Did you know that there are almost 32,000 pest control companies in the US? This is up 3.3% compared to 2022.
If you own a pest control company, then you understand the importance of standing out amongst the competition. You need to focus on everything from your web design budget to creating a mobile-friendly website while taking into consideration glaring website design mistakes.
But where do you begin? This article explains what you need to look out for when creating your pest control website, helping you gain customers while avoiding mistakes that might affect your business.
Keep reading to learn more.
Importance of Web Design
Web design sets the stage for the rest of your website. It immediately sets the tone with prospective customers, as they judge your business from the first impression.
When your website looks old, outdated, or cluttered, they may view your business negatively. Web design impacts the wat way your audience perceives your overall brand.
Additionally, web design helps your SEO. This boosts your ability to rank in a Google search and beat the competition.
You also want a well-designed website to show users on your website that you value customer service. If they see you’ve put forth the effort into your website, they’ll understand that you put equal effort into tending to their needs. This works to build trust with your target audience, something that every pest control company needs.
It’s important to remember that your competitors are creating SEO-friendly, interactive websites. You need to stay competitive, so always implement website best practices when looking to attract new customers to your pest control company.
As you look to gain leads for pest control, you’ll need to build your brand. Your prospective customers should familiarize themselves with your company so they know who to call.
1. Missing a Clear CTA
You always need a concise call to action so your customer knows exactly what they need to do on your website. Do you want them to call you, complete a form for pest removal services, or check out a products or services page? Having a clear call to action removes the guesswork and helps people navigate your pest control site.
When you skimp on a clean CTA, your customers may not know what to do next. They may abandon your website altogether and head to a competitor’s site. Always have “call now” or “schedule an appointment” buttons on your website so your customers can easily access your pest removal services.
Make CTA buttons easy to find so they don’t have to search for a way to contact you.
2. Not Enough Website “Whitespace”
Whitespace is exactly what it sounds like— clear, uncluttered space on your website so your customers can have space to rest their eyes. This means you should keep some areas free from ads and information.
Sufficient whitespace makes it easier for customers to consume information on your page while distinguishing which content is more important than others. In short, it makes your pest control website flow productively and helps customers navigate your site.
As the old adage goes, less is more.
3. Hidden Navigation
If you’ve ever visited a website and struggled to locate the navigation bar, you may have left the website and headed for a competitor’s website. This is equally true with pest control websites.
Always have a visible navigation bar so prospective customers can toggle between your products and services, blog, contact page, image gallery, pest index, and more. Remember to have this navigation bar visible for mobile devices as well.
It’s best to opt for a simple yet notable navigation bar that customers can easily access.
4. No Favicon
Favicon is a small image that makes it easy for customers to recognize your pest control website on their browser. When you neglect to have favicon, you’re neglecting a company logo of sorts. This makes a bad first impression and detracts from your brand awareness.
If you use WordPress, for example, you’d want favicon so customers see your business icon in their browser instead of the WordPress icon.
When you utilize favicon, customers can recognize your website and brand without searching for it.
5. Insufficient Contrast Between Background Color and Text
Have you ever visited a website with neon-colored text? You may have noticed eye fatigue or difficulty focusing on the page. When your eye focuses on text and a backdrop color with a weak contrast, the eye becomes irritated and tired.
However, this is an easy fix for your pest control company. All you need to do is select a color for your text and examine the color pairs next to it.
If you can’t read them, your contrast is too low. This means customers will struggle to read what’s on their screens.
Always ensure high contrast and easy readability that doesn’t cause eye fatigue.
6. Your Font Size Is Too Small
Small font size can strain the eyes just as easily as jarring contrast between text and background color. Steer clear from font size that’s too small.
Aim for text size relative to each page. Opt for a natural-looking page that’s easy to read. When text is too large or small, nothing stands out.
You can achieve an accurate font size by adding the width and height (in pixels) of your text box. For your website’s body copy, your total should be roughly 25-25 pixels. If you feel you still need more space between each line, you can add another 5-10 pixels.
7. Use of Generic Images
If you’ve ever been to a website and noticed the images look familiar, then chances are generic images are used. You might feel cheated out of the user experience, wondering what types of original photos the company could have used.
This is why you should opt for your own photos instead. You can hire a professional photographer to take pictures for your website, or simply snap a few pictures of each pest control job. Prospective customers will be happy to see exactly what types of services you offer, along with photos.
8. Blurry Images and Missing Metadata
Image metadata is the specific information for your images. This information stores the location of each picture on a map, along with any keywords.
You can also opt for alt text, which describes what’s happening in each picture. This helps your pest control website rank in Google Images while assisting the visually impaired with navigating your website. It also helps when images are down on your site.
Image metadata and alt text is essential. It helps prospective customers while searching for information online. Every time they type in a keyword, there’s a greater chance your business will come up in their search engine results page (SERP).
When your metadata or alt text is incomplete, your pictures have zero chance of ranking in a Google search.
Additionally, blurry images tell the customer that the image is useless, and they immediately leave your page. Always opt for clear images and plenty of metadata and alt text.
If you work with a professional photographer and you notice the images are blurry, don’t be shy about asking for them to provide you with clear photos.
9. Homepage Has Excessive Hover Animations
Hover animations pop up whenever you place your cursor over a specific element. What pops up as you “hover” is some type of animated effect or motion.
When you implement too many hover animations, your pest control company loses credibility with customers. You want to convey a consistent tone of professionalism to avoid ruining your website’s overall credibility.
If you want to add effects, limit them to one or two. This not only looks more professional but helps with your website loading speed.
10. Lack of Social Media Buttons
Did you know that, as of January 2022, there were roughly 4.48 billion people using social media across the globe?
People are constantly sharing information on social media. Why not have them share your pest control website?
Social media buttons make it easy for them to effortlessly share your information with others across a wide array of sites. With one click, your website can appear on FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, and more. This broadens the number of people who find your website.
When you use a social media button, you simultaneously increase the credibility of your pest control company’s website. The use of these buttons tells prospective customers that you’re looking to interact with prospective customers in any way possible.
Avoid These Common Pest Control Website Design Mistakes
Now that you know what website design mistakes to avoid, you can start fixing any glaring errors on your site. Remember to have a clear and concise call to action, social media buttons, and customer photos with alt text to help them rank in a Google Images search.
Do you need help marketing your pest control company? Marketing Pests can help. Book a call today.
