How Professional Websites Can Boost Your Home Service Business

TheGYV Penn Business Directory, Pennsylvania.

INTRODUCTION

Running a small business, particularly one that provides essential services such as plumbing,  lawn  care,  carpet  cleaning,  etc.,  requires  constant  contact  with  potential customers. With people shopping for services online more than ever before, a website is essential for building, transforming, and growing your brick-and-mortar business. Having said that, creating a professional website calls for a skilled web designer who will make your online business stand out from the competition.

If you are wondering why your Homes= Services business needs a website when you serve the local community? Truth is, with so many people relying on the internet to find essential services, you cannot afford not to have an online presence.

What follows are some good reasons why you need a website to expand and cash on your home service business.

IMPORTANCE OF WEBSITES FOR HOME SERVICE BUSINESSES

 

WIDE FORM OF ADVERTISING

Your  home  services  website  will  be the center of your company’s online presence. You can use it to promote your  business  around  the  Web  on social  networking  platforms,  forums, and  through  pay-per-click  (PPC) advertising models.

IT LOOKS PROFESSIONAL

Your   website   is   your   virtual storefront. It communicates who you are, what you do, and who you  work with.  Also,  it  gives  potential  clients an idea of what you can do to make their life easier. Having a website for your  business  to  send  a  potential client  to  for  further  information  or booking is an effective way to leave a great first impression.

SEARCH ENGINE VISIBILITY

Using  Local  SEO  tactics  and practices  when  optimizing  your website  helps  you  gain  quick  online visibility  when  prospective  clients around  your  location  need  your services.

CONVENIENCE FOR CUSTOMERS

Today,  people  can  enjoy  shopping and  even  run  their  businesses  from the  comfort  of  their  own  homes. Potential customers are more likely to close a deal when they can place an order instantly and at any time, rather than  wait  for  regular  B&M  stores  to open.

RESOURCE OF INFORMATION

Your website can be an information desk  for  your  clients.  If  you  have multiple  products,  display  them online with detailed information. This solely  will  replace  your  bulky, expensive paper catalogs with digital ones  that  are  easy  to  update.  You can promote your products by using multimedia formats such as images, interactive images, and videos.

Your website  may  also  serve  as  a  full portfolio of your work and a place to display  any  additional  information, such  as  testimonials  and  reviews from customers.

BENEFITS OF A HOME SERVICE BUSINESS WEBSITE

A website is a key business asset for sharing information, building credibility, and standing out in crowded marketplaces.

24/7 PRESENCE

Traditional  advertising  has  a  limited viewing time compared to a website that extends your availability around the clock. A  proper  website  allows  customers  to search, contact, book, and purchase your services 24/7 as needed.

INFORMATION

84%   of   online   consumers   think professional  websites  make  businesses more  credible  compared  to  companies that  only  have  social  media  profiles. Information    availability    and    full transparency   create   a   long-lasting relationship with clients.

BRAND VISIBILITYAND RECOGNITION

A  well-designed  website  is  your  online storefront.  You  want  to  grab  people’s attention  and  highlight  the  services  your business  offers  all  while  flexing  an  eye- catching, functional design.

NEW BUSINESS MAGNET

Your business website is a lot more than just  a  static  marketing  tool.  When  using the right strategies and tactics, a website can help you attract more customers and multiply revenue.

WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF YOUR WEBSITE?

Objectives are an essential part of a business marketing strategy that leads to online success.

What do you want to accomplish through your website? What do you want potential and existing customers to learn about your home service business? In what way do you want them to perceive your brand? What actions do you expect them to take on your website or as a result of using your website?

Once you are able to answer these questions, you will have a better idea of how you can use the website to achieve your communication objectives and marketing goals and make the Internet work in your favor.

The purpose of your website should be determined based on your business goals and model. Communication, marketing, or sales – what are your objectives? It’s of key importance that these goals are attainable and measurable. Such objectives may include:

• E-mail list and newsletter subscription.

Newsletters are primarily a way of sharing information. By subscribing to your newsletter or mailing list, website visitors give you valuable data you can later use for distributing blog posts, tips and tricks, special offers, and carrying out e-mail campaigns.

• Requesting additional info.

Preferably, your website should present a fair amount of readily-available, free-value content. However, leads/prospects may have specific questions or require further information. Your website will need a particular design and tools to fulfill that objective.

• Online customer service.

Real-time online resolution of customer service issues is on the rise. Running an effective home services website with a primary objective to help customers resolve problems will help you build a long-term relationship with your clients and build your credibility.

• E-commerce.

If your primary objective is to encourage customers to purchase home services directly from your website, you will need a website and tools that support e- commerce. It will allow you to track the volume of services sold online, both in units and in revenue. You can also track the number of transactions from website visits and compare them to transactions from other channels.

• Website visitors.

Tracking the numbers of new and recurring visitors to your website will help you monitor the volume and type of traffic you are obtaining. This information can also help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your online presence and marketing strategies.

