Creating a Website for Your Home Services Business: Tips and Tricks
Creating a website for your business is an example of a home service business owner.
Why do I need a website for my home service business?
Have you ever tried to find a local service provider, such as an electrician, plumber or general contractor? It is not always easy. Customers often find contact information for businesses in their area, browse website after website, and hopefully, they can trust online reviews.
Simply put, finding the information they need can be time-consuming.
For this reason, it is essential to create your own business website. You don’t have to be a business mogul to create an effective website for your business. All you need is a little help and vision!
Let’s start with all the reasons.
Having a business website can help your small business …
Reach a wider audience and broaden the reach of your business. Creating a website for your home service business allows you to reach out to the public. Websites help businesses provide relevant touchpoints, get qualified leads, and expand their overall reach.
Increase the sales and profits of your business. Did you know that consistent branding and building and designing your site can increase sales by 23%? Strengthen your brand and encourage more conversions through your website!
Educate new and existing customers in your business. You can educate customers through creative content in the form of blogs, ebooks, and case studies. A good rule to follow is: 80% of your content should be usable/actionable, and another 20% can be educational and informative. Check out these home service blogs for examples and inspiration
Showcase your work and customer success stories. About 90% of customers use the Internet to find a local business. This is a huge number for small business owners to take advantage of! Websites allow businesses to have a centralized position where they can showcase their best work and gain more leads. Your business can also do this by creating dedicated testimonials or review pages.
Build and strengthen the credibility of your business. There is nothing more professional than investing in good website hosting, building a mobile- and user-friendly site, and having all the resources to back it up. In fact, a staggering 75% of consumers judge a business website and its credibility based on its design!
Keep an eye on your business activities and gain insights into key data. You can mine insights from your website traffic, such as the population of potential customers and what services they are looking for. Your business can then use this data to make insightful decisions and strategies for future marketing campaigns!
Learn how signposts can help your business
How To Build A Website For Your Business In 7 Easy Steps
Now is the time to learn how to create a website for your home service business to make it easier for customers to find you. Here are 7 easy steps to follow to get started:
- Idea and Brainstorm
The first thing you need to do is meet the purpose of displaying your business online. It is useless to invest time in building your online presence and establishing a professional website unless you are clear about its purpose. Take your time in the early stages to ask the following questions:
What is the primary purpose of your website?
Will you be selling something on your website?
How do you want it to be interactive?
Should You Use Custom Domain Names?
How would you like to see it? What features do you want to include?
Do you want to take visitors away from your website?
- Choose a Website Building Platform
You do not have to be a coding expert to create your own website. While hosting providers provide you with “online rental space” to host your local business website, building platforms help you in actual web design. Some platforms offer all-in-one solutions.
Here are some integrated platforms to explore:
Wix is a popular affordable drag-and-drop website developer. Paid plans start at just $ 8.50 per month.
Squarespace is one of the best website builders for creative people who want to further customize. You can start from hundreds of templates and develop the website of your dreams with its many integrations and features. Rates start at $ 12 per month.
Weebly is a long-lasting website builder that can be used for many business needs, from creating an online store to a simple site. Paid plans start at $ 5 per month.
GoDaddy can be used to create a modern, smooth website. It provides a free domain for the first year. You can start with a free template and then upgrade to payment plans starting at $ 6.99 per month.
WordPress.org gives you complete control over the design and functionality of your website and the ability to add useful plugins from their existing resource database. However, to use it you need to configure a hosting provider in a separate step.
Alternatively, you can hire a professional web designer to create your site for you.
- Find a hosting provider
Users who have chosen an all-in-one website-building platform and hosting provider can skip this step. Otherwise, invest some time in finding a web host that works for your business.
Many hosting companies offer different hosting plans that you can choose from. These companies include Bluehost, SiteGround, and more! The hosting service you choose depends on a number of factors, such as:
Your desired speed
Site storage capacity
Your budget
- Choose a template or theme
Now, it’s time to choose your theme or template. Many website-building platforms come with website templates and themes. You can often access these themes by navigating through the dashboard
For example, WordPress.org lets you access themes and templates by going to your Dashboard> Appearance> Themes.
Other previously listed website builders also come up with their own themes for you to choose from.
Get more Google reviews
- Add and create your content
Once you’ve got the technical elements of your business site, it’s time to fill it with content!
One of the most important elements to focus on is:
Creating Pages: This includes copying and designing the pages you need. This includes your home page, product page, service page, testimonial page, and much more.
Contact Information / About: Your contact page should ideally include a contact form for potential customers to contact you easily.
Blog: Post authentic and informative content on your blog. Blogs allow your business to regularly update and connect with your customers A relevant blog will help you get web traffic and potential leads! Use the best search engine optimization (SEO) practices and SEO tools to make your content valuable and stand out from the competition.
- Go live!
Once everything is ready for visitors, go live on your website! Make sure you’ve got all the necessary aspects of your site before you hit that publish button!
Atta boy Check out the 100 best plumbing websites for more inspiration!
RS Mechanical Are you an HVAC professional? Check out these 40 HVAC websites to help you build your website!
Electricians can check out the top 100 electrician websites for inspiration here!
Pro-Tip: Once your site is live, be sure to make all the necessary updates as needed. If your business schedule changes or if you no longer offer the service, make sure it is reflected on your website.
- Return all other pages and materials to your website
Now that your business site is up and running, make sure you’ve got all your other platforms and online profiles back on it! These include but are not limited to your business:
Yelp Page, Google Page, or any other/all review platform
Social media accounts including Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Individual advertising campaigns (both online and offline)
Any physical marketing materials such as pamphlets, business cards, and flyers
You can send your customers back to your business site by including the actual web address, a scannable QR code, or even a short link.
Essential Tips for Creating a Website
Before you go, here are some ultimate website optimization tips to make the most of your online real estate!
Tell your business story. The “About” section of your website should go above and beyond a regular page that only lists information about your business. Humanize your business and connect with customers with the story of the team behind the brand. You also need to provide the necessary details on how your service can enrich the lives of customers and what your offer can do for them.
Keep your menus simple and easy to use. This is a menu that many website visitors will click to go to your website. Make it user-friendly and easy.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. 85% of your customers believe that a company’s website viewed from a mobile device should be better or better than its desktop website. Furthermore, Google actually penalizes web pages that are not mobile-friendly
Use high-quality images, even if they are stock images. There is no shame in using stock images, but you should not make the mistake of compromising on quality. Make sure all your images are properly formatted and of the highest quality and resolution on your site.
Choose a font that is easy to read. If the content or format is not attractive then 38% of subscribers will leave the relationship with a website. Avoid turning off your customers by using inappropriate or readable fonts. Readability key.
Start tracking your website even if the traffic is low. Count each visitor. Make sure your analytics tools are integrated with your website design so you can draw insights and sharpen your website and activities in the future.
Integrate chat on your website. When 63% of consumers claim that they will return to a website if it has a live chat function, it is time to add it to your business website. Live chat is often a neglected but critical element of a successful site. With live chat, you will answer your customers’ questions, get more leads and experience your overall customer experience.