Top Building Materials Sites for Content Inspiration
No matter what industry you work in today, you'll want to have a website, and you'll want that site optimized for search. SEO is important because it ensures that you come up high in search engine results—and research shows that at least 68% of all online experiences today start with a search on a search engine. Also, 53% of all web traffic comes via search—which means that you want to make sure you're doing everything you can to make your Google and search engine ranking as high as it can possibly be.
One good way to crush SEO is by utilizing content marketing. Using content to increase your site's exposure means that by incorporating high-quality, well-written information on a site or blog, you offer readers inherent value and naturally draw in readers and visitors who are ready to learn.
Content can come in many forms, including blog posts, news articles, newsletters, quizzes, calculators, and listicles. If you work in the building materials field, you may not have realized that content marketing is also an incredibly effective marketing tactic for your industry. However, if you shift to creating content for your site, you may just end up drawing in a ton of new visitors—and many of those visitors may be qualified leads who are looking for a trustworthy company to buy from.
Content marketing is important—but it's not a simple science. In fact, creating effective content for your site can feel daunting if you're not well versed in SEO, or you aren't naturally a writer who is used to coming up with ideas to attract people on the web. Luckily, there are many great building materials sites out there that can serve as models for your site, and you can browse them to get a good idea of what kind of content works for promotion.
To get started using content to increase organic traffic to your site, learn about the purposes of building materials sites and blogs and the ways each uses content. Then, take a look at the top building materials sites on the web, so you can get some inspiration for what you want your site to be once you start infusing it with content.
What is a building materials site and how does it incorporate content?
A building materials site is a website for a company that specializes in selling building materials or items that are used in construction. Some building materials sites are strictly e-commerce sites where people can shop in an online catalog to buy building materials. Alternatively, some building materials sites contain information about a brick-and-mortar store, and visitors can't actually shop on the site (they can just learn more about the company). Alternatively, other building materials sites have helpful information and articles about construction in general—how to use building materials, how to find the best options, and many other tips and tricks for people in the industry.
When deciding which of the below building materials sites to model yours after, make sure you choose one that has a similar purpose to the site you run. That way, you can ensure you browse through the content that works for an audience similar to your own and spark some ideas for content with which you can start to populate your own site.
The best building materials sites on the web
The following sites are dedicated to building materials. All contain outstanding content that offers readers value and helps draw visitors to the site organically.
Builder
Builder is an online magazine geared towards a wide range of professionals in the construction industry. The site has sections on business, design, construction news, and more. Articles contain:
- Useful information about the changing prices of building materials.
- Plans for projects and the materials needed for them.
- Safety information regarding using certain materials and equipment.
Builder is one of the most popular destinations focused on construction on the web because it's so comprehensive and wide-reaching.
Why it works
Products section: The magazine has a section dedicated to products. It contains regularly updated product guides, and the guides are separated by categories, including exteriors, structural, systems, interiors, kitchens and baths, and doors and windows. This is helpful for people looking to learn about the best building materials available to buy.
Green focus: There is a sustainability section on Builder. There is also a green products section within the larger products section. This eco-friendly can be helpful for anyone looking for the most sustainable building materials on the market.
Business directory: Builder has a directory of companies and professionals within the construction industry. Many businesses listed in the directory are building materials companies, so it can also be a good networking resource for people in the field looking to meet colleagues, peers, or partners.
BuildersMART Blog
BuildersMART is a large, India-based construction materials company. They have a popular online eCommerce site where you can order building materials to be shipped to you. The BuildersMART Blog from the company also contains tons of useful information that is relevant to people interested in building materials. BuilderSMART's blog is successful because it appeals to its specific customers. It offers purchasers value beyond the products they buy. It can also give people ideas for new materials to buy for new projects, which can help the company boost their own business and encourage multiple purchases from existing customers.
Why it works
Targeted content: The content on the blog is very specific. It is geared towards people buying building materials or shopping on BuildersMART. BuildesMART caters to their audience and offers more value via their articles and information (and not just the products they sell).
Easy to subscribe: BuilderSMART makes it easy to subscribe to their newsletter, which contains their blog posts linked in a weekly email. Having an easy sign-up encourages people to become loyal readers who return to the blog each time they get links to new posts.
