Architects and home builders need websites as beautiful as their portfolios. The issue is experts in these niches spent years perfecting their craft, not learning web design.
So whether you’re an architect or home builder that wants to do website design or an outsourced developer that wants to do website design for home builders, this article is for you.
Why Is Website Design Important for Home Builders and Architects?
Think of your website as your 24/7 business hub. Prospects can visit your site, look at your portfolios, and be dazzled by your projects.
If they want to schedule a meeting, your website can do that for you! But your website has several other advantages other than being an automated lead generation tool.
Websites can also provide architects and homebuilders with the following benefits:
Credibility
Having a website will make your business more legitimate. The website should have your business name as the domain and have excellent visual elements
According to statistics, 94% of negative customer feedback is web design related. Weebly also conducted a study suggesting that 56% of customers don’t trust businesses without a website.
Lead Generation
You want prospects to find your site and have them convert into clients. With quality content, good website design, and strategically placed CTAs (call-to-actions), your site can become your 24/7 automated lead generation tool.
Control
Every aspect of your website from visual elements, photos, to their layout, is under your control. You get to decide how to portray your brand image on your website.
The website shows your firm’s personality. This is where you highlight your best work.
Low Cost, Long-term Marketing Solution
Relying too much on pay-per-click (PPC) ads for lead generation isn’t sustainable. Having a well-optimized website helps your business have a long-term organic marketing tool.
Investing in excellent copywriting can also help your ranking position for important keywords in your niche.
Factors of Good Website Design
Now that we got a basic understanding of the benefits of website design, let’s take a look at the factors that make a website great.
- Performance/Site Speed – If your site doesn’t load quickly, visitors will leave. High-quality portfolio photos may impede site performance. Compressing photos before uploading help.
- Mobile Responsiveness – Mobile searches for professional services are growing each year. You need a website that’s responsive to both desktop and mobile devices.
- Search Engine Optimized (SEO) – This is a must-have for any website. It helps with search rankings, promoting authority in your niche, and your business’s overall online presence.
- Engaging CTAs – Strategically placed and engaging CTAs can improve conversion rates. Place your CTAs on important pages and guide prospects there.
- Security – Having an SSL (Secured Socket Layer) certificate should be a standard for all websites. Statistics show that 67% of site visitors leave if the website doesn’t have an SSL certificate.
5 Website Design Best Practices for Home Builders and Architects
Websites need to give a good long-lasting first impression. It should be optimized for search engines, functional, and presentable.
Here are the website design best practices you can apply to achieve this:
Dynamic Design
Changing featured portfolio pictures, testimonials, and other visual elements is easier with dynamic websites. Instead of changing individual HTML-coded pages, you can pull content from a secure database.
This streamlines site updates, content publication, and your overall marketing campaigns.
Accessible Portfolios
Having accessible portfolios gives clients what they want to see from your service at a glance. Highlight your portfolio in your menus and navigation.
When selecting the photos, ensure that it’s diverse enough to show off your range.
Use Interactive and Visual Elements
Interactive and visual web design aspects reflect this industry. For example, homebuilders can incorporate a 360-degree virtual tour of their previous projects.
Highlight Testimonials/Reviews
Testimonials and reviews are two of the best social proofs. According to statistics, reviews affect the purchasing decision of 93% of customers.
Highlighting testimonials also provide a touch of authenticity. Webdam conducted a study suggesting that testimonials are the most effective form of content marketing.
Create Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Page
Customers that visit your site will surely have questions. This can be about your firm, the services it offers, pricing, meetings and consultations, and more.
When creating your FAQ page, keep user intent in mind. Be distinct with the answers being straight to the point.
Key Takeaways
Architecture and home building services are competitive niches. Professionals are using every tool they can to get an edge, especially with most prospects going online to find these services.
To help you stand out from the competition, investing in a well-designed website is a must! But before spending time and resources on this, here are some things to consider:
- Highlight your portfolios and testimonials.
- Use actual photos instead of stock to provide authenticity.
- Implementing SEO for your site takes time but its worth the investment.
- Your portfolios should be accessible, easy to find, and responsive for mobile.
- Website should load assets fast to lower bounce rates.