AN EFFECTIVE WEBSITE TURNS PROSPECTS INTO CUSTOMERS

Here’s what an effective home services website needs to possess to help you convert “window shoppers” into recurring customers:

• OBJECTIVES

Each page on your home service website needs to cater to a specific need  of  your  visitor.  Whether  they  are  looking  for  your  contact details, need more information on home services, or trying to resolve a customer service issue, your website should answer their needs and meet your objective.

• DESIGN AND NAVIGATION

Make your website easy to navigate with a clear menu. The menu should highlight a different page for each of your services. The home service industry is local-business-oriented, and there is nothing more frustrating for a visitor than endlessly trying to figure out your areas of service and expertise.

• MOBILE-FRIENDLY

Make sure your website is optimized for viewing across different devices. Living in an era when our mobile phones are turning into all-purpose devices, having a website optimized for desktop usage only will lead to traffic and credibility loss.

• SEO OPTIMIZATION

The initial intent of SEO optimization is to improve your website’s rankings  in  search  results.  However,  the  ultimate  goal  of  ranking high is to attract more traffic — and optimally, convert that traffic into prospects and customers.

• CALL TO ACTION

A call-to-action form will enable leads to connect with you easily, but it will also help you obtain valuable contact information that will allow you to follow up with your leads at later times.

• COMMUNICATION

The Internet allows users to consume large amounts of information in a very short time. It’s therefore essential that you serve information on your website in a clear but engaging manner. It needs to be easy to read and digest. This is easily achievable by formatting your text with headers, bullet points, clear fonts, etc

• COLOR AND MEDIA

Text is not the only way to communicate with your users. Rich media such as images, videos, and infographics can convey a message more effectively than any piece of text. In the same way, choosing a color palette for your brand will make your business easily recognizable.

• USER EXPERIENCE

Good User Experience is what builds bridges between your business and your customers. Good UX design tries to fulfill the user’s needs and  makes  you  look  professional  and  reliable.  A  positive  UX experience can keep a user loyal to the product or brand.

• REVIEWS AND TESTIMONIALS

A  mix  of  reviews  and  testimonials  will  make  your  home  service company stand out from the competition and boost your credibility. Plus, we live in a visual world, so “before” and “after” pictures of a finished job published on your website are great to make leads feel more at ease to use your company as their contractor.

BUYING HOME SERVICES ONLINE IS BOOMING

The home services consumer journey usually begins online!

The  USA  home services  market is  expected to  grow  35.81% per  year  from  2019-2026.

Despite the fact that many providers faced hardships at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,

the industry has since rebounded. (Source: Verified Market Research)

In most home services verticals, over 55% of consumers run a search before scheduling an

appointment. Additionally, most home services shoppers don’t have a company in mind when

they run a search.  In 2019, Google recorded 350 times more searches for the keywords “local” and “near me” compared to 2009. These search terms help consumers find local home services companies since they require local agents to come to their homes.

DEVELOPING A WEBSITE FOR YOUR HOME SERVICE BUSINESS

These are the phases of the development plan for your company’s website that a web designer will follow:

• Plan. Specify the range of the project. Define goals and strategies. Work on a content plan. Determine who will execute the plan.
• Design. Design the look-and-feel (user interface) of the site defining the features, functionality, and content that needs to be incorporated. In this phase, major steps include design concepts and a proposed site map. The way in which your website is visually presented can have a significant influence on its success. This is partly because visual cues play an important role in shaping customers’ initial perception of your brand.
• Implementation. Create the website, on time and on budget. This is where the scope of the project can change due to budget/time changes. You will get the chance to review all site content once or twice during implementation.
• Testing. In this step, the web designer ensures that the website is running smoothly without showing any bugs or errors.
• Distribution. It’s finally time to publish the new website and register it with search engines (Google, Bing, etc) so it can start appearing in searches.
• Monitor, evaluate, and update. There is no such thing as a “final” version of a website. You must be prepared to update your website’s functionality, design, and user interface on a regular basis.

CONCLUSION: A WEBSITE IS ESSENTIAL FOR BUSINESS GROWTH

Running your own home services business is not an easy task, and your to-do list is guaranteed to never end. Having said that, you shouldn’t use this as an excuse when it comes to maintaining stable and continuous online visibility.

Starting with your website, it is vital to position yourself online with a strong, professional virtual storefront that gives customers the impression that you mean business and the motivation to want to engage frequently with your company.

If you haven’t invested in a professional website, you’re missing out on opportunities to present yourself to customers who you are and show them why they should spend money on you.

While no website equals missed opportunities, a bad website is worse because it makes your business look unprofessional and unreliable.

This is why a good website for home services businesses will immediately convert prospective clients into long-term customers for your brand.

If growth is what you aim for, we are absolutely positive you will reach new business heights with our home services website designs!

Feel free to reach out and we will be happy to extend a helping hand.

TheGYV Penn Business Directory, Pennsylvania.