Whenever we need a service provider, Google is one of the first places we visit.

Yes, referrals are invaluable, but they aren’t enough. You also need a way to access a company’s information.

Enter a business website. It allows potential customers to check you out, see the kind of services you offer and later decide if they want to work with you or not.

Likewise, to keep visitors interested, you need a professional-looking website as a construction business owner. You need something likable and shareable.

If your site is outdated, and involves a shoddy job then you will lose credibility and people are less likely to hire you.

So what makes a great construction business website?

Let’s find out.

Clear Purpose

Every website has a purpose. In most cases it could be:

• Selling products and services.

• Generating leads.

• Establishing credibility.

A site’s intention should be clear within the first few seconds of visiting. It should speak to the needs of the majority of the visitors touring your website. Trying too much to be creative could backfire and users can click away never to return.

Functional Design

Your site reflects your brand. Also, it could be the first impression that a potential customer has with your company. And no, the website doesn’t have to be flashy to look great. You should aim for effectiveness.

The goal is a unique, user-oriented, and appealing website design that attracts your target audience. Use an appropriate colour scheme that sets the proper tone and mood for your business. Additionally, graphics are important as they break the monotony of text or even add context to the written content.

With a consistent and flexible layout, the website should also be using current trends and technologies. In fact, it should be accessible to all users whether blind, elderly or the disabled as these people may be using screen readers to access the internet.

Lastly, a design cluttered with ads is an eyesore. In addition to putting users off, crucial information could also get lost in the noise consequently reducing a site’s effectiveness.

Seamless Navigation

Navigation plays a huge role in user experience. That said, a comprehensive site map allows users to easily find whatever it is they’re looking for. For instance, large websites may use dropdown navigation menus to allow faster and easier access to any pages on the site.

A clutter-free navigation allows visitors to seamlessly move between pages such as services or products. Simply, effective construction business websites allow easy access of information.

Mobile Friendly

It’s an increasingly mobile world and gadgets are a critical part of our everyday lives. In other words, more and more people are using mobile phones to access the internet.

Mobile-friendly sites are not just a convenience, it’s a necessity. A user-friendly website will allow access using different devices be it mobile or desktops.

Finally, did you know that mobile-friendly is one of Google's ranking factors? Yes, Google knows that most of its users are using mobile devices so it wants its search results to match the needs of the majority of its clientele.

Relevant Content

Having a beautiful and user-friendly site is not enough. A website should meet the needs of its users. It should provide visitors with solutions to their problems.

You’ve probably heard that content is king. That said, the content on the website should be relevant to the visitors. It should be high quality, helpful to your users and easy to understand.

Yes, construction is technical and can involve lots of jargon. Where possible, use the lingo sparingly as subject matter is one of the things that keeps users coming back to your site. Also, the information should be easy to find especially if you offer a lot of content.

Lastly, the average user rarely reads content word for word. They scan the key parts to quickly determine that it fulfills their needs. As a result, you need to format your message appropriately. You can use headings, subheadings, and bullets to break up text and make it scannable. It’s a great SEO strategy as well.

Acceptable Load Time

Let’s face it. It’s a fast-paced world and users expect timely answers and responses. In fact, according to a survey by Google, 53 percent of the respondents said that they would leave a website if it takes more than three seconds to load.

Astonishing, isn’t it?

Effective construction business websites have fast load times. The owners understand that slow site speeds increases their bounce rate. They are aware that visitors may not be patient enough to wait for their site to load. Deep down they know that the users may click back, head over to a competitor, never to return.

And the best part is that load time is a primary ranking factor. Reduce the duration it takes for your pages to load, and Google may reward you with better rankings.

Optimised for Search

The simple truth is that Google accounts for the majority of traffic to most websites. In that case, it makes sense to optimize for search.

Effective websites rank for the specific keywords and phrases that are relevant to their business. It’s a way to ensure continual traffic from the search engines. With increased visitors, you get more opportunities to convert potential customers.

Additionally, even if modern internet service providers have evolved and become more efficient, sometimes there are inconsistencies in how a website is interpreted by different search engines. Your website should therefore appear and behave consistently across the various browsers be it Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera.

Visible Contact Form

For most businesses, the contact form is typically one of the most-visited site pages.

As an important element on business websites, it’s how visitors interact with a site. Again, this form is useful in generating leads for a company.

Users don’t have to dig for your contact information. It should be straight-forward and simple as possible otherwise you will lose business. Instead, provide multiple points of contact such as email, phone or an easy-to-use contact form. Equally important, you can include a Google map if you have a physical presence.

All in all, a contact form is about striking the right balance between making it simple to get in touch with an enterprise, and sharing resources that users can use to answer their questions right off the bat.

Efficient Call-To-Action (CTA)

This is the part of a webpage that encourages visitors to do something. And to be honest, if you don’t ask, your users will surely do nothing.

A CTA is important to drive conversions on a given page. To achieve that, the value proposition should be on point and it should be strategically placed to increase chances of success.

Finally, a CTA can lead visitors towards an intended action such as buying a product, scheduling an appointment, opting in to an email list, or even filling contact information for a lead generating website.

Great Testimonials

You can write compelling copy, shoot enticing photos, or even produce glamorous videos, but there’s no better way to gain trust and credibility than a customer testimonial. It increases the likelihood of a prospect making a purchase.

These reviews can be anything from quotes to short videos. The goal is to have a web page that shows how others have benefitted from your products or services.

Caution: Keep away from writing your own testimonials. One way or another, someone will find out and you will damage your reputation.

Secure

Check this out:

Over 30,000 websites get hacked daily. As you can see, hackers are always finding new and innovative ways to attack websites.

Some time back, it was only e-commerce sites that needed SSL certificates, but the same level of security is recommended for every website. The good news is that the majority of web hosts have made it simple to get SSL certificates for your construction business website.

Simply, security is a top priority. It builds site reputation and customer trust.

And now...

Bringing it All Together

We’ve covered lots of ground on what it takes to have an effective construction business website. Whether you’re building a new site, or working to make the existing one better, the above are important.

These qualities are important for a website’s growth and survival. Not only will they save you time and money in the long run. They will also ensure that you’re able to successfully meet the needs of your website visitors.

And isn’t that what you want?

So go ahead and take your website to the next level.