Builders: Two Keys to Creating a Lead Generating Website

So you want a website for your building business? Great! But how do you go about it? 
Back in the day the first point of contact for a company was their reception desk.  These first impressions told the client a lot about the company.  Was it easy to find? Did they appear knowledgeable? Did they answer your questions? Were they welcoming? And so on.  

Your website is your first point of contact for most people.  It needs to be easy to find. It needs to address the customers needs, be informative and resourceful.

In this article we'll discuss two pre-design criteria essential to helping your website be found by the right people.

1. Identify your Niche

Many business owners try to be all things to all people.  But building companies that develop a speciality niche tend to have greater success than those who try to do it all.

By focusing on a particular area, you get a golden opportunity to own that market space! You come to be seen by future and repeat clients as a “go-to” expert in that space.  That has to be good.

So, how do you identify your niche?

• First of all, make sure it's an area that you are both comfortable and capable. Consider your current and recent customers. Who is good to work with and why? What projects do you excel in, and which bring the greatest returns for your efforts?

• What does your ideal customer look like? Are they up-market clientele looking to build a new luxury home? Or perhaps it's growing families looking to extend or to build a child friendly home. What are their specific needs and how does your specialisation fit into what they're looking for?

Use the following tool to structure your niche:

I help [target audience] to [solve problem/get results] by [what service you offer]

E.g. I help young families in Otago to optimise their space and surroundings by building and renovating homes that maximise space and work with the surrounding environment.

When you solidify your niche it will help you determine the scope of your marketing efforts.  You will be able to create a website that addresses the concerns of your target audience.

2. Create your keywords

Keywords are essential to your marketing collateral.  They are what enable you to be found by your customers.  You might have a beautifully created website but if you don't have the keywords to be found what use is it?  

Search engines use keywords to determine which sites are most relevant to search queries.  For example, if you're a building business in Otago who specialise in building new, architecturally designed homes then what might your ideal customers search for on Google or Bing?  Perhaps it would be: "Build a new luxury home in Otago." Or, "Quality builders in Otago."

Your keywords should reflect all of the different types of user queries that could help someone find you when they're looking for something you offer. Create a list of all the keywords that are relevant to your niche.  Try using Goggle's Keyword Tool to help you find alternative keywords. 

Once you have a list of keywords you can use these in the page headings of your website to help with your Search Engine Optimisation.  This will also be of help if you decide to use Google Adwords.

Summary

So what have we learnt?  There is more to creating a website than just adding content and images.  Just like building a house you first need to do the groundwork and lay the foundation.  A strong foundation makes for a stable home.  When you identify your niche and create your keywords you will be set for creating a powerful lead generating website.