Electricity is all around us, even where we might not think. Electricity, it’s availability and accessibility in our homes and businesses, is an afterthought for most of us. As electrical contractors, you allow us to use electricity without thinking about it. Even though we don’t send you a thought of thanks each time we flip a switch (and maybe we should), your prior planning and expertise in a construction project are integral to our daily activities.
So what I’m saying is: while it might not be glamorous your business is super important. And if your job is so important, shouldn’t your website resemble that? We uncovered five websites with both the content and design to show off just how important you are, as electricians. Check them out below:
1. Moran Electrical Contracting
Moran Electric works with general contractors throughout the Chicago area and throughout the nation to provide highly competitive electrical bids on contracting projects for multi-residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial electrical work. With a team of experienced electricians, they work efficiently and thoroughly, allowing them to deliver competitive electrical quotes with top-notch quality work.
A service page that is both unique in design and content as well as fresh photos of job examples.
What makes this electrical contractor site stand out:
- Professional photography is obvious and classy throughout this site. High quality photographs really give a polished look to any website, it can even camouflage poor website design, though Moran Electric does not fall under this scenario.
- Specific service pages are displayed very well. The content is divvied up according to the type of service it falls under. Pictures of completed projects accompany each service, which nicely showcases the kind of work Moran Electric takes on. Furthermore, I like the design of the service pages with text hovering over square photos. The hover effect adds a bit of interest and interactivity for users, a great tactic to wow prospects!
- Examples of jobs are provided on each service page as well as the homepage. Visitors really like to see pictures of completed projects to better get a sense of the type of work a company has successfully completed in the past. Potential customers view this kind of gallery to preview the craftsmanship and level of quality of the electrical contractor’s finished product.
- Pop-up functionality for the past projects makes it easy for viewers to click on a project and learn more without leaving the page they’re on. Showcasing project images with an image slider allows the company to share lots of photos of the same project in an easy to see, condensed overview.
- Testimonials are shared in the footer of each page to boost viewer confidence.
Wish list:
I could only view the individual service pages by clicking on the tiles either on the homepage or the service page. It would have been nice to list out the pages in the drop down menu as well as an in-page sub navigation so visitors could see there were different pages for each.
Additionally, on the homepage slideshow, the designer embedded text in the images, which is a surprise because the rest of the site is really well done. It’s a far better practice to add text as an overlay, physically typed into layout so Google can also read and index the content.
2. Teague Electric
Despite the fact that Teague Electric is one of the largest residential electrician companies in the metropolitan Kansas City area, their focus has always been on giving their clients the best possible experience in electrical construction and residential electrician services. Teague Electric takes their integrity seriously, because they care about having a positive impact on the communities they serve.
Blog posts drive the traffic to this electrical contractor’s website and designed backgrounds keep visitors moving through the content.
What makes this electrician website stand out:
- A fun background made up of a cool texture-like design is featured on the homepage. A red button for requesting a service appointment is over it allowing visitors to easily see how to contact them. The design pops out of the page signaling to visitors to click on the contact button.
- Their latest blog posts are along the bottom of the homepage. Blogs are an easy way to drive traffic to a website and, by displaying them in plain sight, allows people to see regularly updated content, which sends a message that you care about your website (and your business) plus it keeps the page feeling fresh. Blogging benefits your marketing in more ways than one because you are not only driving traffic to your website by blogging but you are showing off your credibility as a professional expert too.
- Promoting residential and commercial divisions separately was a nice surprise. Not a lot of electrical contractor companies do this on their website, though some may only serve one audience many provide services to both. Some companies group the two categories together, even though they are completely different. Separating the two makes it easier for potential customers looking for specifics.
- Diagonal cropping of header photos mirrors the diagonal lines in the logo and adds a really unique feel to the pages. We see straight lines and square images everywhere – the diagonal bottom adds original style and flair!
- Facebook badge and Twitter Feed in the footer calls attention to social media in real time and lets viewers know the company is active on the platforms.
Wish list:
Pop ups back to the old website drove me crazy the entire time I was navigating through Teague Electric’s website. I assume this is because they are in the middle of updating their website to a new one, but linking back to the old one can be distracting for your visitors.
Additionally, it’s great that Teague Electric speaks to residential and commercial audiences separately however on the home page the only way to get to the sections of the site is through the circle buttons a third of the way down the page. I would suggest additional links on the top red bar to also serve as navigation to these sections of the site. This way viewers would have to option to use a more conventional navigation method to get to the key areas and Teague Electric doesn’t have to depend on visitors scrolling down the page to get there.
The last suggestion I’d make to improve the viewer’s experience on the site is opening the residential and commercial sections in the same tab as the main website. The sections are technically within the site structure and use the same URL as the main site, convention indicates they should open in the same tab. By opening them in a new tab it may send a red flag to viewers that they are leaving the site and create a moment of distrust with the website.
3. Withrow Electric, Inc.
Serving the Columbia area since 1996, Withrow Electric, Inc. has thrived on customer service. They are a small, family-owned business offering all aspects of electrical contracting for residential and commercial. Withrow Electric’s experienced electricians have over 90 years of combined experience to ensure your job is done right. There is no job too big, or too small. They assess and do their best to resolve any issue you may have electrically.
