I’m hurriedly throwing together the last of my business website, which I have procrastinated on for quite a while now. Currently up is the ‘About’ page, where I’m trying to tell the reader anything and everything they might want to know about us. There will be a cursory bit of info on the first ‘about’ page you click to, but then there’s a link to ‘more–>’ and I want to have a fairly detailed page there.
Stuff I’ve come up with includes… about us (bios + a pic of us), types of work we do, how we handle estimates and proposals, different types of construction pricing (fixed v. t&m, basically), info about contractor licensing, info about insurance, comp, and bonds (these last two topics to contain my thinly veiled warnings about hiring unlicensed hacks), info about subcontracting, warranty….
… and that’s where I’ve run out of ideas.
Obviously this site is for potential customers. People will find it via various means and they’ll be directed there when they call me, if they haven’t seen it. There’s a fairly good serious of photos of past jobs, and there’s the info about the company. There won’t be much else, at least early on.
What would you include to educate and attract good customers? All ideas appreciated!
Replies
My concern from what you're outlining David is that you may be making it too "heavy". Are you going to make it a site about how to select a contractor (might it not be better to bookmark a good place where they discuss that, or make it an entirely seperate part of the site?) or why they should select you?
Sell the sizzle, not the steak ;) If you have identified your market niche (you have right?) figure out what's going to motivate them to select you and then make sure every element of the site does that...
BTW...just noticed your reference to "hurredly" throwing it together. Bad idea IMHO... like any other project, take the time to do it right, but I know you knew that.
Edited 5/11/2005 12:24 pm ET by PaulB
dave ...leave some of the mystery and mystique for the face-to-face meeting..
don't get too specific about things that your competition can run a comparison on..
i think the website is to pre-sell your company.. but leave the closing for the meetingMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Personally I would bin the 'about us' page. I know web software templates normally include it but I just delete it. I know I don't usually bother to look at 'about' pages on websites I visit
John
These guys are architects, but my website is being modeled after theirs. Go to http://www.salaarc.com and follow the "designers" link.
I think your "about us" stuff should be bio and background only, for each principal. If the principals consist of just you, then your page is really "about me" and not "us." Nevertheless, I would use "us" just like the editorial "we." Don't be ashamed of your biz being just "you," because a lot of really top end builders are just like that.
As far as "about" your business goes, as different from about "you," I like to summarize that as succinctly as possible right on the home page, with a statement about what kind of building you do. Presumably, you have thought out what it is you want to do, what you do best, what you like and don't like, and have settled on a plan. That "business plan" should be reduced to writing, and in as few words as possible to make it absolutely clear. Put it on page one, right near your logo.
Your other stuff seems to be more about "process" than "people," and you might consider a page or pages to deal with that. Process means how we proceed. From your description, you proceed as a fully insured, licensed and bonded professional. You provide as comprehensive a proposal as each project demands, whether fixed-price for projects where plans and specifications are complete, or fee-and-cost-based where projects are more fast-tracked. Etcetera, etcetera.
The SALA site does a good job of showing their portfolio, and you will notice how each project has a nice writeup accompanying the pics.
Edited 5/11/2005 2:27 pm ET by Gene Davis
Here's a link to one of the nicest contractor sites I've ever seen: remodeling contractors addition, bathroom, kitchen. To me the portfolio and the about us are the critical parts, but the rest makes it fun.
David,
Point out the things that make you unique and make you a good " fit" for your target customer, e.g., if you're positioning yourself as a "green" builder, let the reader know the kinds of products and practices that distinguish you from your competition; why should they select you instead of someone else? If you specialize in SIPs, straw bale construction, timber framing, using recycled products, mesquite cabinetry, minimizing construction waste, or building in harmony with the environment, say so. If your area of specialization is completing projects incredibly fast, tell them about that. If your specialty is barrier-free design, talk about your familiarity with products, standards and practices and how that differentiates you from competitors.
Your values and practices are usually the things that bring you repeat customers, not what you build: although McDonalds sells burgers and fries, what customers are really buying is consistency; Ritz-Carlton hotels don't just rent rooms, they sell an idealized experience.
Don't say anything to set off a prospective customer's cr@p detector. Avoid puffing/exaggeration, and don't make any promises or representations you won't be able to keep 100% of the time. Don't post pictures of your crew in spiffy uniforms if they routinely show up on the jobsite in t-shirts and jeans with a cigarette hanging out of their mouths.
edited to add: Have someone qualified proof-read everything thoroughly before it is added to your website. No matter how good a builder you are, carelessness and errors on your website will serve to reinforce the unfortunate stereotype of builders as barely-literate knuckle draggers, and readers will expect your work to be commensurate with the quality of your website - good or bad.
Hope this helps,
-Jazzdogg-
Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.
Edited 5/11/2005 3:59 pm ET by jazzdogg
Hey folks, thanks for the sophisticated and thought-provoking comments. I'll be ready for some actual reviews of the site fairly soon.