Ben Cole

Stone Industry Consultant

In today’s internet age the need for a website is not important, it is imperative. Yet, I know that some fabricators still do not have a website or put very little effort into their website.       

If your company has made it this long without a website, or if your company has a very outdated and poorly built website, it is time to rethink how this is negatively impacting your company.

It is obvious to see all around you how the internet has effected each of our lives and changed the way business is done. Fifteen years ago, when a customer was looking for a stone fabricator, their first turn would typically have been to the Yellow Pages. Even if a customer heard of your company through word of mouth, more often than not they would look to the Yellow Pages for a company phone number or address. 

Now, the information once only found in the Yellow Pages has mostly been replaced by internet websites. And whether the customer is searching for fabricators in their area via a search engine or whether a customer heard of your company from friends or family, typically the first place they will turn to find information on your company is the internet. 

So without a website you stand to lose business and an opportunity to let a customer know what separates your company from those that you are competing against. And even if you do have a website, a poorly built and poorly maintained site could cast a bad reflection on your company and cause the customer to look toward other fabricators.

A proper website has so many benefits that the list can seem endless. A great website builds a customer’s confidence in your company even before they talk to anyone from your business. Customers that were recommended to you via friends or who are clients of builders or kitchen dealers will look to your website for general information. 

They will look to find basic information such as your hours, location, and telephone number. But they will also see other important details: your company statement or motto (Quality First, etc.), pictures of your previous work, posted inventory, information on different types of stones, the materials you do or do not work with, how the process of replacing their kitchen tops works, what edge details you offer and which are upgrades and what are standards. And last but not least, they’ll look for endorsements from satisfied customers. The list of benefits and opportunities go on and on. 

I am a realist and I do realize that there are some hurdles and adjustments that need to be made when starting or maintaining a website. First, you will likely want to pay a professional to set up your site. This of course is not free and can vary in cost from $500.00 to $10,000.00 or more depending on the complexity of the site and the amount of information you are looking to share. 

You will also receive more emails from customers who randomly come across your site.  This will require more effort in getting back to these customers but can also lead to much more business, which is what most companies are looking for. 

Now, some fabricators have made the argument to me that many of the random customers that find them on the web are not the type of customers they want to deal with. They are not referred and are typically shopping solely based on price. 

It is true that you may be contacted by this type of customer, who you may feel is a waste of your time, but the additional good customers and work you will receive will more than out weigh the headache and time spent on the customers who only care about cost and not quality.

It is time to step up and get a professional website that reflects the quality and service that your company provides. The additional business generated and the information provided to the customer will generally pay off in months, not years.

 

Ben Cole grew up in the stone industry working in his family’s shop and currently manages a family-owned fabrication shop in southern New Jersey.