Customer testimonials, photos of staff and a colorful design catch the eyes of this electrician’s website visitors.
What makes this electrical contractor site stand out:
- A bright color pallet jumps out. The term “red and yellow kills a fellow” does not do justice in this instance. These colors work in Withrow Electric’s favor as they grab the attention of their visitors quickly. The white and grey backgrounds contrast well with the bright accent colors and keep the text easy to read.
- Employee photos give a friendly feel to Withrow Electric. Visitors can meet their employees and office staff online before actually meeting them in person. They even included their office greeter, Lucky Green, a tan colored pup, in their staff photos. Sharing pictures of their office dogs helps convey the family feel of the company and share their personality. Plus it alerts dog lovers to bring a treat and give a quick pat to Lucky if they stop by the office.
- Design elements incorporate company branding. Their logo really works, I could pick it out of a stack with my eyes closed. This is great for marketing because people can easily remember them by their logo. The site design does a great job of promoting brand recognition by incorporating the logo throughout the site as a divider and even in the lightning bolt shaped bullet points.
- Testimonials on every page really show off their accomplishments. People want to know what past customers think in order to determine if they are interested or not. Displaying good reviews can only do you more good.
- Cropped circular images cast a modern feel. Circular images are a design trend since CSS has evolved to make the process of formatting a breeze. The round images create space where the corners used to be, making the site feel less crowded and continuing on with the modern friendly feel of the site.
4. Weifield Group
A national leader in cutting-edge electrical construction, Weifield combines the professional expertise of their employees with the forefront of technology to build some of the world’s most energy-efficient buildings. Whether the project is miles of medium voltage cable, highly technical, Net Zero, inclusive of solar or special systems, they are proven leaders in their field with their award-winning installations.
Key milestones and a featured crew member are original attributes in the industry, making Weifield innovative.
What makes this electrician website stand out:
- Milestones for the company are not a typical trait seen amongst electrical contractor websites. It is a feature that calls out the visitor’s attention, making them take notice of the high milestones reached for the company’s projects, man hours and employees. This is a wise marketing tool making Weifield seem like one of the best with such large numbers.
- Crew of the month is prominent on the homepage. Each month, Weifield awards one team crew of the month for giving exceptional service at work. Awarding their staff and recognizing them in this way shows the company values their employees as people, encouraging better results across the board. Visitors will find this attractive in an electrician company, understanding as clients they will be treated with similar respect.
- Introductory videos can draw traffic further into the site. Videos are also not a common trend, even though they growing more and more popular on websites everyday, younger generations especially gravitate towards video content. Videos are an easy way to display a company’s values through interviews with the owners or illustrate an example of an electrical service, step by step.
- A zoom, roll-over feature on the photos adds interest to the site’s overall design. This little animation spices up the pages, giving it the added touch it needs to feel contemporary. Easy elements like this are attractive to the web visitors, mainly because it is fun, which can hold their attention a few seconds longer.
- Real photos of their company show they care about people. Just like the crew of the month, the photos of Weifield’s employees out in the field throughout the site tells visitors what the company values. In addition, people can meet the staff and see them in action.
5. Hardt Electric Inc.
For more than 40 years, Hardt Electric Inc. has set the standard for the highest quality commercial, industrial, residential and renewable energy electrical work. They’re backed by a dedicated team of experienced, innovative electricians and project managers who bring outstanding service and up-to-the-minute electrical knowledge to every customer.
Up to date fonts are paired with many, many photographs for a contemporary design.
What makes this electrical contractor site stand out:
- Modern fonts make the text part of their design. This site leans heavily on stylized fonts to make their website visually appealing, which is sometimes a bold move but is pulled off well here. Fonts in general can really make a website come together, and modern fonts cue the visitor that Hardt Electric is up-to-date. Which translates into an impression they are in tune with current techniques and technology in their work.
- Pictures, pictures and more pictures! Everywhere you look on the site you will find a photo, from every page to every corner on the page. You would think this brave use of photography would be overwhelming but when organized neatly, it is a fantastic way to showcase their work. As mentioned before, showing off your work is beneficial. People want to see examples of the type of work your company produces.
- A detailed list of services is provided on every service page, as well as a link to specific types of services. To explain, if you click on the “sustainability” tab, you will find lots of information. Then, if you select “solar” from the bulleted list, you will see even more. Providing so many details gives the visitor a better idea of your company’s capabilities. Plus, they may acquire the knowledge they seek before contacting you to receive the same answers. This is also a good way to capture prospects looking for specific services, because it may allow you to rank easier for service specific key terms in search engines.
- The completed projects gallery can be filtered according to the type of service. Furthermore, every job has it’s own page outlining the completed work. A video can also be viewed on the specific project with highlighted features. This is a fantastic way to fully display each step and highlight key areas of past projects. Potential customers get a thorough explanation from start to finish, which provides them with a complete example of what they might receive in their project.
Electric Website Trends
Check out our previous blog post on the current trends popping up in electric company websites. We found eight reoccurring trends, from a horizontal scrolling layout to logo placement.