Why Every Business Needs a Great Website—and When to Refresh It
Refreshing your image online
In today’s digital-first world, your business’ website is much more than just a place to display your services—it’s the cornerstone of your online presence and a key factor in attracting, converting, and retaining customers. Your website serves as a critical touch point for potential clients looking to research and engage with your brand. It is not simply a digital business card.
But having a website isn’t enough. You need a GREAT website, one that’s modern, user-friendly, and optimized for conversion. And to remain competitive, businesses must consider refreshing their site every year to keep up with changing trends and consumer expectations. In this blog, we’ll explore why having a well-designed, compelling website is essential for your business and why periodic website redesigns are crucial for staying relevant in your industry.
This update should be a fixed marketing cost like any other advertising, consisting in the budget of roughly 7.7% of your net revenue, depending on your stages of growth.
Why Every Business Needs a GREAT Website
1. First Impressions Matter
Your website is often the first interaction potential clients have with your business. Within seconds of landing on your site, visitors form an opinion about your brand based on the design, content, and ease of navigation. For home service based companies, industries where trust and credibility are paramount, it’s critical that your website makes a strong, positive first impression.
A dated, cluttered, or difficult-to-navigate website can send potential clients running to competitors. On the other hand, a well-designed, modern website reflects professionalism and trustworthiness, signaling that your business is reliable and capable of meeting their needs.
2. Your Website is Open 24/7
Unlike traditional businesses that operate within specific hours, your website works around the clock. It serves as a virtual storefront, providing information about your services, answering common questions, and generating leads even when your physical office is closed.
For general contractors, potential customers may be researching projects or energy solutions after work hours, and a well-functioning, informative website ensures they can find what they need at any time. This means your website should not only look good but also be easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and loaded with valuable content that helps visitors understand your services.
With AI based chatbots, trained on your entire website, and linked to your booking page, can act like an employee, qualifying leads before they enter your calendar, and also answering simple questions that you may hear all the time. AI chatbots never call in sick, don't need days off, and are very reliable.
3. Lead Generation and Conversion
A great website isn’t just about looks—it’s a powerful lead-generation tool. For general contractors, a well-optimized website can help drive qualified leads to your business. By providing clear calls to action (CTAs), like “Request a Free Quote” or “Schedule a Consultation,” your website can guide potential clients through the sales funnel.
Moreover, integrating lead capture forms, contact information, and project galleries are essential for nurturing those visitors into clients.
4. Showcasing Your Portfolio
One of the best ways to convince potential customers to work with you is to show them what you’ve done for others. A strong website allows you to showcase your portfolio of completed projects, including before-and-after photos, customer testimonials, and case studies.
For general contractors, a photo gallery highlighting renovations, remodels, or custom builds are essential.
5. Enhancing Your Brand and Messaging
Your website is a direct reflection of your brand, so it’s crucial that it communicates your values, mission, and expertise. By showcasing your commitment to green energy and innovation, your website can build trust with eco-conscious customers.
For general contractors, the focus may be on craftsmanship, reliability, and quality. Your website should clearly communicate your unique selling proposition (USP) and what sets your business apart from competitors, whether that’s decades of experience, a team of highly skilled workers, or a commitment to on-time project delivery.
If you don’t have video, your email, phone number or a compelling hero section of your homepage, give us a call and we’ll help you redesign your website.
6. SEO and AEO
A great website is more than just aesthetically pleasing—it’s optimized for search engines. Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for ensuring that potential clients can find your business when they search for terms like “general contractor near me." With AI changing the scene in '25, AEO (answer engine optimization), is now all about showing up in AI search results.
SEO best practices, such as using relevant keywords, optimizing images, and creating high-quality content, help improve your website’s ranking on Google and other search engines. The higher your site ranks, the more likely you are to attract organic traffic from prospective clients actively looking for your services. There's many types of SEO including Local, Technical, and things like this, blogs.
