A company’s website or online brochure is usually the most important component of its marketing communication toolkit. Your prospects are looking for service professionals online 24/7, and they should be able to find your info and photos with 2 clicks of their mouse.
What do I mean by a “Live Website”? …it’s one that’s hosted by a vendor directory that allows you to log in to update at your photos, company info, events, and testimonials as often as you wish. Both you and your customers will benefit by keeping your brochure content fresh.
Take a peak at www.LocalConstructionPros.com - it's where thousands of residential construction contractors choose to advertise their services for under $400 for a TWO year membership. I believe this offer is good until early 2010.
To have a company website with LocalConstructionPros, click here. Creating your own website is super easy, but you can call 347-789-3909 if you need help. Click HERE for a sample contractor website.
Top 10 Website Building Tips
The Homepage Should Suck 'em In
The website's homepage should match what’s inside your prospect’s head - Right Now. There is an emotional reason for the person’s interest in your service. What is it? What are they trying to create? What are they worried about? What opportunity would they love to capitalize on? What problems are they running into? If that person were to launch into a rant about renovating their home, what would they say? …hmmm, start with that. It'll peak their interest instantly.
Fire the Big Guns First
Your biggest selling point should be at the top of your brochure – the “Hotspot”. Once you hook them with something sweet, they'll read on to find the rest of the goods. Identify what you believe is the biggest benefit to your target audience, and feature it at the top. Don’t make the common mistake of starting with technical junk. – boring! Think benefits and thought-provoking statements.
Make It Forwarding Worthy
Putting a goldmine of information in your website will encourage the reader to email it to their friends and family in their community. What real residential construction tips can you share? Write your website text from an expert’s point of view, rather than a salesperson, you will gain the trust of your prospects. Also, feel free to get creative. If you have a funny story to share, as long as it pertains to your service, share it.
Make It Personal
An experienced speaker talking to a large audience will pick one person in the crowd and speak directly to him. Connecting with one person will change the tone of the speaker’s voice, and make him/her sound warmer, and more personal. In a similar fashion, the words in your brochure or website should use this technique. Try to zero in on one imaginary person. Why? Because writing in a direct “I’m-talking-to-you-only” style will make them feel important. In the end, to feel important is all your client really desires.
Add Flavor
Don't let your website's text sound dry or too technical. Share some emotional experiences with your reader. Tell your reader some “secrets”. Make it juicy. Give them some free advice.
Get to the Point…Fast
Keeping your message simple and to the point is super important. Remember, not everyone wants to be educated on every aspect of your service. Don't waste words on junk that doesn’t highlight benefits.
1. Show that you’re passionate about your service
2. Talk about its benefits
3. Show how others have benefitted in the past
4. Include a call to action.
HERE’S A BIGGIE!!!!! Continue to ask yourself, “What are my client’s needs?”
Don’t Talk About Yourself.
This is so HUGE that I’m going to say it again!
Don’t talk about yourself. You MUST talk about your client’s needs.
Read this carpenter's brochure out loud with a nasally operator voice:
“Our company was formed in 1996. In the last 10 years we have worked on many homes in the Monmouth County region. Our company’s reputation is unsurpassed in the industry.” …Yuck.
How did this make you FEEL? Instead of connecting with the customer by talking about their needs, they’re more interested in blabbing about themselves. Always keep the customer in mind, and try using “you” and “your” instead of “we”, “I”, and “our”.
Share Qualities That Will Make Their Experience Unique.
In general, people will not take the time to deal with you if they can find the same thing with less effort—but they will deal with you if you offer them something unique. The element of uniqueness can involve price, style, service, or some combination of all three. The most effective brochures are the ones that flaunt a company's unique points while outlining client benefits.
Please Make It Easy For Me to Read
Every website should be organized so the reader can scan the page and easily get to what they need. Create compelling, attention grabbing, boldfaced headlines throughout the site as if to say, “Hey, this is some very important stuff!” But, definitely avoid using all caps, because studies show that ads, emails, and brochures with all caps get very little attention.
Include a Call to Action
Regardless of how you organize your brochure, there's only one way to wrap it up…Ask your reader to Take Action.
Note: The call to action is NOT a call to hire you on the spot. It's asking your reader to take the very next step in the hiring process. Maybe it’s making a phone call, sending an email, or setting up a meeting in your office. It's probably not to sign a contract - so don't ask for that yet.
A simple call to action is, “Call Us Now For A Free Phone Consultation – 347-789-3909”
LocalConstructionPros.com
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