Short listicles and easy-to-read content: The blog here has lots of short listicles and easy-to-consume content. This encourages people to click on different articles on each visit and helps ensure that the blog does not intimidate them with content that feels long or complex. Listicles are a popular type of online content because they can be skimmed, easily shared on social media, and they don't require tons of time or energy to be consumed.
Tri Supply & Equipment
Tri-Supply is a company that provides construction equipment and tools in Delaware and Maryland. The company has a useful site with information about the company, and it also contains a catalog of items to order online. Tri-Supply also uses a blog to help with content marketing. The Tri-Supply blog is useful and informative, and it helps bring more attention to their website.
Why it works
Useful, actionable articles: The articles on the blog give tips on how to do construction projects. These are useful for people looking to do their own work, and they also encourage people to buy products they don't yet have.
Safety information: The blog contains a large amount of safety information for builders and people buying construction materials. Pieces on safety offer added value after people make purchases from the company, and they help establish the brand as knowledgeable about a variety of subjects within the construction industry.
Category breakdown: The blog has a simple design, and each article is labeled with a relevant category. The homepage has a menu of categories, so visitors can go right to the section of interest to find relevant content.
Home Depot - DIY Projects and Ideas
The Home Depot is one of the most popular chains of building materials and hardware stores in the US. The website for the company includes an online store, and it also has a useful section on DIY Projects and Ideas. Essentially a blog for the company, the DIY Projects, and Ideas site is packed with guides for projects that people can do at home. The site also publishes articles on fun home maintenance or creative activities you can do with hardware and building materials, as well as tips for readers undertaking construction projects at home.
Why it works
Easy product recommendations: Each article recommends items you can use in DIY projects. They include links to the products, so you can easily buy what you need from the online store. Home Depot, thus, uses their DIY page as a smart marketing tactic, because they seamlessly make recommendations for purchases and direct people to buy with a simple click.
Project calculators: In addition to written articles, the DIY portion of Home Depot's site includes project calculators. These calculators can be used by people who are doing projects at home and need help making complex computations necessary for building.
Digital workshops: On the DIY site by Home Depot, there is a section in which people can access and take DIY Digital Workshops. These DIY Digital Workshops are more in-depth and comprehensive lessons that are provided in Home Depot's written guides. The Digital Workshops draw in people who are looking for more serious construction education, and they will find all of the lessons filled with actionable, useful information that leads them to purchase more Home Depot products and encourages them to return for even more building education.
Hardwood Blog - American Lumber
It goes without saying that lumber is one of the most widely used building materials across the globe, and American Lumber is one of the most popular lumber companies in the entire United States. They also run an excellent blog. The official name of American Lumber's blog is the Hardwood Blog, and people visit it to learn more about the lumber market, trends in the hardwood industry, interesting projects using hardwood lumber, and more.
Why it works
Targets a wide audience: The Hardwood Blog has articles written for people who run construction businesses. It also has pieces for homeowners looking to undertake projects in their own homes. The wide variety of articles draws in a large audience and appeals to people with greatly differing levels of knowledge.
The minimalistic design and focus on content: The design of the Hardwood Blog is minimalistic and only features a feed of its articles. This helps highlight its content and makes sure that readers aren't distracted by other things to do or links to click when they're consuming blog content. The Hardwood Blog holds your focus with high-quality information and useful advice.
Industry updates: The Hardwood Blog contains lots of information about the hardwood lumber industry itself. People who are interested in the building materials market will find tons of helpful articles published since the blog is updated as the market changes. Find information on lumber prices, events that could affect the market, an analysis of how supply and demand are changing, and more.
Work with Scripted to increase organic traffic to your building materials site
If you work in the building materials industry, and you want to direct more people to your website, it makes sense to harness the power of content. After all, 60% of marketers say that inbound marketing, including content marketing, brings in their highest quality leads. But, when you're not an expert in content, tackling content marketing all on your own can feel daunting. Luckily, however, there are resources like Scripted to help.
Scripted assembles some of the highest-quality, skilled content writers on the web to help companies in various fields ramp up their content marketing efforts. Scripted writers specialize in a range of industries, so if you need content for a building materials site, then you can hire a writer who has proven their particular competence in the building materials field.
To get started today, take a look at our list of building materials writers. Browse writer bios, writing samples, and other relevant experiences to find a writer who fits your company. Once you have selected writers that seem like they can help you create winning site content, you can sign up for the Scripted service or reach out to Scripted to get started.
Published by Ciara Antolini on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 in Industries, Building Materials, Construction.