AEO is basically the new SEO. You still need SEO to help you stay ahead of your competitors, but with AEO, you'll be found when people area using AI search engines, which are slowly eating away at Google and other search engine's traffic. AI searches the web for the best way to answer your query and how you can get found is by building out a robust FAQ or Q & A section of your website, and a having your sitemap linked to multiple search engine's search consoles.
The answers that show up in Google's AI overview page are what's going to show whoever is doing the best AEO for those queries. AI engines need concise, digestible information. The focus is really on intent, over keywords, or keyword stuffing which can happen with blog posts. AI Answers are trying to keep you from clicking into other pages, providing a zero-click response to your query.
Why You Should Refresh Your Website Every Year
Having a great website is a must—but maintaining that greatness requires regular updates and redesigns. The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and a website that looked cutting-edge five years ago may now appear outdated, slow, or clunky compared to newer sites. Below are the key reasons why businesses, particularly in industry like general contracting, should consider rebranding and refreshing their websites every year, two maximum as technology is rapidly changing.
1. Technological Advancements
Web design and technology are rapidly evolving. Features that were once considered innovative—such as mobile-friendly design or fast load times—are now standard. New advancements in web design, coding practices, and security emerge regularly, and an older site may not function as smoothly on modern devices or meet current user expectations.
A website refresh ensures your site remains compatible with the latest browsers, devices, and design trends, offering a seamless experience to users. In particular, mobile responsiveness is crucial, as more people access websites from their smartphones than ever before. If your site doesn’t work well on mobile, you risk losing potential customers.
2. Keeping Up with Design Trends
Mobile first designed website are a must these days as 60-65% of website traffic globally is coming from cell phones. Just like fashion, web design trends change over time. Websites that once looked fresh and modern can quickly feel dated and stale. A design overhaul every few years helps you stay on-trend and maintain a visually appealing and professional site. Is your page overdue, and you’re now ready to redesign your website?
For general contractors, your website should look modern and reflect your expertise in up-to-date industry practices. A website that appears outdated can suggest that your business is behind the times, even if your services are cutting-edge. Open up a browser and look at your site vs several of your competitors. Who would you go with for remodeling your own home?
3. Improving User Experience
As user behavior evolves, so do the expectations for website functionality. In the past, having a simple website with basic navigation was enough. Now, users expect a seamless experience with fast load times, intuitive navigation, and interactive features.
A website redesign allows you to improve the user experience (UX) by streamlining your navigation, making key information easier to find, and optimizing your site for speed. This is especially important for businesses that rely on generating leads through their website. If visitors can’t quickly find the information they need, they’ll likely move on to a competitor’s site. It’s time to redesign your website.
4. Updating Content and Messaging
Your business evolves over time, and so should your website’s content and messaging. Every year, it’s important to take a step back and evaluate whether your website still accurately reflects your brand, values, and services.
For general contractors, you may have expanded your offerings or specialized in new types of projects. A website refresh gives you the opportunity to update your content, ensuring it aligns with your current business goals and effectively communicates your message to potential customers. Entrust Bodhi Digital Marketing to redesign your website. We know all about SEO & AEO ensuring you're getting a modern and mobile friendly refreshing site.
5. Staying Competitive
In any industry, staying ahead of the competition is key to long-term success. A dated website can put you at a disadvantage compared to competitors who regularly invest in their online presence. If a potential client is comparing your website to a competitor’s, the one that looks more professional, modern, and user-friendly will often win their business.
By refreshing your website, you ensure that you remain competitive and that your site reflects the level of quality and professionalism your customers expect.
Conclusion
In today’s digital world, having a great website is not optional—it’s essential for success. For general contractors, your website serves as a powerful tool for making a great first impression, generating leads, and showcasing your expertise. But a website is not a “set it and forget it” asset. To remain competitive and continue attracting customers, it’s important to refresh your website every year, ensuring that it stays modern, functional, and aligned with current industry trends.
By investing in periodic website redesigns, your business can stay ahead of the curve, offer a better user experience, and continue to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Remember, your website is often the first place potential clients go to learn about your services—make sure it reflects the professionalism and quality your business offers.
