With all the time, money, and stress involved in building a new home, people need a company they can trust to get the job done right and provide a smooth experience. You already know this, but your website may not be making a great first impression.
Your prospects are scouring the internet, searching for the right home builder. If you hope to land them as a customer, you have to impress them right away—with your website content.
Without question, your website is your most powerful marketing tool. If you do nothing else to grow your business, your website must be top-notch.
There are lots of ways to do that, but providing visitors with high-level content is the most important thing you can do. Content includes words, pictures, videos—really anything that’s on your site.
Search engines rely on content to direct relevant traffic to your site and your visitors rely on it to learn about your company. In other words, great content brings warm leads right to your doorstep, and your content must impress them at every turn.
Don’t wing it. Don’t go with your gut. Be deliberate and execute a well-considered content strategy.
Creating good content is often easier said than done. People are hard to please, and it can be tough to keep visitors engaged with your website.
In fact, 47% of visitors leave a business website after viewing just one page. That means you need to get people’s attention right away. If you hook them within the first few seconds, you might have a chance.
One great piece of content won’t be enough though. According to Hubspot, “47% of buyers view three to five pieces of content before engaging with a sales rep.”
Place quality content throughout your site because even one poorly considered piece might send someone off to a competitor.
The definition of “quality” will depend on your unique market and offering. What works for others may not work for you. But no matter your situation, strong website content is always, always focused on giving visitors what they want.
If people don’t find what they’re looking for, they leave.
Start by knowing who your target audience is. That might sound like a no-brainer but you’d be surprised at how many companies gloss over this crucial step.
You need to know exactly who you’re building homes for. Are they first-time homebuyers? Are they young professionals with small children? Empty nesters looking for a new adventure? Retirees who want to be close to medical facilities?
You want to know their age, education level, occupation, income, parental status, hobbies, interests, and whatever else might influence their needs and desires.
Of course, every visitor is different, and you can’t please them all. But what you can do is focus on the most common characteristics you’ve seen in your previous customers and cater your content toward similar people.
Create content that intentionally addresses the same questions, concerns, and pain points you’ve already seen in the past.
Not sure what those things are? Well, then it’s time to ask some questions.
Reach out to your previous customers and ask them what they thought of your website. What did they like or not like? What made them decide to contact your office?
Use open-ended questions and let people elaborate as much as they want. The more, the better. Listen closely to what they say and ask follow-up questions to gain a better understanding. It also helps to record the conversation so you can fully engage with them instead of taking notes.
Don’t be shy about reaching out. After a good experience with your company, most customers will be glad to talk with you—but it never hurts to offer an additional incentive like a free gift card to a local restaurant or entertainment venue.
Simply put, talking about yourself is a terrible idea. Explaining what your company does is boring and self-centered. Visitors aren’t interested in that. They’re selfish. They want you to focus on them.
But wait a second. If people come to your site to learn about your company, shouldn’t you tell them what they want to know?
Well, yes and no.
You need to provide the information people are looking for but the wording has to feel like it’s custom-made for them. And the easiest, most effective way to do that is by leveraging the power of the word “you.”
Speak directly to visitors. Phrase your sentences to include “you” and “your” at every opportunity. Saying words like “we/I/our” might be okay on occasion but use them sparingly. Talking about yourself is the easy way out. It’s usually better to just reword the sentence to get those words out of there.
Take a look at these examples:
See the difference? It’s all about perception. Good content provides the same information as the bad stuff but it stays focused on the visitor.
At this point, you’re ready to start planning your website’s content. There are plenty of must-haves, like your floorplans and available features, information on local schools, shopping, and other amenities. And it’s always good to mention your company’s charity work and community involvement too.
But we won’t focus on that stuff right now since it’s mostly unique to your business. Instead, we’ll take a broader view of your content by talking about the three pillars of your home building website:
The Home page gets more traffic than anywhere else on your site. Practically every visitor will come here. Your content must hook them immediately and hold their attention as they scroll down the page.
