One of those challenges for many contractors this winter season will be planning and investing in a new company website. This challenge can be daunting because there is a lot to consider and a ton of decisions that have to be made in order to get the job done. And with spring just around the corner it won’t be long before property owners will be searching for pavement contractors in your area on the internet.

Here are 5 key factors to consider when planning for an effective website and web marketing program.

1) Attractive Design & Simple Navigation – First impressions matter. The easiest way to get a leg up on your competition and impress your prospects is by having a well planned and well designed website. If your website has a professional look and feel it will convey a feeling of strength to the visitor. If it is easy to navigate and find the answers they are looking for it will eliminate any friction (and therefore frustration) that would cause the visitor to leave and look elsewhere. When a visitor leaves your site because of a bad design, or inability to find information, they will continue to one of your competitors sites and you will have been eliminated from consideration.

Therefore, It is important that your website really pops and stands out. At the end of the day the visitor should remember your website above the rest. Well designed websites cost more, but win over more prospects in the end. Don’t cheat yourself, hire a professional!

2) Show and Tell – It’s so important that you share your work and the positive feedback you’ve received on past jobs with your website visitors (see example above). Two great ways to do this are by having a testimonial and portfolio section. When your visitors see the quality work you’ve completed and read positive testimonials from people and businesses around your community it will add instant credibility to your companies name. It also shows that you are proud of your work and the relationships you have built. It shows you have satisfied customers who are willing to associate themselves with you and your company.

These are two very powerful sales tools that — when utilized correctly — can turn “tire-kickers” into strong prospects before a first contact. It is also one of the more difficult areas of the site to keep fresh and up-to-date because it involves making it a part of your normal routine. However, If you will commit to setting aside a small amount of time for each job to take a few pictures and get a customer testimonial the pay-offs will be huge.

3) Fresh, Complete Content & Content Management System (CMS) – Whenever I go to a website filled with stale or incomplete content my focus changes from the reason I’m there (to look for a service/product) to wondering how a website could be so bad (and/or if the company is still in business). This creates the same friction and frustration mentioned in the section above. Eliminating the frustration someone could feel when they visit your website should be a key goal when designing and populating a web site with content.

It’s really important, therefore, that a contractor has complete information for each service offered, the about us page, contact us page, and especially the home page. Once your website is complete and populated with content ask a friend or colleague to go to the site and pretend they are searching for the services you offer. Their feedback will help you get it just right!

(TIP: A knowledge base or frequently asked questions section is also a great way to built trust with your visitors. It can answer important questions and elevate your company to “expert” status before you say a word).

Finally, it is critical that you have the ability to update the content on the web site yourself. Most modern web sites these days have a content management system (CMS) built in. This CMS is a behind the scenes interface that will allow you to edit your website without the need of a third party webmaster (You can see an example of what the editor looks like above). It costs more to build a website with an integrated CMS, but you will save in the long run. Even if you don’t have much computer experience you can learn to update your website quickly and easily.

4) Contact / Free Quote Form - Picture your website as a funnel. If the top of the funnel is your homepage or page through which a visitor comes to your site, the bottom of the funnel is your “Contact Us/Free Quote” form (or a phone call). It is to the bottom of your funnel that you are trying to direct everyone that comes to your website. In fact it is the sole purpose you have a website.

This goal is important to remember and should be evident everywhere. A well designed website will have buttons in prominent places that allow the visitor to access the contact us or free quote page from anywhere on the site. Having the phone number on every page is also a good idea.

Bottom line, all of your website/web marketing efforts are directed towards making contact with potential prospects. It is important to impress, inform, educate and wow them, but if they don’t contact you it doesn’t mean a thing. This is a big one, so don’t let it fall through the cracks!

5) Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – It is an absolute necessity that your web site be “optimized” for local internet searches. This should be a part of the web package you purchase as it is absolutely critical to the success of your website. It is also important that your website development team has experience in the area of search engine optimization, as there are many factors that must be considered throughout the development process.

Some content management systems will also include interfaces that allow you — or an SEO professional of your choice — to continue working to keep your site optimized after it is complete.

Note: Web site optimization can be an ongoing process and is not “over” once the website itself has been built. Ask your web developer to explain SEO and how it works.

