As a home service provider, you are always looking for ways to increase your customer base. But one of your biggest assets is often overlooked…
Your website plays a big role in your success. But a website isn’t a set-it-and-forget it marketing machine. It requires ongoing care and attention to keep converting new customers.
The key is getting just the right mix of elements to make it a go-to destination for people looking for home services or contractors. And once they land on your website, you need to make sure it converts!
If your website isn’t converting visitors into customers, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to scale your business and increase revenue.
Grow your customer base and increase sales by optimizing these 4 elements of your website.
What Does It Mean to Convert a Website Visitor?
When I use the term “Convert” or “conversion,” I’m referring to someone who is visiting your website and then taking the next step in booking with you. For example:
Filling out a form submission
Having a dialogue with your chat bot
Calling your office
Sending an inquiry email
With each of these, the website visitor is one step closer to hiring you for service. And that’s what the goal of your website should be — to convert website visitors into customers.
If you’re not getting many conversions from visitors to customers (or if that number is trending down), it’s likely because there are problems with the 4 important elements below.
Design
Have you ever Google’d a business and clicked onto their website, only to leave right away because the site is ugly, outdated or hard to use?
One of the most important aspects of any customer-facing business is to make sure that your website design looks good and works well.
You only have about 50 milliseconds (about 0.05 seconds) to make a good first impression with your website.
An attractive design will encourage visitors to spend more time on your website, which can lead to an increase in conversions (which helps increase revenue!)
If your pages are cluttered, if there’s text running into one another, or if the menu is hard to find or use, people wont’t stay on your site for long. And statistically most people never come back once they “bounce” away from your site.
And good design doesn’t mean just having a slick-looking site. Make sure navigating around the site is easy too.
Did you know if your website isn't user-friendly, it won't be as easy to find in search results? Read this 👇 Google’s New Page Experience Algorithm: How Will It Impact Your Home Services Website?
And simplicity and functionality doesn’t mean you have to have an ugly website. Far from it! It just needs to be functional to meet your goals of increasing conversions and decreasing bounces rates.
Designing an effective site can be hard for those who have no experience in web development.
That’s why this is one area where it’s worth spending some money!
Having a great website sets your brand up for success, converts more customers, and can help make you profitable from day one.
Content
Compelling content can be the difference between a visitor staying on your site and leaving.
You can have the most beautifully designed website in the world, but if it has poor quality content that’s not engaging to visitors — you’re losing people’s attention and missing out on leads.
It doesn’t matter how good your design is: people won’t buy from you unless they feel heard and understood. They want to feel a connection with your brand, and your website helps build that relationship and trust.
Your website content needs to be engaging and enticing. It shouldn’t just talk about you.
Instead, talk about your customers; what they want and need. Describle the benefits of your service. Describe what life will be like after they hire you.
The content also needs to add to your credibility. It should answer questions like “can this company do what they say?” or “what can I expect if I hire this company?”
Blogs are a great way to keep people engaged with your website and build trust. Here's How To Write Unique Blogs For Your Home Service Business
You don’t have to use a lot of words either: in fact sometimes less is more!
And remember that content comes in many different forms these days. Video can often take up much less space than text while providing lots of valuable information.
Having great highly-converting content on your website can take some time and effort (and sometimes money). But if done correctly, it can lead directly back into revenue from future clients and repeat business.
Portfolio
Having a portfolio or gallery page with high-quality pictures of your work is another important part of a website that converts.
The purpose of a portfolio is two-fold: it not only showcases the finished product but also demonstrates how you deliver on promises.
Sharing before and after images or pictures from each stage of your process gives a behind-the-scenes look at your work and how you solve customers’ problems.
A portfolio also gives visitors an idea of the scope of your business and all services available.
Someone might come to your site expecting to hire you for one small project, and wind up hiring you for three because they see your portfolio and realize that you can solve other problems they’re experiencing.
Call-to-Action
The final must-have element you need to convert customers is clear call-to-actions.
A call-to-action is a direct statement of the next step that you want your visitors to take.
It could be something as simple as “call for a free estimate” or “fill out the form to schedule your maintenance.”
If people don’t know what they need to do, they’re not going to do anything!
So give visitors clear instructions on what to do next on every page. And make it easy for them to find your contact information. You don’t want any obstacles between someone coming to your site and scheduling with you!
So to sum things up:
Have a well-designed site, both visually and for functionality
Use tantalizing content; written to engage perfect customers (don’t just talk about yourself)
Offer proof of your skills through project portfolios featuring before and after images
Make sure call-to-actions are clear and prominent throughout your website
So tell me - does your website convert well? Which elements are you missing? Share in the comments!
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