Get Found On Google & Convert Visitors Into Leads & Revenue

Plumbers run very different businesses from traditional companies. The bakery down the street may use their website to advertise their menu and specialty pastries while you need to generate leads from your plumbing company’s website.

Unlike the bakery, your measure of success is calls and contact forms, not foot traffic to a storefront.

Answer this: when is the last time your site generated 50+ web forms in a month? How about phone calls? Do you frequently talk to customers who say, “I found you on Google?” Or worse… is your phone not ringing? If the answer is “yes,” then this blog is for you.

What Bad Plumbing Websites Look Like

As a general rule of thumb, visitors should be able to answer three questions within three seconds of landing on your website:

• Who are you?
• What do you do or offer?
• How do I contact you?

In today’s digital age, consumers want the information they seek NOW, meaning your plumbing company’s website should answer each of the questions above without the user needing to scroll down the page at all.

Take a look at the three websites below while keeping the questions above in mind.

Bad Plumbing Website #1

Why it’s bad:

1. User friendliness – With all the empty space above the menu, this site is not very user friendly and pushes all of the important information too far down the page.
2. Contact information – Although the Contact page is found in the menu, it may be difficult to find as it is hidden between About and Testimonials. Additionally, your company’s phone number should be highly visible on the page. This company’s phone number is nowhere to be found.
3. Services – To their credit, this company does advertise residential and commercial services above the fold (before you need to scroll), however it is missing a list of plumbing services, imagery to convey these services, service areas, etc.

The good:

Nothing.

Bad Plumbing Website #2

Why it’s bad:

1. Design – This plumbing website does a poor job of legitimizing the company. It does not have a logo, the company name (in blue) does not stand out from the blue background, and has zero imagery to bring life to the site.
2. Services – Beyond the name Emerald Plumbing, this plumber provides essentially zero information to his or her plumbing services. Customers are left wondering if they are a residential or commercial contractor, if they offer the exact plumbing service they need, etc.
3. User friendliness – Like the first site we looked at, this site is not very user friendly and provides virtually no helpful information above the fold. Additionally, the header (top part of the site) is so large it’s almost IMPOSSIBLE to read the information below as you scroll.

The good:

• Phone number – This company places their phone number above the fold and clearly visible, making it easier for potential customers to call for service.

Bad Plumbing Website #3

Why it’s bad:

1. Readability – The color scheme chosen by Joe the Plumber makes it difficult for customers to read. The blue text layered over the red background is not very user friendly and the text reading “Since 1968” is virtually unreadable.
2. Service Areas – Unlike the other two sites above, this plumbing company has an 888 phone number and zero mentions of his service areas, making it almost impossible for customers to know their location or service areas.

The good:

• Phone number – Like the second bad plumbing website, Joe the Plumber places his phone number above the fold and clearly visible, eliminating unnecessary steps for visitors to find his contact information.
• Logo – Unlike the first two sites, this company clearly has a logo located in the upper-left corner of the header, which is a standard for any website and helps legitimize him as a real plumber.

13 Web Design Tips Every Plumber’s Website Needs to Generate Leads

1. A Professional Logo

A professional plumbing logo serves multiple purposes. First, it legitimizes your company. Consumers comparing an ugly website with no logo compared to a professionally-designed website with a clear logo associate the nicer logo and site with a more high quality company, regardless if it’s true or not.

Consider investing in a professional brand design and a brand spanking new logo to kick off the website design process for your plumbing company.

2. A Clear Call to Action

A call to action is language, graphics, or some sort of content that entices users on your site to take action. It directs them where to go next or what to do.

On plumbing websites, this usually falls into one of two categories:

1. Pick up the phone and call or;
2. Fill out a form

Consider putting a clear call to action in the header of your website, making it as simple as possible for visitors to contact you and your customer service representatives, like Len The Plumber, who offers “Same Day Service,” a clear-cut reason to contact them if you’re in dire need of a plumber.

3. An Easy Way to Request Service

Like in the Len The Plumber screenshot above, you need to make it as easy as possible for customers to contact you after reading your call to action. Using the same example above, Len The Plumber provides two ways for potential customers to contact them: phone and online.

