Contractor websites that show the work before the first call

Real jobs, labeled with the town

Homeowners want to see work like theirs, done near them, by the person they're about to hire. Sparrow's homepage opens on columns of Matt's own project photos, each labeled with the job and the town, like a kitchen remodel in Brighton or a bathroom in Hamburg. Its gallery holds 22 projects, every one of them Matt's own work, filterable by kitchens, bathrooms, additions, carpentry and barn beams.

Proof sorted the way the buyer thinks

A general contractor choosing a tile sub wants to know you've done this kind of building before. Artisan Tile's portfolio lists every project with its year and city, and lets a visitor browse by type of building: healthcare; schools, universities and libraries; arenas, airports, hotels and restaurants. A contractor bidding a hospital can go straight to the hospitals.

A page for every service

People search for the job, not the company: a finished basement, a kitchen remodel, a new shower. Sparrow has a page for each of its seven services, from home additions to custom cabinetry, and each one explains what the work includes, how Matt runs the job from the first visit to the final walkthrough, and the questions homeowners ask about it, with photos of that kind of project. Marblecraft gives each product line its own page, and its Colors page shows 21 standard colors and 15 upgrades, each with a photo you can enlarge, plus a plain note that a photo never matches exactly and the best way to choose is to see real samples.

A catalog customers can search

Some customers come with a part to match, not a job to describe. Armstrong Millworks' old site listed every molding as a PDF. The new one gives each of its 2,068 profiles its own page with its size, type, knife numbers and a drawing, searchable by knife number or size, and a Print actual size button so a customer can hold the printout against the trim they have. Every old PDF address goes straight to its profile's page, so a bookmark from before the launch still works.

Reviews from the people who paid for the work

Before they let anyone into their house, people read what past customers say. Sparrow's Reviews page carries Matt's eight verified Houzz reviews, quoted word for word, with a link to his Houzz profile so anyone can check them. Marblecraft's header has a Write a Review link to its Google listing on every page, so a happy customer is one tap from leaving the next one.

A quote form that asks what you need to know

A form that only asks for a name and a message means a phone call just to find out what the job is. Sparrow's quote form asks for the type of project, the city or ZIP code where the work is, when the homeowner wants to start and a description, so Matt can call back with something useful. Spam is filtered out before it reaches his inbox, and the page promises a response within one business day.

The phone number, always in reach

A homeowner who has made up their mind wants to call, not hunt for a number. On a phone, Sparrow's site keeps a Call Now and Get a Quote bar at the bottom of the screen, and Armstrong Millworks' keeps Call, Directions and Moldings there. Armstrong's homepage also says whether the mill is open right now, so nobody has to call just to check the hours. Marblecraft's header puts the phone number, directions and business hours at the top of every page.