A custom built website is essential for businesses across various industries. It’s a powerful tool for showcasing products and services and establishing a strong online presence. However, different industries have unique requirements when it comes to website content. That’s why ‘custom’ comes before ‘built website.’
A custom built website is specifically designed and developed to meet the requirements and objectives of a business or organization. Unlike pre-designed templates or website builders such as Elementor or Envato, in a custom built website, every aspect is created from scratch, including the design, layout, features, and functionality. This gives businesses full control over the website’s appearance, user experience, and overall performance.
A custom-built website often requires more time and resources than pre-designed templates. However, it provides your business with a tailored solution that better represents your brand, engages your audience, and meets their goals and requirements. Let’s explore the key information that various industries should consider implementing on their custom built websites to serve their audiences best.
Education Industry
Regarding the education industry, custom built websites for the best schools should provide comprehensive information to prospective students and parents. Key components to include are:
School Overview: Here, you should highlight the school’s mission, values, and educational approach. Include all relevant information about accreditations and certifications to establish your school’s credibility further. If the school’s backstory or history is interesting or touching, then this is a great place to share that information; it helps parents and students alike to feel connected to you.
Curriculum and Programs: It’s crucial to detail your school’s educational programs, extracurricular activities, and specialized courses or programs. Provide insights into the teaching methodologies and innovative approaches employed. Images of happy students and teachers in a learning set-up will go a long way to complementing this part. So ensure to add some great quality ones.
Faculty and Staff: Showcase the qualifications and achievements of the teaching staff to instill confidence in parents and students, both current and prospective. Include their expertise, certifications, unique strengths, and relevant experience. Don’t forget to add their pictures as well. Aim at propagating connections, not just offering information.
Admissions Process: You must clearly outline the requirements, procedures, and deadlines. It helps to include downloadable application forms and contact information for inquiries. Here, add a fee structure and any relevant payment information and terms important for current and future parents and students to know. Provide information on campus tours and open house events and extend an advance general invitation to future or considering parents.
Events and News: Always keep the media/press section of the website updated with upcoming events, such as parent-teacher meetings, sports competitions, or cultural festivals. Share news articles or press releases highlighting the achievements and activities of the school community. An updated website speaks volumes about the credibility of your school.
Construction and Home Maintenance Industry
In the construction industry, a custom built website could be made for people offering various services. Construction and home maintenance is a wide field. You could be metal fabricators, home remodeling experts, HVAC contractors, or roofing gurus. You should provide relevant information to potential clients regardless of your specific focus area. Some key elements you should not miss out on are:
Services Offered: Describe the range of services provided clearly and in an easy-to-access part of the website. In each service section, include all important details of the services offered. For instance, if you offer a roofing service, break it down into specific roofing solutions, cost estimates, and how to inquire about it. Highlight any specialized techniques or materials used. Showcase examples of past projects to demonstrate expertise. This is very important if you hope to get a call from prospective clients.
Project Portfolio: Showcase past projects through high-quality images or videos to demonstrate expertise and craftsmanship. Include descriptions of the projects, showcasing the challenges and innovative solutions employed. A pro tip you can’t afford to ignore is sharing testimonials from satisfied clients; this is a game-changer!
Expertise and Certifications: Highlight the team members’ qualifications, certifications, and workers’ liability insurance status. This is your way of demonstrating your company’s commitment to delivering quality and adherence to industry standards. You could specifically feature two or three of your best employees, highlighting their achievements, qualifications, and expertise.
Safety and Compliance: Construction work isn’t famed for its safety and comfort. Therefore, you need to emphasize the importance of safety measures in the construction projects you undertake as a company. Outline the company’s commitment to compliance with safety regulations. Mention any safety certifications or training programs you have taken your employees through. This gives your clients and future employees confidence in engaging with your company.
Request a Quote or Contact: The custom built website should provide clear instructions on how potential clients can contact the company to request a quote or seek additional information. Include a live chat pop-up, contact forms, phone numbers, email addresses, and social media handles. Have these on all the tabs on the website and a link on the main menu.
Funeral Services
For headstone companies and other funeral service providers, a custom built website should provide comfort and relevant information to grieving families. Some important components of your custom website should include the following:
Product Catalog: Display a comprehensive catalog of headstone designs, coffins, hearse options, materials, and customization options. Provide high-quality images and detailed descriptions. Offer guidance on selecting the right headstone based on personal preferences and cemetery regulations.
Order Process: Explain the ordering process, including personalized engraving options, delivery, and installation procedures. Include pricing guidelines and any required forms. Provide clear instructions on how to honor the memory of a loved one.
Memorial Resources: Offer the resources and guidance needed for the successful planning of memorial services, including suggested readings, poems, and tips for creating a meaningful tribute. Provide information on grief counseling services and support groups.
Contact Information: Display your contact details, including phone numbers, email addresses, and a contact form for inquiries or to schedule consultations. Ensure that someone can support and assist grieving families whenever they reach out through the website.
