It’s tough in the UK rail sector at the moment. There’s a lot of pressure to deliver, and more and more work is being handed over to the big Tier 1 contractors.
In such a competitive industry, it’s important to present yourself in the best possible light. A good website can help you win more business by establishing your company as a professional, reputable brand with a history of successful works.
We’ve put together a checklist of the 5 key elements for SMEs to include on their website to attract more business.
A Contact Form
Make it as easy as possible for potential clients to get in touch. Your contact form should be easy to find with a clear call to action, and an explanation of how the information they provide will be used.
A simple contact form to register interest gives your web visitors an easy way to request more information, and gives you their contact details so you can get back in touch with them at a convenient time.
Your contact form should include:
- Name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Company
- Consent tick box for further contact
- A comments box to explain the query
Testimonials & Previous Clients
Client testimonials are a crucial part of your website because they establish credibility through unbiased, trustworthy reviews. A quotation from a previous, happy client explaining the work you did for them could be the tipping point that convinces your visitors to get in touch with you, over your competitors.
Make sure your testimonials are as detailed and specific as possible, with the name identified. Otherwise they might seem doctored.
"At the end of the shift I sent the client the report and they were over the moon. They had never had that much detail before."
Construction Manager Anthony Carrol, on Raildiary.
Links To Your Social Pages
Linking to social media accounts through your website demonstrates the authenticity of your company and provides a new way to communicate with your target audience. Only a fraction of your web visitors will convert on their first visit, so by directing them to social pages you ensure that you can continue communicating with them once they’ve left.
Spend Time On Your UX
UX (User Experience) refers to the ease with which visitors can navigate your website. From making sure your front is clear and in a readable colour, to placing buttons in prominent areas (such as the header), seemingly minor changes can encourage your users to complete the action you want from them.
Think of it as a journey your users take through the website with a beginning (what they see when entering the site], a middle (the story they see), and an end (the desired result).
For more information about how we use user experience to inform the production of our Sitediary app, read our blog post here – How does user research benefit the products you use?
Advertise Your Attendance At Industry Exhibitions & Trade Shows
A calendar feature and regular updates on your website let people know when and where they can meet you. When it comes to making key contacts with railway clients, there’s no better way than talking them through your business in person and putting a face to the name. Your website should be used to direct people towards this opportunity and interest them enough that they stop to talk.
With these 5 simple elements covered, your website will be well positioned to start attracting new business leads in the rail construction industry.
And when you get there, we’re here to help: Book a free demonstration of our site reporting software today.
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Emilia Oates
Marketing Lead
Marketing Lead
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