Searching for reliable design and construction professionals is a lot like navigating an unfamiliar city. It’s teeming with people, traffic, unclear signage pointing you in different directions, and a barrage of confusing sights and sounds. It’s all too easy to get lost.
These explorers – of both new cities and websites – need a guide. You. A compelling online presence establishes your authority and builds trust with prospective customers and clients. Your website is often the first step in the customer journey; it should be designed to draw them in and lead them through the sales journey.
What are the elements of an effective website?
10 Key Elements of an Effective Website
1. Speed.
Why did we put this first? Because it’s just that important. It doesn’t matter if Shakespeare himself wrote your content – if it takes three seconds to load your site, the odds that a visitor will bounce (i.e. click away) increases by 32%. If it goes from one to five seconds, that bounce rate shoots up to 90%. Every second matters.
2. Intuitive, User-Friendly Navigation.
People searching for home design, decor, and construction professionals may feel lost due to all of the choices available and factors they must weigh as they make their decision. When they find you, they need to also find the answers they seek. An effective website is easy to navigate and leads folks to relevant content, contact information, FAQs, services, etc. without obstacles.
3. Clear, Updated Contact Information. 
It may seem like a minor detail, but it is essential that your contact information, including phone number, address, pertinent email addresses, and hours are clearly posted and always up-to-date. If not, you risk sending potential customers/clients down a dead-end street – and they will not bother to reroute. They’ll turn towards a competitor.
4. Informative Content.
You may have heard the old adage: Content is king. It’s spot-on. As the backbone of your website, content serves to educate and engage visitors. It answers their questions – scratches their itch, if you will – and gives them actionable next steps on their home project. Nearly half (47%) of consumers interact with three to five pieces of content before they reach out to a business.
At the same time, content that is relevant and authoritative is rewarded with higher rankings on results pages. Search engines are the starting point for 68% of online experiences, and pages that rank in the top spots receive the bulk of traffic.
Ensure that content is web-user friendly; we read differently online. Text should be “chunked” (think lots of bullet points, lists, optimized sub-headlines, and breaks in longer pieces) and easily digestible for people on the go.
5. Visual Content.
You have mere seconds to engage visitors on your website. Visual content is imperative in grabbing – and keeping – their attention. Here are some numbers worth knowing:
- The human brain can understand an image in just 1/10 of a second. Contrast this to reading 200-250 words: we need about 60 seconds.
- We remember visual information 6 times more effectively compared to hearing or reading.
- Websites with compelling images have a click-through-rate (CTR) that’s approximately 47% higher than those without.
- Content that is paired with relevant images garners 94% more views than content without images.
Video is, if anything, even more powerful. It accounts for an astonishing 80%+ of all consumer internet traffic… and we crave more. A whopping 54% of us want more videos from brands we support, and companies that employ video marketing strategies get 66% more qualified leads annually. Video gives us the opportunity to tell our stories, and when we do it well, there is no better way to engage prospects and customers/clients.
6. Social Proof.
Consumers trust their peers more than they trust brands, at least until they can establish a relationship. Word-of-mouth is the key factor in 20 – 50% of purchase decisions, and it’s 2 – 10 times more effective than paid ads. Today, “word-of-mouth” includes customer testimonials and reviews. Leverage the trust people have in other consumers by posting these clearly on your website.
7. Consistent Branding.
As the lines between our in-person and online lives continue to blur and vanish, it is essential that you deliver a consistent brand experience for those who are interested in your services. Website elements must align with your brand’s identity, from color palettes and fonts to voice and tone. People should feel the same sense of authority whether they are visiting your store, showroom, or office or navigating through your website.
8. Compelling CTAs.
What do you want people to do? What actions are you trying to drive? Compelling calls-to-action (CTAs) guide folks through the sales journey and directly affect conversion rates. Visitors rely on your CTAs to help them take the next steps in engaging with your brand, whether it is signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or contacting you. It makes it easy and seamless to interact with your team.
Ensure that your CTAs are noticeable and clear; now’s not the time to be wordy or witty. Just tell them what to do!
9. Mobile-Friendly or Mobile-First.
Over 58% of all web traffic comes through mobile devices. If your site is not mobile-first or at least mobile-friendly, you are missing out on opportunities to grow your business. Most (93%) of consumers use the internet to find local businesses, and 90% say they are more likely to make repeat purchases from a company if they have an excellent mobile experience. Additionally, the odds that a search will result in an in-person visit rises by 35% when conducted on one’s phone.
Your site needs to be optimized for these searches; eliminate barriers to speed, create a streamlined experience, and make sure the site is easily navigable.
10. Behind-the-Scenes Structure.
We mentioned the importance of ranking as highly as possible in the search engine results pages. Great content, speed, usability, seamless navigation, and other elements of an effective website will help get you there, but it’s key to implement sound search engine optimization (SEO) strategies as well. These are behind-the-scenes tactics that shine a spotlight on your website, ranging from utilizing targeted keywords to formatting content for Featured Snippets.
Haven
We’ve just thrown a lot of information at you- a lot of stats, facts, and figures. Overwhelmed? Don’t be. Haven Media is committed to helping the industry’s best design and construction professionals create marketing strategies that empower them to connect with the right clients at the right time. Specializing in this space, we understand what works and what doesn’t.
You are the authoritative, trustworthy guide for people searching for design and construction solutions. When you need a guide, we are here. To start maximizing your marketing approach – and your results – connect with the Haven team.
Did you find this article helpful? Check out our guide, 9 Steps to Effective Marketing In the Design and Construction Industry to learn more.
