Contractor website design: what wins bigger project leads

What should a contractor website include?

Proof, process and a way to start. Unlike an emergency plumber's visitor, a contractor's visitor isn't in a hurry: they want to see work like theirs, understand how you run a job and then ask for a price.

• A headline that says what you build and where, such as “Extensions, loft conversions and kitchen remodels in [area]”, with your Google rating underneath.
• Three to six of your best projects on the home page, each linking to its own project page.
• Your process in plain steps: first visit, design or drawings, written quote, permits or approvals, build, handover.
• Licence, registration and insurance details (see the rules below), and the trade bodies you really belong to.
• A “Request a quote” button in the header and at the end of every project and service page, plus your phone number.
• Real photos of your team and sites.

The marketing side, from referrals to ads, is in our remodeling marketing plan, and where else the work comes from is in contractor leads. This page covers the website itself.

How should a contractor show past projects on a website?

Give each project worth showing its own page, built the same way every time. A gallery of 200 unlabelled photos is hard to judge; ten project pages with a story are easy to trust and give Google something specific to show.

• Get the client's permission before publishing photos of their home, and leave out anything that identifies the house from the street if they ask.
• Use real, unedited results. Don't present someone else's photos or a render as a finished job.
• Show reviews as they were written, including the less glowing ones. The FTC's staff say non-representative reviews in marketing could be deceptive; the UK's DMCC Act bans publishing reviews in a misleading way, such as hiding negative ones; and the ACCC says businesses mustn't suppress or edit negative reviews.

Build town pages only where you can fill them with real projects from that town. Google's spam policies list “pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page” as doorway abuse.

What should a contractor's quote request form ask?

Enough to tell a serious project from a price check, but not so much that people give up. Five or six fields usually does it:

1. Project type (a short list: extension, kitchen, bathroom, loft or basement, new build, other).
2. Zip code or postcode, so out-of-area enquiries can be politely turned down.
3. Rough budget range, with an “not sure yet” option.
4. When they'd like to start (within 3 months, 3 to 6 months, later).
5. Photos, drawings or plans if they have them.
6. Name, phone and email, and how they prefer to be contacted.

Say on the form what happens next and when, such as “we reply within one working day to book a visit”, and then do it. Planned-project enquiries go cold more slowly than emergency calls, but homeowners usually ask several firms, and the first to book a visit often sets the standard the others are judged by.

Which licence and insurance details should a contractor's website show?

Whatever your regulator requires in advertising, and nothing it forbids. Rules differ by country and, in the US and Australia, by state. This is a summary, not legal advice:

Can a contractor advertise financing on its website?

Yes, but finance wording has its own rules, and quoting a monthly payment can trigger extra disclosures. If you work with a finance partner, use the wording they approve.

• US: under the Truth in Lending Act's Regulation Z, an ad that states the amount of any payment, the number of payments or repayment period, the down payment or the finance charge must also give the down payment, the repayment terms and the annual percentage rate. Any rate you quote must be stated as an “annual percentage rate”.
• UK: introducing customers to a lender can be a regulated credit activity. The FCA says to check its Perimeter Guidance to decide whether you need authorisation, and to call it if you're unsure.
• Australia: ASIC says you generally need a credit licence to engage in credit activities, unless you or the activity are exempt, and points to its guidance for the exemptions.

Should a contractor use a website builder or hire a designer?

Use a builder if you have time and only need a few pages; hire someone if you want project pages, a qualifying quote form and tracking done properly without giving up your evenings. Compare what's included and who owns what, not just the price.

Before you sign, ask: Do I own the domain and content? Can I add a new project myself? Will each service and each project get its own page? How are quote requests and calls tracked? Nobody can honestly promise a ranking: Google says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.

Flexi Local builds fast local websites for $990 one-time, or free on the Local Growth and Growth + Ads plans (from $497 a month per location) when you pay yearly, or on monthly plans when you stay at least 6 months (if you leave sooner, $165 is due for each month short of 6). Those plans include hosting and care, and also run your Google profile and review replies. You own your content and domain; if you leave, you get a full export once the website fee is paid in full. Start with a free audit, or see how our websites for local businesses work.