That’s a good question. Sometimes “they” do and sometimes “they” don’t.
As I kid I remember watching a movie where a farmer built a baseball field in his corn crop. He only did it because he wanted a specific someone to come, and he was assured that they would. If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s called “Field of Dreams” and I won’t spoil it for you.
In building a website for a business in the construction industry it’s very easy to focus on the fact that your company simply builds things, and that is all that needs to be said. You can dedicate entire pages to content and portfolios of half built projects, but that doesn’t always do the trick.
For the buyer the connection isn’t always purely based on information. The overall look and feel of the website and the way projects and or services are positioned is key.
For businesses in the construction industry, “building” is key. Building your brand. Building your audience. Building a following.
So how do you build your brand? There are countless ways to build a brand, your audience and a following. Hire Ogilvy & Mathers (maybe if you’re made of money, perhaps). But for the slightly frugal and budget restricted client here are some simple tips:
- Focus on completed projects.
Everyone likes to see before and after pics. I know it makes me feel good. Just don’t let your website become littered with projects that are undone. Construction project sites often look like a demolition site.
- Use high-quality pictures.
This takes a little bit of planning and foresight. There’s no way around it. You have to make it a part of your process organizationally, to include taking pictures of your projects once completed. This contributes to the “wow” factor. You can use these for future marketing efforts as well.
- Create and use case studies.
Case studies can be your friend or enemy (too much info scares people away). For the purpose of the construction industry, it would could include basic details regarding the challenges that were faced when undertaking the project. Time restrictions, zoning restrictions, budgeting and things of that nature.
- Leverage your Social Media.
You will want to keep this blog post in mind “Can We Be Too Social?“. With that being said give people something to write about and talk about. If you are doing custom homes, create a pinterest page and share great design ideas along with photos.
Think with and follow these points, if you build it, they may actually come.
