Buzz Marketing

With the future of communication going online… 

 Why are most contractor web sites not as effective as they should be?

Face it. Even though it’s not quite there yet, does anyone still question if the Internet is the future of communication? Since you’re obviously reading this article online, you are probably not one of the doubters.

The real question is how to position your company to take advantage of it. The days of burying your head in the sand and saying, “None of my customers use the web,” are gone. Instead, we need to better understand the Internet and how it is used by our customers to determine its place in our business.

The Internet has changed the way many industries do business. And, certainly, its economies and communication abilities make it more useful to some than others. For example, it’s great for purchasing books or music, but a consumer can’t buy a furnace, water heater or download a technician to perform maintenance. So, exactly what is it that the Internet can do for contractor? Surprisingly, it’s a question being asked by many who have web sites as well as by those who are considering the Internet.

Turning Your Thinking Around

The answer to that question is best found by turning your thinking around. Understanding what the Internet can do for you is directly related to what your web site can do for your customer. After all, isn’t identifying and meeting customer needs what selling has always been about? The most important thing we need to consider, then, is what’s in it for them?

In a word, information.

According to The Harris Poll, today more than two thirds of all U.S. adults use the Internet. Each year, this group becomes more representative of the population at large, although still skewed toward the younger, more educated and affluent. It’s changing fast. Did you know that senior citizens are one of the fastest growing segments of web users?

Internet users are becoming what are described as ‘stealth’ consumers—those who do their homework and don’t contact you until they are well on the way to making a purchasing decision. They have money to spend, but are discerning about on what and with whom they’ll spend it.

The stealth consumer is not merely a browser. He or she is a researcher. And, the higher the ticket price, the more research they’re willing to do. They are looking for information that is current, focused and educational. But it is not just a list of features they are seeking; they want to understand why these features are important and get an idea of with whom they want to work.

Just like your own, the Internet consumer’s time is precious. Like it or not, their process of elimination has started and you are being judged by your web site. As we know, all purchasing decisions are based on perceptions. If you have a web site, what type of impression does it make? When you browse, don’t you make quick judgments about companies based on how professional they appear?

So, who is the typical contractor web site browser and what do they typically find? First, there are only two types of people who purposely go to a contractor’s web site. One is in the market for your services and the other is your competition or another contractor. We may as well admit it…contractor web sites are not the first choice for a bored web browser to surf.

The good news is that when someone visits your site, the only reason for them being there is that they are in the market for something you sell. So, don’t let low visitor counts discourage you. Those who visit should be considered as highly qualified leads.

Putting a Dollar Value on a Browser In Your Site 

To understand what a web site visitor means to you financially, compare it to direct mail response. After all, just like a web visitor, doesn’t a direct mail response represent those who are interested in your product or services? Since the typical direct mail response is approximately ¼ of one percent. This means you have to send 400 letters to find one potential consumer interested in your product. If a letter typically costs about 40 cents to mail, sending 400 letters to find that one potential customer will cost you $160.

Apply this $160 per visitor to your web site, and you’ll see the value of a web site in a whole new light. Even 10 visitors a month can translate into $1,600 of avoided marketing costs. The problem is, most contractor web sites aren’t designed to court these customers effectively—if at all.

The vast majority of contractor web sites consist of 1-5 pages covering who they are, what they do, when they’re available, the brands they offer and how to contact them. These web sites are really not much more than digital billboards to be polite, or electronic refrigerator magnets to be more precise.

When you think about it, if this was all a visitor to your web site wanted to know, wouldn’t the yellow pages have been a better choice? At least (unlike the typical contractor website), it’s sure to be updated once a year.

A Website Reality Check

The unfortunate, but ironic, truth is—if the typical contractor searched the Internet for information about an industry he knew little about, and came across a web site like his own, he, too, would move along. A good test of how you really view your web site is to ask yourself this question: when was the last time you referred a customer to your website for more information? Yet, one of the most effective uses of a well conceived web site is to refer every customer to it who schedules a quote with you. If your website leaves them with an impression of being organized and professional, you’ve already set the standard for others who may be invited to quote.

When evaluating your web site, don’t confuse putting a link to a manufacturer’s site with providing real information. In many cases, this is at best a short-sighted solution to lack of real content, and at worst a big mistake. The danger with sending a potential customer to a manufacturer’s web site, is that they will find a ‘dealer locator’ prominently displayed that is more than happy to steer them into the hands of local competition with the same product. Besides, you’re the one who marketed your site to get them there, why do you want to send them away? This is not why you create a web site.

Not all contractor web sites are so limited. Recognizing that the Internet is a ‘given’ in the future of communication, a few forward thinking companies have invested some serious resources in their web sites, and it shows. But, such is not the luxury of the average contractor. And, at this stage of the Internet’s growth, it’s doubtful whether those who have invested heavily to own a more comprehensive web site are satisfied with the return on their investment. However, they will be at the head of the pack as the momentum shifts.

Another consideration is, no matter the size or quality of your site, you still have to contend with the ongoing effort and cost required to keep it current. This is probably the biggest problem faced by all small businesses with a web site. Here we have a communication vehicle where content can be updated in real-time, and unlike everywhere else we advertise—color is free, yet the only time most sites reflect what’s currently happening in your business is the first month after they’re launched. Unless you have the talent to do it yourself, it doesn’t take long to discover that every update will cost you at a minimum $60 to outsource.

It’s not unusual when browsing contractor sites to find coupons that expired 3-4 years ago and nothing reflecting that the rest of the information is up to date. Once a visitor realizes this, they leave wondering how well you attend to other aspects of your business. Avoiding dated material in your web site is not the answer. Just like you wouldn’t subscribe to back issues of your newspaper; your customer needs to see that your web site is maintained and up to date—not just ‘old news’.

An Internet Wishlist

Here are twelve ideas of what I believe is needed to create a more effective HVAC web site:

Some of you may look at suggestions as these as too expensive or unobtainable. For those of you who enjoy the challenge of building something from the ground up this may be true. However, as the Internet industry has matured, companies like www.markethardware.com have targeted certain industries and created platforms that not only provide content, and easy web site customization features, but bring an economy of scale to the picture as well.

Turnkey Solution

If you’re looking for an instant website or want to massively update yours – you may want to check out Market Hardware.  We’ve look around, and there is nothing like it in our industry.

You can instantly avoid paying the thousands of dollars you would have had to spend to build an HVAC website from scratch or update one that is outdated.  Even then, it probably wouldn't come close to having all the benefits and features you’d get with Market Hardware.  Even if you currently own a site, you'll probably pay less than what you're paying now when you include the cost of having someone else update it.