Let’s go over the most important sections.
The headline is the first thing visitors see when they land on your Home page. If you want them to view any other content, your headline must clearly state the benefit you are offering. Let visitors know how you will improve their lives.
Don’t tell them what you do. Tell them what they get out of it. Prove that staying on your website is worth their time.
Remember, you do more than just build houses; you create a place where people spend a significant chunk of their lives. Home is where they raise their families, spend their holidays, and form lifelong memories.
Your headline should show them you understand the emotional importance of their decision. If you do that, visitors will likely scroll down for more info.
But only if you get straight to the point. On average, people spend less than one second reading a headline. Too many words and you’ll lose them.
Schumacher Homes has a great headline on their home page: “True custom. Truly attainable.”
Notice that their headline doesn’t mention anything about building a home. Instead, it focuses on the individual’s desires. No matter what someone’s dream home might look like, this builder can make it happen—and they said it in just four words.
This comes right after your heading and offers a brief description of what your company does. It’s a bit more literal than the heading but it’s still focused on your visitors’ needs and desires. Talk directly to them, and let them know you understand what they want.
There’s a little wiggle room here but not much. You still need to keep it brief, just one or two short sentences. If you add too much text, you’ll scare people off.
Here’s a great example from Paragon Homes. After their headline, they follow up with a strong subheading: “Unique homes designed around you.”
With one quick sentence, visitors know that this website is for a custom home builder who can create exactly what they’ve been imagining. This is the kind of subheading that makes people want to read more.
Keep it short and sweet. Keep your headline’s word count in the single digits, with five or six being the sweet spot. The same goes for your subheading. The shorter, the better (so long as you get your point across).
Use simple language. You have such a small window to grab someone’s attention. Make it easy for them to understand what you’re saying.
When it comes to your home building website, a picture really is worth 1,000 words. Great visuals will show—not tell—visitors what you do. Let the images do the heavy lifting. People don’t want to read about your craftsmanship—they want to see it.
High-quality, professional photography makes it easy for prospects to imagine themselves in one of your homes. And that’s what you’re going for here. Help people envision themselves in their dream home that you built for them.
Don’t cut corners or pinch pennies. Your pictures must be stunning. Start with crystal clear photographs—and this part is critical—make sure they are published to your site as high-resolution files. Low resolution turns out “fuzzy” and will make your website seem unprofessional.
Pictures aren’t your only option, though. Get some video on there too. In fact, 85% of people claim that they’ve connected more effectively with a brand through videos. Why? Because that’s what people want.
Video is easier to consume. Visitors don’t have to read or make much of an effort. They just sit back and let the information come to them. Try posting a video walkthrough of a completed home along with drone footage of the outside.
Whatever visuals you’re using, it’s a smart idea to include them on every page, not just your Home page. You must “wow” people at every turn.
Your visitors know that everything on your site is marketing (even the stuff that “isn’t”). As savvy consumers, it’s their job to discover the truth about what it’s like to build a home with your company.
Customer testimonials make that a lot easier for them.
Testimonials are a sincere recommendation coming from a real person, and they can make all the difference in a prospect’s buying decision. That’s because previous customers have nothing to gain from misleading prospects. Their words don’t feel like marketing.
But you need to be careful. Testimonials can have the opposite effect if they aren’t honest and transparent.
Stick to the following guidelines:
Just like your visuals, video testimonials pack the biggest punch. They’re like a giant megaphone aimed directly at interested prospects and can have a tremendous impact on your Home page’s effectiveness.
Building a new home can be intimidating or even scary for people who’ve never done it before. Help visitors feel informed and comfortable by walking them through your process. Show them what to expect when working with your company.
Be thorough and clear. Leave nothing out. Show visitors that you are knowledgeable and professional and that you’ll do whatever it takes to help them feel comfortable from start to finish.
