Construction website design versus usability

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A website creates a global identity for your construction business. This makes website design a critical factor in your success online. Websites are like a first impression, which as you know, are lasting and difficult to change. Visitors need to be attracted to your website within a few seconds because many people do not have the time or patience to go through all the sites that feature in search results.

Give visitors a reason to stay on your site, explore it and hopefully return. You might ask, ‘but how do I do this?’ One of the best tips is to ensure that all the relevant content and information that prospects need to make a qualified decision is easily visible and available on your website. The homepage is like a shop window, if there is nothing attracting you to stay and go inside, you will just leave.Design your homepage so that it guides the user through to the most relevant pages quickly.

If you are targeting specifiers or architects, install simple web applications like product selectors that will make their job easier. Providing a valuable resource for them will instil loyalty as they will continue to visit your site for information which could result in future business. See Richard Burbidge (below) as an example of a construction company making use of online applications to simplify the customer journey, giving them the necessary tools they need and thereby increasing lead generation.

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5 Construction Marketing Trends for 2011

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We have compiled a list of 5 digital marketing trends that we think will affect the construction industry this year. Before adapting any of these strategies, look over your company objectives to determine whether it will work for you and your business. Always have your goals in mind and don’t rush into anything without taking a step back and asking ‘what is my target audience looking for and how will this benefit them?’

1. Social Media Marketing

In 2010 social media exploded onto the marketing scene and several savvy construction companies jumped on board. Now in 2011, social media marketing will evolve from experimental campaigns ‘testing the waters’, to becoming an essential part of integrated marketing campaigns. Social media does not simplify a marketer’s job because, like traditional tools, it still requires investment, attention and innovation to keep prospects interested. But its greatest strength is the ability to reinforce and humanise brands by energising advocates to talk about the company. It helps  foster meaningful relationships with potential clients through online conversations and sharing of industry knowledge.

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Using LinkedIn as a Relationship Marketing tool

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LinkedIn boasts the largest network of professionals on the Internet, with over 70 million members from 200 countries and representing 170 industries. What makes it unique is its focus on ‘networking’ rather than ‘socialising’. This crucial point makes it a key business tool for any industry but specifically the construction industry. Where else can you get unlimited access to so many potential clients, product manufacturers, industry opinion leaders, architects, contractors, fellow marketing professionals and even your competitors? If you are still not convinced, here is a brilliant infographic, designed by Hubspot, which illustrates some surprising statistics about LinkedIn and the way it is used.

LinkedIn Statistics

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A collection of iPhone apps for the construction industry

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You would probably think that there wasn’t going to be that many construction related iPhone apps in the app store, right? Well actually you would be surprised at how many apps are in fact related to various audiences within the construction industry.

They range from calculators and design tools through to guidance books – all available to use on your iPhone. Something I noticed is the lack of reviews for each app which may indicate that mobile apps have not yet been discovered due to poor promotion, over pricing (some are) or just simply not needed on an iPhone. What are your opinions on apps for the iPhone when it comes to our industry? Are there any which you use on a regular basis? Are iPhones, or any smartphones, useful for work related processes?

Here are some apps which I stumbled across within the app store, I am sure there are more so if you know of any please do suggest them within the comments section.

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What makes a blog successful?

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Many of you have already started a personal or business blog, and there will be some of you who are contemplating starting a blog in the hope of driving additional traffic to your website. If you are in the ‘contemplating’ category then I suggest you probably need to start pretty soon.

The content you write is visible for all on the web and particularly those who are searching to find the answers to their issues, problems and questions. Search engines love blogs too. This is because, unlike your website, the content within your blog is always changing depending on your posting frequency.Read More

Wrapping up a busy 2010 for construction marketing

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As the saying goes “Hasn’t this year just flown by?”

Indeed it has and what a year it has been too. 2010 has seen the rise of social media and how construction companies, large and small, look to embrace social platforms for pushing out content and increasing networking opportunities. Interesting discussions have taken place regarding the uses of social media within the industry and whether any form of ROI can be calculated. It seems as though many companies and marketers are still trying to work out how it can be used to assist with their business objectives and goals.

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The construction industry is gradually embracing digital communication strategies and tactics

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Last week Pritesh and I attended the 2010 CIMCIG conference held in London. The event was full of marketing professionals and construction industry experts. It offered a great networking opportunity and the chance to meet influential people with whom we had been talking to on social media sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

A major sign that the industry has come a long way is the fact that the #cimcig10 hashtag on Twitter was more popular that day than news about Gillian McKeith in the jungle. On average there were about 10 individuals tweeting live throughout the event (including us), thereby giving professionals, who were not able to attend the event, exclusive up-to-date insight into the topics being discussed. The overall reach accomplished by the #cimcig10 hashtag was over 54 000 people which is phenomenal and would have been very difficult to achieve without social media.

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5 ways construction professionals can use LinkedIn to build a network

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LinkedIn provides a platform for construction professionals to connect with each other and increase their networks by providing valuable business tips and advice. LinkedIn is used slightly differently compared to other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. It has a professional reputation and should not be used as a selling tool. Smart construction professionals will avoid excessive self-promotion and instead sell themselves and their services by being a valuable knowledge source in the community which they serve.

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Building loyalty and reducing one night stands

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We’ve spent a lot of time over the last few years re-analysing clients’ web data and measuring the performance of their website(s) against their competitors, business objectives and plans set out for the forth coming year in preparation for the next. Mining through the data to find the insights which will enable me to answer real business questions such as:

  • “Is my website attracting quality traffic?”
  • “Are visitors, and in particular Architects, engaging with my website?”
  • “How many visitors entered my website via my key product pages?”
  • “Is my website converting traffic into leads?”
  • “Which sources are performing the best in attracting traffic and then converting?”
  • “Why do people leave the site from the homepage?”
  • “Which search terms are performing the best against their rankings in Google?” (Hint: Ranking first in Google does not always produce results)

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