Posts Categorized: Web applications
Which website platform should you use for your new construction website?
How to Create the Perfect Sitemap for your Building Products Website
This post outlines one of the key areas we should consider when planning a new website.
The Sitemap
As well providing great practical advice at the early stages of your web build project this post also identifies areas of opportunity for ‘Search’ even before your website is built.
A sitemap is visual representation of the structure of your website. It shows all of your website pages and the hierarchy of these pages.
Its important to understand this structure up front in order to get a birds eye view of your site and to make sure that all the topics you want to cover are included.
Building a sitemap should be pretty simple process yet there are plenty of pitfalls to avoid.
Getting your sitemap right, before you start the build, is vital to the success of your new product manufacturer website.
14 Key Stages of a Product Manufacturer Website Build
The Pauley Creative philosophy on digital marketing strategy is, put simply, that your website should be at the heart of every tactical marketing channel you employ.
We’ve recently been privileged enough to build a number of complex websites for building product manufacturers that have handed control back to the client’s in-house marketing teams.
What building product manufacturers need to know about BIM
We kindly asked Stephen Hamil, Director of Design and Innovation at NBS/RIBA Insight to answer some questions which we had regarding BIM and getting started.
We’ve had lots of conversations with clients and prospects over the past 12 months and many are in the ‘wait and see’ boat and then there are some who are doing the hard work now to maybe reap the rewards later on when everyone will be playing catchup. Following on from our infographic on BIM Survey 2012 I thought it’d be good to get a quick low down on what manufacturers need to know about BIM and where to get started.
PC – If there was one message to manufacturers with respect to their BIM strategy what would it be?Read More
Pauley Creative interview digital file sharing platform SpecifiedBy
A few weeks back I discovered SpecifiedBy via LinkedIn Groups, a digital file sharing platform for building product manufacturers. I approached the founder of the platform, Darren Lester to see if he would be up for explaining what SpecifiedBy is and who its for.
We know our readers are predominantly marketers from building product manufacturers and therefore felt this would be useful for our readers. If you would like to be part of the BETA testing team of SpecifiedBy platform then please email them here. You will also receive a 12 month FREE subscription to the platform for doing so.
Enjoy!Read More
Infographic: The EU Cookie Law Numbers
Following on from our EU Cookie Law Taking the first steps post published a few days back there has been a number of sites now who have started to introduce various ways of informing visitors about cookies and ways in which to get visitors to opt in to have cookies set on their computers.
Econsultancy have just released this useful infographic containing some interesting numbers. One which sticks out in my mind is 93% of marketers survey think the consumer has no idea about what cookies are.Read More
3 Reasons Why You Should NOT Use QR Codes
This post was updated in 2015.
Over the past few months I have noticed a growth in the use of QR codes in advertising from construction companies, especially by those who advertise in RCI Mag for some reason. I personally think QR codes are great and a very innovative way to deliver specific messages and add value to the user, customer or prospect. I just want to repeat the phrase again ‘and add value to the user, customer or prospect’! One more time ‘and add value to the user, customer or prospect’!
Ok, so I’m not going to go into how it all works but what I do want to highlight are 3 good reasons why I think you should not use QR codes as part of your online marketing campaigns. Here we go:Read More
Construction website design versus usability
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.
5 Construction Marketing Trends for 2011
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.