It’s important to keep your website up to date as a heavy construction company regardless of how you win new business. An outdated website diminishes your ability to get found on the internet, makes you look careless to visitors, and will hurt your business as a result.
Getting Found on the Internet
It’s difficult to think of a company that wouldn’t benefit from being found on the internet. There are even arguments to be made as to why low bid contractors should care about search results.
Google controls more than 90 percent of website search, so your focus should be on appearing on the first page of search results. What exactly does it take to show up on the first page of Google?
No one knows for sure because Google never reveals how the algorithm that ranks websites functions. The consensus is that it wants current and relevant website content, quick loading speed, unbroken hyperlinks, and ethical SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tactics. SEO is still a factor, but not as much as it once was so keep using your relevant keywords responsibly.
Like a Brochure, But Better
Remember your old brochure? It was probably never completely up to date because your marketing budget and the speed of change at your company never saw eye to eye.
Your website is the new brochure and it’s a lot easier and more cost-effective to update. Most importantly, the public face you show is constantly accessible to others. Let that sink in for a moment. In today’s world, a stale website will leave visitors assuming the worst about your business.
There are countless reasons your customers and prospects might visit your website. An owner might want to check out your work or your team to determine whether to add you to a bid list, for example. What they find on your website is gospel because if they don’t see what they want, the search will most likely stop there.
The internet search is the new phone call. Most of us now conduct online reconnaissance before engaging. The quality of your website, which includes whether it’s current, is now a determining factor on whether you even get the phone call. Don’t believe the narrative that this is next generation behavior; even senior citizens are comparing website quality to pick residential contractors.
Which Website Content to Update
Do you have the ability to update your website? In other words, can someone at your company physically log in and make changes? You would be surprised how any heavy construction companies don’t.
A common scenario is that the website was designed long ago, in the days before Content Management Systems (CMS) like WordPress existed, when code had to be changed. You had to pay a designer for every change. If your website is that old, it’s time for a redesign and a CMS.
So which website content should you update? Think about your website content in two categories: copy and images. Both should be current. Commit to doing a thorough sweep of your website at least once quarterly to scan for outdated content.
On the copy side, a blog/news page where you include new projects, equipment, hires, technologies, services, upcoming events, etc. is an ideal way to create fresh content. It’s also a smart idea to add or remove pages and update copy to reflect changes within your operation.
Images have a longer shelf life than copy. The big offender on many construction websites is outdated project photos and former employees. Outdated images can be even more damaging than text because visitors are even more likely to see images than they are to read copy.
Your company website is your most valuable marketing asset in today’s world. Keep it current and you will generate leads and new business. Let it grow stale and you will achieve exactly the opposite.
Brian M. Fraley is the owner and chief strategist for Fraley Construction Marketing, a marketing content specialist with a 100% focus and deep understanding of the heavy construction industry. Its core services include social media, website design, email marketing, job stories, public relations, writing and editing, graphic design, photography, and video. Brian has served this niche market for more than 25 years. He is active on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and regularly contributes to the Construction Marketing InSITE Newsletter, Construction Marketing Straight Talker Blog, and various trade publications.
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