This Podcast Is Episode Number 0302, And It Will Be About The Top 5 Online Marketing Trends In 2019 With Actionable Tips For Contractors Whether someone found you via a referral, a word of mouth, or through the search engine results page, chances are not all of them will contact you instantly. Most likely, people will check and do an online research of your credentials and company’s credibility. That is what your website is for. Why should a browser choose your plumbing company? Can the site visitor afford your services? What are their options? It could be as simple as someone looking for faucet repairs and you only do brand new installations. Not only will your website provide essential details about your business, but it can also screen clients for you based on the information you provided. Serves both ways, right? You probably spend most of your working hours at the construction site but understand that your prospective clients (and former ones) are spending their time on your business site. Your online presence makes you a trusted source and a reliable expert that they can go to and come back to all the time. Make Google love you by creating a cohesive website with high-quality pages and show your website visitors why you do what you do so they will hire your services by implementing these 12 crucial elements to your website. 1. Responsive I take it some of you are reading this blog post from a smartphone or a tablet right now. According to Statista, mobile currently accounts for more than half of all global pages served in 2018. Simply put, your website needs to adapt and respond to its environment (desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone) to give your visitor the best browsing experience. 2. A Compelling Landing Page Selling your services to homeowners involves art and creativity. Words are powerful and visuals are captivating, fused them together to make a fascinating page that will attract the right audience. I’ll take you back to the “grunt test”: Donald Miller, founder of StoryBrand, has an easy and powerful way of evaluating your website. As a rule, upon visiting your site, one should understand what you offer within five seconds. Does your website pass the "Grunt Test" (Assuming a caveman were to open a laptop, look at your site for 5 seconds, and close the laptop, will it be able to “grunt” what is your website about?) With just a quick glance at your homepage, can your visitor answer these three questions: What is it that you offer? How will it make my life better? What do I need to do to buy your product/hire your services?  3. An Obvious Call-to-Action (CTA) (fictional company and sample website homepage) A Call-to-Action is a term used in online marketing and selling. CTAs are strong command verbs that prompt your visitor to take a desired action. Using bright, bold colors, direct your prospective client to click this feature button: such as “hire me”, “call for pricing”, “subscribe now”, “schedule a meeting”, or “ask for a quote”. Determine your purpose, have an end goal for each CTA, keep it simple and always be clear. Already implementing CTAs on your site? Test different action words and track your results. Compare which works better. Be sure to place your CTA above the fold for better visibility.  4. Contact Details A well-placed contact info will prompt the browser to get in touch with you. Make your phone number a clickable link that opens a dial dialog on smartphones and mobile devices, do the same thing with your email address. Do you have a “Contact Us” page? Include Business Address, Service Hours, and Service Location. (If you have an office where clients can come and meet you, a map is useful). A Contact Form with a redirect Thank You page is another worthy function when you have premade questions for your prospective clients (price quotes, flooring options, etc.). Offering multiple ways to contact you demonstrate...