Healthcare Industry
In the healthcare industry, custom built websites are vital in providing patients and their families with essential information about your facility’s services. Medical needs are unique and very specific. Therefore, a custom-built healthcare facility website has no room for ambiguity. Key content considerations include:
Services and Specializations: Detail the services, such as optometry or ophthalmology. Highlight any specialized treatments such as hypnosis. Share any cutting-edge technologies you use and the certifications you hold. These will inspire confidence and credibility. Emphasize the expertise and qualifications of your healthcare professionals at your clinic or hospital.
Doctors and Staff: Introduce the healthcare professionals with great-quality images and brief bios or captions. Showcase their qualifications and areas of expertise. Include their professional affiliations and any awards or recognition received. Reiterate your team’s commitment to providing personalized care with a compassionate approach.
Patient Resources: Provide educational materials on eye care, senior living tips, or wound care. We’re in the age of telemedicine, so we offer online consultation and appointment scheduling options and downloadable patient forms. Provide information on insurance acceptance and financial assistance programs, if applicable.
Facility Information: It’s also important to include details about the facility’s amenities, such as intensive care units, senior living community features, special access points for people with disabilities, and even HVAC service coverage areas. Highlight safety measures, certifications, and testimonials from satisfied patients or residents. You could even provide virtual tours that showcase the facility and its environment.
Automotive Industry
For car dealerships, a custom built website is crucial for showcasing inventory, attracting potential buyers, and providing essential information. There are many unique things about each company or dealership in the automotive industry, but there are certain things each company must have on its customized website. These include;
Vehicle Inventory: Display a comprehensive inventory of available vehicles with detailed descriptions, specifications, prices, payment terms, and high-quality images. Since the website is customized for your industry, you must include filtering options to help customers search for specific products, models, price ranges, and features.
Financing and Lease Options: Provide information on financing and lease options, including interest rates, payment calculators, and special promotions. Include a contact form or clear instructions for customers to inquire about financing if they have a specific question.
Service and Maintenance: Highlight the dealership’s service and maintenance offerings, including scheduled maintenance, repairs, and warranty information. Provide your customers with a convenient online booking system that they can use to schedule service appointments or request emergency services such as a truck towing service.
Testimonials and Reviews: A car purchase is a serious decision. Your customers should feel confident and assured in their decision. Featuring testimonials from satisfied customers helps to build trust and credibility, inspiring a sense of calm and peace of mind in your customers. You should also include reviews from reputable sources such as Google Reviews or industry-specific platforms. Encourage and make provisions for customers to leave their feedback and ratings.
Contact Information and Directions: Display contact details, including phone numbers, email addresses, and a map with directions to the dealership. Make it easy for customers to schedule test drives or request additional information.
E-commerce Industry
As an online retailer, a custom built website is the foundation of your business. However, there’s intense competition in this niche, so your website must be unique to stand out among the rest. A great way to set yourself apart is to include the most relevant information on your website, presented in the most creative, catchy, user-friendly way possible. Let’s look at some of the most important things you have to include on your website.
Product Catalog: Showcase a comprehensive catalog of products with detailed descriptions, great-quality images, and pricing information. Organize products into categories and offer filtering options for easy navigation. Make sure all the links are active.
Secure Online Shopping: Implement a secure and user-friendly e-commerce platform for customers to browse, add items to their cart, and complete their purchases. Include multiple payment options and emphasize the security measures to protect customer information. The more convenient and safe this is, the better for your business.
Shipping and Returns: Communicate shipping options, delivery times, and applicable fees. Provide a transparent returns policy with instructions for customers to initiate a return or exchange. This particular piece of information should appear multiple times on the website. It plays a crucial part in the purchase decision of your customers.
Customer Reviews and Ratings: Feature customer reviews and product ratings to build trust and credibility. Include a review system or integrate with reputable review platforms to collect and display relevant customer feedback.
Customer Support: You must provide contact information and support channels for customers to contact with inquiries, issues, or feedback. To address common customer queries, offer a frequently asked questions (FAQ) section.
It’s A Collaborative Effort
Creating a custom built website involves collaboration between the business and a team of web developers or a web development agency. The developers work closely with the company to understand its goals, target audience, and specific needs. Based on this understanding, they design and develop a unique website that reflects the brand’s identity, promotes user engagement, and achieves the desired objectives.
Customization enables the inclusion of specific features, functionalities, and integrations that align with the business’s needs and objectives that may not be available in premade website templates. Custom-built websites can also be easily optimized for better performance, search engine visibility, and user experience without infringing on creator rights.
One key advantage of customizing your website is that it’s SEO-friendly, and you know that Google loves unique content and design. Like the late Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. once said, the best products are beautiful and functional at the same time, and a custom website is the perfect blend of these key features. It’s your web visitors’ real first point of contact with your business and a great first impression; so, make it count.
Investing in a well-designed custom built website is a worthwhile endeavor for businesses across all industries. It serves as a platform to showcase products, services, and expertise while establishing credibility and fostering strong customer relationships. It’s also a great branding and marketing tool that speaks to your target audience in a language and voice they understand. Ensure that your industry-specific website contains the necessary information to engage and inform your target audience, ultimately driving business growth and success.