4. Services List

Google wants to provide users with the best answers to their search queries—so why shouldn’t you? Give users a clear list of services offerings (as detailed or high level as you want) as soon as they land on your plumbing website, like the icons and boxes in the example below:

5. A Sticky Header

Sticky headers are a best practice in plumbing website design nowadays. So what is it, you might ask? A sticky header is a functionality that minimizes the header section of your website and makes it static, keeping it in the visitors view at all times.

Notice below how the header section minimizes and is always available to website visitors.

Sticky headers help you generate more leads because they keep your call to action and contact information easily accessible and within view 100% of the time someone is on your website.

6. A Responsive Framework

According to Adobe, nearly 8 in 10 consumers would stop engaging with content that doesn’t display well on their device.

Why is this important? Because if your website doesn’t display well on smartphones and tablets, 8 of every 10 people will leave your site and go to a competitor’s instead. To prevent this from happening, build your website on a responsive framework.

Responsive websites automatically resize according to device, giving users a beautiful display across desktop and laptop computers, iPads, iPhones, Android phones, and any device.

Building your plumbing website on a responsive framework also means you have a mobile-friendly website, which has been an absolute necessity since 2015.

7. Clear Imagery

Nothing is worse than a picture that looks pixelated and blurry. Not only is it a sign of laziness, it simply isn’t user friendly. Instead, use professionally shot, hi-resolution images on your website for the highest clarity and professionalism.

8. Real People

Homeowners like to know they are safe in their own homes while a contractor is performing service. One way to convey your legitimacy and establish rapport with homeowners in your service area is to have pictures of your technicians, trucks, and team members across your website. Whether it’s your home page, a meet the team page, or another page of your site, a smile and friendly face goes a long way to generating more leads from your plumbing website.

A second and more fun way to do this is to create short introductory videos for each of your plumbers, like the company below:

9. Awards & Accreditations

Every homeowner wants a plumber that is well-respected in the community and the plumbing industry. Industry awards, recognition, and accreditations are a fantastic (and encouraged) way to generate more leads from your plumbing website.

Here’s a few badges, logos, and items we recommend every plumber include on their website, if possible. Remember to only use logos of organizations you are truly a member of and to check with each organization if they have specific guidelines and logos to use online!

• State plumbing licenses
• PHCC
• Better Business Bureau
• Angie’s List Super Service
• Best of Houzz
• Best of HomeAdvisor
• Other award badges and logos

10. A Modern Website Design

Any plumber’s website should be a digital salesperson that works 24/7 to generate new leads and sales. Don’t have a salesperson like Bad Website 1, 2, or 3. Instead, invest in professional website design, SEO for plumbers, and other forms of plumber digital marketing to generate a consistent source of lead flow.

11. Competitive Differentiators

While you know your plumbing company is better than your competitors, homeowners who have never heard of your company don’t. To differentiate yourself from the competition and stand out among the rest, tell customers exactly why you’re the best plumber in town!

12. Coupons & Special Offers

If you got it, flaunt it. Or something like that, right?

If you have special deals and coupons to offer customers, then advertise them on your website! Every little bit of money saved on a tune-up, service call, or maintenance plan goes a long way with customers and helps build customer loyalty. Although coupons mean less money in your pocket, what you make up for it in customer loyalty and retention far outweighs the $9.90 you lost giving a customer 10% off their service call.

13. A Click to Call Button (On Mobile Only)

Keeping a call to action present across mobile devices is equally (if not more) important than on desktop. Click to call buttons, an option that allows mobile visitors to click a button and immediately call, presents a unique opportunity to convert mobile users on your plumbing website into a lead with the click of a button (literally).

Need a New Plumbing Website? Here’s What You Need to Do Next

Does your plumbing website need some help? Here at Blue Corona, we make your phone ring and any of our digital marketing experts can help you generate more leads, sales, and revenue from the web.

Let’s talk about how it can be improved: call 800.696.4690 or drop us a line to learn more.

Marketing Services You Might Be Interested In

• Plumber Digital Marketing
• Plumber SEO Marketing (search engine optimization)
• Plumber PPC Marketing (pay per click)
• Plumber Social Media Marketing
• Plumber Facebook Advertising
• Plumber Email Marketing