Why Contractors Should Invest in Web Development

Contractors and subcontractors: I have some good news and some bad news.

The good news is business is booming. Anyone who’s been in Columbia in the past couple of years has seen the expansion of real estate in and around the downtown area. Contractors and subcontractors alike are benefiting from the increase in these big building projects, whether it’s another apartment building downtown or a housing project in the suburbs. But you already knew that.

What you might be reluctant to think about is the bad news: business isn’t going to stay this good. We’re sitting on a real estate bubble that is probably 2-3 years away from bursting, taking with it a lot of big contracting jobs. Competition will increase, and it’s going to be a fierce battle of marketing efforts to win the smaller amount of contracting jobs.

Don’t worry, though, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel – it’s the LED lighting from your customers’ computer screens. By investing in your digital marketing efforts you will have a leg up on the competition when business gets slower in the future. Your customers aren’t going to be flipping through the Yellow Pages to find a good contractor – they will go straight to Google search. Not only do you need to appear high in their search results to be visible, but you also need a captivating website. This means investing in a functional, optimized and well-designed website, which will be well worth the investment.

If you wait too long, competitors who have already invested in their website will have a huge advantage online. A developed website can act as a digital employee for your business, working to convert customers 24/7. The ultimate goal of a website is to grow your business. If you invest now, it will keep you from playing catch-up when your competitors’ websites take over the web.

Barry Cameron of Barry Cameron Design and Build hired the Lift Division team to redesign his website. He wanted an interactive and engaging platform for his customers to explore easily. Clients can now view his impressive portfolio and list of services simultaneously, and then call the number strategically placed on the home page.

“That’s where the market is going,” says Cameron. “People now search for me online and then look at the work that I did and make a decision on whether to call me.”

With a website like Cameron’s, potential customers can easily develop trust in his business. They can see the services he provides, the product of his work, his certifications and background experience – and all of it in a format that is visually appealing. If you’re a contractor, you need to be able to compete with sites like these if you want to maintain your business.

Start thinking about your digital marketing efforts now. Look at your website – what do you like or dislike? When you search for one of your services, on what page of the results does your website come up?

Whether you think you need a complete makeover for your site or just a few tweaks, you need to consult a digital marketing specialist about how to get the most out of your site.

Don’t leave your business up to fate or word-of-mouth; a one-time investment in an amazing website will help your contracting business experience growth even when the real estate market doesn’t. Lift Division offers a free Aerial Snapshot assessing your online presence and reputation, so you know exactly what to focus on to secure your business for the future. Interested in more information? Call me at 573-424-1748 or email me at [email protected].