet users perform local searches (Kelsey Group)
  • 61% of local searches will result in purchases (TMP/comScore)
  • 54% of Internet users prefer using the Internet for local searches than scouring the phone book
  • 35% of all searches conducted online are local

Why Search Engines are a Contractor’s Best Friend

Less people are using resources like phone books and newspapers to find what they want. Why?  Because typing something into a search engine is far easier than flipping through newspapers or trying to find the right alphabetical category in the phonebook for what they need.  Many contractors that I’ve spoken with think that search engines are just for international listings, but that’s just not so.  Search engines are perhaps the most valuable for any local company searches.

If you have a website, you can fully tailor and optimize your site so that it comes up first in search engines.  This will really give your company a competitive edge and can be what makes or breaks your business.

Other Considerations (Besides SEO)

Some other things that you should think about for your website are things like:

  • The design: does it match your brand or your message? Does it make sense with what you do?
  • Is your site easy to navigate?
  • Is your contact information prominent and easy to find?
  • Does your site provide examples of your previous work?
  • Does your site have any testimonials from people who have used your services before?

Use your website to showcase what it is that you do!  Tell you story.  Give people information about who you are and how you got into this business.  It’s your time to tell people what you’re all about and convince them that you’re the person they want to hire on for the job.

TIP: If you already have a website, flip through our free “Website Redesign 101” eBook to see if there are any important elements of your site missing.

Having a Website is an Investment

I’m not going to lie; paying someone to build you a well-crafted and optimized website will set you back a bit.  But once you get that done, you really aren’t looking at a whole lot of expenses.  Smart companies are now considering web development and site building to be an important part of their start up costs – and you should look at it that way too.  More and more people are turning to the Internet to find contractors like yourself, so it’s important to jump in on that opportunity NOW before your company falls too far behind your competition.

Upkeep can be Cheap

It’s not overly difficult to find a web hosting company that’s reliable and that boasts a 99.9% guaranteed uptime for just a few dollars a month.  The other expense that you may regularly incur to have a website I to pay an inbound marketing company or an SEO firm to make sure that your site is still fully optimized from time to time so you can make sure that you are performing as well as you should in the search engines.

Key Takeaways:

Do contractors need a website?  YES. Showing up in local search engines should be the number one reason for building a website, though there are other benefits too, like having another venue to provide your contact information and showcase your work.

Need Help?

If web design is something you are interested in but are having trouble getting started, contact us today to schedule your free marketing analysis!