Internet marketing has given small/local builders leverage to compete with larger, national and regional builders and remodelers. The problem is that so many builders are doing it wrong. They build their website and then they start to make a plan to generate leads online. This is completely backwards.
The problem is that most web design companies don’t know much about marketing. They are really good at designing cool looking websites, but you want a website that is going to work FOR you…not sit in the middle of cyberspace and never be found. If you’re going to spend a lot of money on a website, make sure you still have about 5 to 10 times that amount left in the budget to market it.
Before you start the process of finding a company to help you build your website, think about what your goals are. Chances are, your main objectives are to drive more traffic, leads and customers to it. Why else would you want a website? A website is a marketing tool and if you’re not going to use it for that…it’s just a waste of money in the first place.
In thinking about driving more traffic, leads and customers…how will you do that? Think about the type of content your prospects are interested in and devise a plan for creating that content on a consistent basis. What type of offers appeal to your target market? A free consultation, a free remodeling guide or maybe even a free washer and dryer at closing are all potential offers that you need to have available on your website. Think about what is going to turn a prospect into a lead—action! If you want them to take action, give them that opportunity in the form of an offer.
Now that you’ve thought about content and offers, you need to figure out how you’re going to promote your website. Turn to social media, pay-per-click, search engine optimization and blogging. These will be necessary steps in the process of getting your website found.
So what do you think? When you built your website (or re-designed it), did you think about the strategy for promoting it first? Or did you just want to make sure it looked professional and up to date?
Blog Post Written by Jimmy Donnellon
Jimmy is an inbound marketing professional with a background in public relations and marketing. Jimmy helps his clients found on the web, convert visitors into leads and helps them track their results.