Conclusion - A recent survey found that 93% of business to business purchases begin online. This is important because your website will often times be the first opportunity to impress potential prospects. Unfortunately, many of these “potentials” come and go without your ever noticing — and so it also becomes your last. Having an effective website that is optimized for search engines makes all the difference.

As you contemplate and begin the process of planning your company website, keep these 5 factors in mind. If you would like to share other important factors that you feel help make an effective website — leave your comments below!

93% of Business to Business purchases begin online (BtoB Magazine)
90% of online commercial searches result in offline purchases (comScore)
74% of internet users perform local searches (Kelsey Group)
54% of americans have substituted the internet and local search for phone books (comScore)

These statistics point to a profound shift in the way we as a society are doing business and it has happened at lightening speed. People are now turning to the internet to find products and services not only to purchase on-line but also off-line. Internet search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing have replaced – or are quickly replacing – the Yellow Pages and similar paper based resources. Business professionals – and consumers are now doing their research on mobile devices on the spot. And not only that, but 68% of search engine users do not look past the first page of their results – meaning you need to be in the top 10 rankings for your products and services to be found.

This shift can mean one of two things for your business. On the up side, your business can directly benefit. By marketing your business on the web with a professionally designed web site (built to convert visitors to customers) you can tap into a new found stream of prospects for your business. The ironic thing about the web is that by having a large internet presence in your market, you can appear to be the biggest most successful business around… even if your doors have only been open 6 months. I’ve seen it happen before and many first and second year contractors are kicking the pants off the old timers because of that one simple fact.

On the down side, this new shift in the way people find products and services means a dwindling number or prospects for those not found on the web. Sure you’ll still have your word-of-mouth referral’s, but referral’s alone aren’t enough these days if you really want to grow your business.

Intuitively, most pavement contractors know their company needs to have a web presence, but most are not willing to make the investment. Meanwhile, every day, new prospects searching for pavement work are walking right into the welcoming arms of their competitors.

Don’t get me wrong, those off-line marketing tools you use like company brochures, yard signs, flyers and mailers are incredibly valuable. You should keep using those tools because they work. But you have to also be where people are looking for the products and services your business offers — and that happens to be the internet. Get on board and you will be astounded at the new business that comes surfing to your door. Then it’s up to you to make the sale.

But times have changed greatly since then and it’s time you change too! In today’s fast paced world people expect quick answers to their emails and business inquiries. Unless you respond soon, they will move on to the next contractor. Sure, they could pick up the phone and call, but they don’t want to, and in todays’ business world the burden falls on you.

With that in mind, business owners really have to be in touch with their email inbox. Because quite honestly, if you are one of those people who only check their business email once every couple days you are better off not having email at all.

So let me ask the questions again, “Is there anybody out there?” Are you really there when prospects email you about your services or you receive a form submission from your web site? Do you know where your web site sends the information your valued prospects submit?

One of the most frustrating experiences for a consumer trying to find as solution to there problem is to be left without an email response for more than 24 hours. Anything beyond that is unacceptable and the sooner you answer the better.

So if you struggle with timely email responses – and many of us do – here’s are several tips to help ease the hearts and minds of your eager prospects, clients and vendors (it works for mothers too).

• Work at it. It takes hard work to get into the right mindset about answering emails. Everyone lets a few slip by from time to time. You must first realize how critical it is to answer emails promptly and completely.
• Create a policy for your employees. It reflects poorly on your business when emails aren’t answered promptly. From the customers perspective it says they aren’t important enough to receive a quick reply.
• With smart phones being so prevalent these days, most people assume you see their email just a few minutes after they send it – whether its true or not. Do everyone a favor and get a smart phone that allows you to keep up with your emails throughout the day. Even a timely but short note like “I got your email, I’ll be in touch soon” can make a big difference.
• Do not let an email go unanswered for more than 24 hours. If possible close the gap to 1 or 2 hours.
• Do not let any email go unanswered. It makes people feel important when you send a quick reply even to the most insignificant email. Just a “thanks” or “that’s funny” can make a customer feel validated and cared for by your organization. Not responding to that comment or insignificant piece of trivia can make them feel unsure and leave a wrong impression.

These few tips can make a big difference in the relationships you have with your prospects, clients and vendors. Email may be a new means of communicating for you, but many people rely on it almost entirely. Make sure others know you ARE out there, totally engaged, and ready to serve!