Present your process with a positive tone. Show visitors how pleasant their experience can be. By making their goals appear achievable (while still being honest, of course), you can reduce people’s hesitancy and bring them one step closer to contacting you.
Again, a simple, straightforward presentation is best. Be concise. Use icons, small illustrations, or other visuals. Space things out and make it easy to follow.
You have to make people happy. If they feel frustrated or exhausted from learning how you do business, actually working with you will sound like a nightmare.
The About page is a crucial aspect of any website. 52% of visitors say they want to see an About page after landing on the Home page. So yeah, you’d better have one.
People want to know who you are and what you’re all about before deciding to do business with you. And, just like your Home page, it’s best to give them what they want.
Go back to your research. Remind yourself who you’re creating this content for and focus on what’s most important to them.
Do they care about your formal mission statement? Probably not. But they’ll want to know that you’re qualified, honest, and professional. Share your background and values. Let people know what you stand for and how you will treat them.
Tell visitors how your company got started and how it’s evolved over the years. More importantly, tell them why. What drives you to build new homes? Who are you trying to help? Why are you passionate about this work?
No matter your reasons, you must be sincere. Mean what you say and use everyday language. Visitors can smell “fluff” from a mile away.
It’s easy to get carried away on this page, so be careful not to write too much. Keep things brief and only include what is absolutely necessary. Don’t share every detail.
This is another great place for some video content. A short message from the founder or CEO explaining the mission and passion behind the company can have a big impact.
If your Home page and About page are effective, some visitors will want to reach out. That’s great, but don’t celebrate yet. Your Contact page still needs to impress them.
Start by making it easy for people to get in touch. Seriously, remove all obstacles. Even the slightest hiccup can derail someone’s intent.
Include a dedicated “Contact Us” tab in your top navigation and add a link in the footer too. Encourage visitors to contact you throughout your other content as well. Basically, no matter where visitors are looking, they should find a quick way to reach out.
What do you typically see when you visit a Contact page? A few words and a submission form, right? That’s intentional and for a good reason. You don’t want any content that might distract visitors from actually submitting their contact requests. That would defeat the purpose of the page.
You do need some writing on there but keep it concise and straightforward. No fluff. Just reinforce that reaching out is a good idea and make sure they know how to do it.
It’s good to ask for some of their personal info, too. But don’t go too far. Only ask for the information you truly need. If your submission form takes too long to complete, people might not do it.
You should also include your email address and phone number since some people might prefer those options. While you’re at it, go ahead and add links to your social pages as well. Make it easy for people to contact you however they want.
Don’t forget the pictures. Just like the rest of your website, make sure the Contact page has plenty of high-quality visuals of your homes. Never miss an opportunity to impress.
Keep content brief. If this is starting to sound like a broken record, good. You need to remember it. All content on your website should be concise. Use small bits of text to answer visitors’ questions and then include a link where they can find more info (like a blog post).
Quality over quantity. Bombarding people with information will make them feel overwhelmed, and they’ll leave your site. Instead, take the time to learn their questions and answer them concisely. Embrace the blank space.
Be genuine and honest. Don’t pretend your company is something it isn’t. If you’re a small player in the market, own it. There are advantages to being the underdog that might appeal to people. If you’re leading the pack, go ahead and brag (a little). You’ve earned your spot at the top, so tell people how you got there.
Publishing great content on your site is just the beginning. The next step is to keep it updated. It’s a never-ending task.
Add some new testimonials to your Home page. Put a new video on your About page. Or throw a call to action on your Contact page to capture visitors who decide they aren’t ready to reach out.
It’s good for people to see fresh content that meets their needs, but never forget that search engines are your most influential “visitors.” They want to see that you’re actively maintaining your website with relevant, helpful information that people want.
That will bump you up the results rankings and attract more visitors to your website. And that’s good, of course. Otherwise, who are you creating this amazing content for?
