When it comes to contractor websites, UX (user experience) is more than just a nice-to-have – it can be the deciding factor in whether or not customers choose your business and equally important, whether Google gives your site the thumbs up for good rankings.
A contractor website with excellent UX is like a well-oiled machine. It's effortless for your customers to maneuver and pleasing on the eyes, providing customers and potential customers with an enjoyable yet efficient experience that can be navigated without any hitches.
It's also critically important to Google. Think about it, Google users could be visiting your contractor website after searching for:
"concrete and masonry work"
"landscaping and lawn care"
"painting and drywall services"
"flooring and tile installation"
"kitchen and bathroom remodeling"
"home renovation and remodeling"
"plumbing services"
"contractor [city]"
"contractor [city]"
"contractors [zip code]"
"roofing and exterior repairs [zip code]"
And if Google users don't have a good user experience, then Google will not be happy. And we all know what happens if Google isn't happy with your contractor website- yep, down the rankings drain it shall go.
What do we mean by a happy Google? Let's say a user starts on Google's servers and types in a search term like landscaping and lawn care, painting and drywall services, flooring and tile installation, hvac (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) services or another related service. Next, the user views the top contractor websites on page 1 and clicks over to the site that most appealed to them.
Contractors can maximize the potential of their website by making it responsive. A well-designed, adaptive site allows contractor visitors to view content no matter what device they are using - be it a desktop computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone!
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Mobile compatibility: With the majority of contractor searches like concrete and masonry work, hvac (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) services, flooring and tile installation, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, landscaping and lawn care, electrical work, etc., now being done on mobile devices, it's important for contractors to have a website that is easily accessible and usable on a variety of mobile phones, including the latest iPhone, Androids and tablets.
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Convenience: A responsive website allows customers to easily find and contact the contractor, schedule contractor appointments, and make payments, regardless of the device they're using.
PRO TIP: Additionally, Google uses the mobile version of your contractor website for ranking. In fact, Google has been using mobile-first indexing for several years, which means that it uses the mobile version of a website for indexing and ranking, rather than the desktop version.
This is because the majority of contractor related searches, like flooring and tile installation, painting and drywall services, concrete and masonry work, landscaping and lawn care, etc., are now done on mobile devices. By using mobile-first indexing, Google aims to improve the search experience for users by providing them with relevant and user-friendly content, regardless of the device they're using.
The best contractor websites will be optimized for mobile devices and have a responsive design, giving them a better opportunity to rank higher in search results, as they provide a better user experience.
It's worth noting that if a contractor's website doesn't have a mobile version, Google will still index and rank it, but it may not perform as well as a mobile-optimized website.
Well Placed Call-to-Actions (CTA)
Contractor websites should be designed to inspire action from your visitors - and the key to that are carefully crafted call-to-actions (CTAs). By strategically placing CTAs throughout the site, you can encourage people to take desired actions and ultimately increase conversions.
Having well-placed CTAs on your website will help it:
Without a effective CTAs, your contractor website may be missing out on a huge opportunity to engage and convert visitors. Ensure that yours is strategically placed - it could make all the difference!
Navigation Built for the Contractor Customer's Journey
Your contractor's website must have a navigation that built to provide a fluid customer journey. Navigation is the way visitors find their way around your website and it's crucial to make it easy for them to reach the information they are looking for.
A well-organized and intuitive navigation structure can improve the overall user experience and help your customers (and potential customers) quickly and easily find the content they are interested in.
Key Contractor Pages to Have on Your Website
There are several important pages that should be included on a contractor website in order to provide potential customers with the information they need and to help establish the business as a reputable and professional one. Some key pages to include are:
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Homepage: A clear and well-designed homepage that gives an overview of the contractor business and its services.
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About Your Contractor Team: A page that provides information about the contractor's team, the business and its history, along with the qualifications and certifications.
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Contractor Services Provided: A page that lists the contractor services offered by the business, along with detailed information about each service.
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Portfolio: A page that showcases the contractor's past work, including before-and-after photos of completed projects.
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Contractor Testimonials: A page that features customer reviews and testimonials from past contractor projects, which can help to build trust and credibility with potential customers.
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Contact Us: A page that provides the contact information for the contractor business, including phone number, email, and physical address, as well as a contact form to allow customers to easily get in touch.
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FAQs: A page that answers common contractor questions customers may have about the business and its services.
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Blog: Blog: A page that provides helpful tips and advice on contractor-related issues and can help the website to rank higher on search engines.
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Emergency Contractor Services: A page that provides information about emergency services that the contractor offers and how to contact them in case of emergency.
PRO TIP: Stand out from the competition even more by covering the latest contractor trends. Below are a few trends in the contractor industry that your website should go over.
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Increased use of technology and automation - Contractors are adopting new technologies such as construction project management software, 3D printing, and virtual and augmented reality to improve productivity and efficiency.
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Focus on sustainability and green building - Contractors are becoming more aware of the environmental impact of construction and are incorporating sustainable materials and practices into their work.
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Growing demand for specialized contractors - As the construction industry becomes more complex, the demand for specialized contractors in areas such as roofing, electrical, and plumbing is increasing.
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Emphasis on worker safety - Contractors are placing greater emphasis on worker safety and implementing measures such as safety training programs and safety equipment to minimize risks on job sites.
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Shift towards design-build services - Many contractors are now offering design-build services, which provide clients with a single point of responsibility for both design and construction. This allows for greater collaboration and coordination between design and construction teams and can lead to cost savings and a smoother project outcome.
On-Page Contractor SEO
On-page contractor SEO plays a crucial role when it comes to creating a website for your contractor company; not only does it make sure that search engines can index your content, but also allows them to instantly identify how relevant your contractor website is for a particular search term.
After disecting the top websites for contractors, we correlated the top areas to focus on when it comes to on-page contractor SEO:
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Use keyword-rich titles and meta descriptions: The title tag and meta description are among the most important on-page contractor SEO elements. Make sure they accurately reflect the content of the webpage and include the target keywords.
Example: If you're wanting to be found for "contractor services" you'll want to include this phrase in the areas mentioned above.
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Use header tags appropriately: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organize the content of the page and make it easy for search engines to understand the structure of the page.
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Optimize images and videos: Use descriptive file names and alt tags for images and videos to make them more easily discoverable by search engines.
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Optimize internal linking structure: Use internal linking to help search engines understand the hierarchy of your website and the relative importance of different pages.
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Use schema markup: Schema markup is a type of structured data that can help search engines understand the content of a webpage more effectively.
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Keep it fresh: Regularly updating your contractor website with fresh, relevant content can help boost your rankings and drive more traffic to your site.
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Use tools: Use SEO tools to track your on-page SEO progress and find areas that need improvement.
PRO TIP: The best contractor websites don't over-do-it. You want to stay away from going overboard with adding unessecary keywords to avoid an overoptimization penalty.
Overoptimization, also known as "keyword stuffing," refers to the practice of including too many keywords on a webpage in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings. This can include using the same keyword multiple times in the same sentence or paragraph, using hidden text or links, or creating fake pages with irrelevant content.
Example: At ACME Contractor Services, we offer contractor services for those wanting contractor services in areas that I offer contractor services.
Error on the side of caution and follow the 'less is more' strategy.
Examples of the Best Contractor Websites
Ok, let's get into it! Below, we listed the top contractor websites for this coming year!
