Did you know there are over 1.5 billion websites today? If you’re one of those proud website owners, chances are you know how hard the competition can be out there.
Not only will this help you beat out your competition, but it will also help you feel confident when promoting your brand.
Want to know how to get started with the process? Read on to learn more!
Look at Other Sites
Before you get started, take a look at the sites of your competition. This can give you some valuable information about what you could do better.
Chances are no one’s site is going to be entirely awful or entirely great. Instead, weigh the positives and negatives of each site. And think about what might work for you. When looking at these sites, look for any patterns between all clients. You might be surprised to find that many people are integrating similar features on their site.
That doesn’t mean you should use it. Consider if it works. And if you notice something all the sites are missing, you should make sure to include it. Who knows? One website edit that puts you above your competition may bring you a whole home project.
Ask Some Clients About Your Website Redesign Process
Why have a website if your clients are not going to like it?
As a home builder, chances are you have a long list of clients that you’ve worked with once or twice. But chances are you also have some you work with on a regular basis.
These people are who you should keep in mind when designing your website. Although it might be easy to focus on your goals alone, you need to keep your target audience in mind. So before setting your own goals, go out and ask a few of your clients what they think about your website. Ask them what you could change to make it easier to use and what they would like to be able to do on your site.
The best way to do this is by sending out a survey in their email. Don’t be afraid to follow up; they won’t be annoyed and may appreciate that you’re asking their opinion. Don’t forget to ask some one-time clients as well. While they might not work with you unless they need another house, they can give you the perspective you need to reach people like them.
Set Your Goals
Now that you’ve looked at the competition and asked your clients, it’s time to set your own goals. Remember that they should fall in line with what the other two groups want.
Think about what sets you apart from the rest of the home building businesses out there. Whatever it is, find a way to highlight on that site. Maybe it might be time to create a client portal.
Think big for these goals. You might have had a few things on your site that bug you, and while you should get rid of that, you’ll also want to find a way to be on the cutting edge of website design. Otherwise, you’ll have to go through this whole process again.
Create visible and actionable goals. Nail down specifics with the rest of your team, and even take time to write them down so that your website designer doesn’t have to read your mind. While they should be creative on their own, you won’t want to waste anybody’s time.
You might even want to go so far to draw out what you want pages to look like. A web designer won’t always be able to create exactly what you want, but it could give them a great starting point.
Find an Expert
After you’ve decided what you want to create, find an expert or UI UX design agency to take over the project. Let them pitch their own ideas, but don’t expect them to come up with the whole site themselves.
Ideally, this expert should know quite a bit about home builder website design. And it would be great if they did copywriting and SEO as well. Consider paying them for the project upfront. If not, you might end up spending too much on them. And if the price is too low, you’ll be able to tell them that.
Work with your expert and give them tips but do give them room to be creative. Although your ideas are great, they may have a few industry ideas you’ve never heard of. Consider creating a list of must-haves so that they know what not to change. Ultimately, the more you prepare, the better your experience with a web designer will be.
Keep It Updated
Now that you have a website, you might think it’s time to sit back, relax, and do nothing. But that’s not the case.
Letting a website sit is the quickest way to letting it become outdated. Instead, continually update it with your newest information. You should also keep a weekly or biweekly blog to get the most information out there.
This blog won’t just help you look like an expert either. It will also allow you to improve your SEO by telling Google that you’re constantly updating. Plus, keeping your design up will make it much easier the next time you decide to do a website revamp.
Looking for More?
Now that you’ve read this article, you should know where to start in your website redesign process. Remember that your design skills online reflect your design skills on a home.
Do you need help reconstructing a webpage? Please, feel free to contact us today to learn how we can help you succeed.