Avernis Thoughts

As a contractor, builder, carpenter, plumber, electrician or other building tradesperson, you want your website to help increase awareness of your business and expose it to a broader market. It should help build your reputation, promote your services to new and existing customers so you are assured of a steady flow of work, plus improve customer communication.

An effective website can also help strengthen relationships by providing something of value to your customers, to help engender loyalty. So, how do you achieve this?

Building tradespeople need to follow these five strategies to maximise the value of a new website.

1. Research what your customers value most when engaging a tradesperson – and use the information on the web site to reflect how you can satisfy customer needs. This doesn’t mean you need to do expensive research – simply ask a few pertinent questions of your current clients to ascertain what they were looking for when engaging you (or other tradespeople). Ask what they found annoying about dealing with tradespeople; what they liked most about your work. Then use the findings on the website.
   
   For example, if the top three things customers most wanted were an assurance of the time the tradesperson would arrive, to be able to book a ‘first thing in the morning’ visit, and that the work area would be completely cleaned up afterwards, then you outline your approach to meeting these requirements on your web site.
   
   
2. Provide content of value to your customers and potential customers. That means you don’t just list what you do, or talk about how well you do it, but you provide helpful information to solve problems for customers.
   
   Include practical tips and hints or useful advice – not just an outline of the services you offer. You might list the contacts for energy or water suppliers, or electrical product or hardware stores in the local area where you operate, as a quick reference for customers for example. Or provide suggestions for dealing with typical household problems to avoid needing to call a tradesperson (like where to check to find where services are buried before people dig in the garden), or tips on how to cope with a problem before you can arrive to deal with it (like how to turn off water at the main, or how to check a safety switch). You could include explanations of the value of particular products, or a comparison of the benefits of different options (for example, which fire alarm choices are appropriate for the home or business, and why).
   
   Discussing examples of how you’ve solved problems for other customers (rather than just providing a list of tasks you can perform), plus including testimonials, can help new customers recognise how you might be able to help them – and inspire them to book your services rather than a competitor.
   
   
3. Make relevant special offers. These can be an inexpensive way to gain new business. For example, you might offer your web visitors a special rate for a service for a set period.
   
   
4. Use well written copy that grabs attention, inspiring the audience to engage your services. You may be a great tradie, but not a great writer. Good web designers, like Avernis, work with a range of copywriters who can help to turn your bland copy into something to really ‘sell’ your business.
   
   
5. Good graphics/images and an attractive design help promote the quality of your services. But how easy the site is to navigate is even more important. Working with a web designer who takes the time to understand your needs and ensure the design and imagery reflects your business and the site is easy to use, is the first step. They’ll also use the right Content Management System so you can readily upload photos from your digital camera or purchase images from photo libraries quite inexpensively, to keep the site looking good and up to date over time.
   
   

Too many websites for tradespeople simply show images of buildings and tools, plus a list of services, but getting the content and design right, by working with experienced web developers who understand what will work and what won’t, can maximise the value a website.
* Janet Broadhead is the principal of B&A Public Relations, a specialist marketing communications consultancy. www.broadhead.com.au