The internet brought the dawning of a new age for businesses of all types and sizes. Innovative entrepreneurs could compete in the same arena with large corporations, small shops could get their wares in front of more customers, and consumers could find online reviews and forums to help them judge the quality of a company’s products and services. As it became increasingly vital to have an online presence, contractor websites became commonplace. If you offer paving services, you probably have a website. However, if you have not given your site much thought in the last few years, it may be time for a new website.
Top Reasons Why You Need a New Asphalt Website in 2023
Have You Really Evaluated Your Paving Website Lately?
All too often, companies tend to hire someone to design a website that is immediately placed on autopilot. Since many issues with your website may not be immediately apparent, you may not realize that problems exist, including a decline in your asphalt website traffic or a high rate of visitors who abandon your site almost immediately. Other issues, however, could be easy to spot. Take a good look at your website to see if you find any problems that could be hindering your attempts to tap into the power of the internet.
- Is it visually attractive? To reduce loading times, web developers in the past often resorted to creating plain, boring sites with walls of text and few graphics. However, with modern technology and proper optimization, a website can be both fast and attractive. If your site is unattractive, visitors may feel that you are either out of touch or unprofessional. Think of the sign in front of your business. Do you have it replaced or repaired periodically so that it makes a good first impression? You should be doing something similar to your website.
- Are you taking full advantage of asphalt company SEO? Optimizing sites for the search engines is a crucial part of driving paving website traffic. Not too many years ago, keyword stuffing was a common tactic to boost rankings; if having one paving company SEO keyword was good, then repeating it 100 times must be even better. The search engines got wise to the trick, however. Today, keyword stuffing can lower your rankings. Instead, the search engines look for relevant keywords, fast loading times, and relevant, useful content.
- Is your website organized and consistent? If you have added features or sections to your site over the years, you may have a bit of a mess. You may have an assortment of fonts, formats, or colors, or you may have outdated images, broken links, or logos that never got updated. A new site lets your visitors enjoy a consistent, organized, efficient experience.
- How fast do your pages load? The loading speed of your home page is essential, but the speed with which the additional pages load when the visitors navigate to them is also important. Most people begin to get impatient with a wait of about two seconds, and an additional wait of one second will lead to widespread abandonment of your site. Many things can affect loading time, including numerous redirects, lack of properly optimized elements, unnecessary scripts or plugins, failure to utilize caching correctly, and an overabundance of resources.
- Can your website incorporate the latest technologies? Time does not stand still, and neither does technology. New technologies, however, are not always compatible with outdated software or operating systems. You could be missing out on valuable security options, for example, or ways to provide users with virtually instantaneous loading speeds.
- Is your website mobile friendly? Twenty years ago, few people foresaw the dramatic impact that smartphones and other mobile devices would have on website development. Today, more than 80% of all American internet users own or have access to a smartphone. They use their smartphones to locate businesses offering the services they need and conduct preliminary research. These users tend to be even less forgiving of slow loading speeds and navigation issues than those using a desktop computer. Your mobile website is not just a miniaturized version of your traditional site. If you do not have a website optimized for mobile users, you could be missing sales.
- Have you added services or expanded into new areas? Many asphalt contractors start with two or three basic services before purchasing the equipment to handle additional types of jobs. For example, a company might start by offering crack repairs, sealcoating, and striping for parking lots before moving into asphalt overlays, new construction, or street and road work. They may also limit their service area to just one or two counties before expanding across the state. Adding new services and service areas piecemeal can create problems for users attempting to navigate your website.
If you suspect that your asphalt website has become more of a hindrance than a help, contact the experts at Walkie Talkie. We spent several decades in the asphalt industry, so we speak your language. Furthermore, we know how to create websites for paving contractors that will help them keep their businesses moving forward on the path to greater success. Whether you are ready for a free quote or want additional information, you can reach us by phone at (833) 848-8200 or by email at info@wtalkie.com. We also have an online contact form that you can submit.