As the world rapidly progresses toward digitization, different industries adopt it in their ways. Some have been swift in adopting technology and thriving with improved performances, while others face challenges to take themselves to the next level.

The construction industry is one such industry that is notorious for being slow in adapting to new changes. However, it has been taking steady steps for the past decade to incorporate new tech into its operation in ways that benefit the workflow.

Let’s take a deeper look at the rise of online platforms in the construction realm and how you can make the most of it to advance your business. 

Brick-and-mortar meets digital: the rise of online platforms in the construction realm

60% of construction companies admit that their industry has been slower than other industries in adapting to technology. 

The most prominent reason for this is the industry’s reliance on manual processes. 

It’s challenging to both incorporate technology into those processes and train the workers to make the shift. However, as digitization spreads, their resistance to manual processes proves to be a hindrance in them achieving more.

Pen and paper plans are time-consuming and prone to errors. Adopting technology, on the other hand, allows them to try out different versions of the same plan and analyze how it will fare in execution.

This is why the industry is gradually making its foray into digitization. 

89% of construction companies say their adoption of technology will change the way they do business. Let’s take a look at how digitization is transforming the construction realm.

1. Connecting with your audience through a website

The most important benefit of incorporating an online platform in your construction business is the opportunity it brings to connect with your customers. Having an online presence allows you to build brand awareness and attract your targeted audience with ease.

As digitization spreads in our society, more and more events and activities are taking place online. That’s where everyone is operating. Not having an online presence of any sort simply hurts your business' brand awareness.

Even if you don’t intend to do too much with your online, simply setting up a website and updating it regularly makes a huge difference. It allows you to:

• Attract customers looking for your services, and

• Strengthen bonds with the customers you already have.

1. Building an online space 

The most important benefit of incorporating an online platform in your construction business is the opportunity it brings to connect with your customers by addressing their pain points and providing them with suitable solutions.

If you’re selling construction materials, having an e-commerce for building materials will showcase the different materials you offer. It will allow the customers to soak in information and compare different materials to pick the ones they want.

The online platform offers a personalized experience to the customer that suits their particular needs. They don’t need to sift through rigid information structures to find relevant information. The information they need will be presented to them by you. 

It saves their time, builds trust in them, and makes them more likely to engage with you.

1. Make your website customized and personalized

Here are a few tips to make your e-commerce website personalized and helpful to your customers:

1. Present a personalized catalog — Every customer should receive a different catalog that is based on their order history, geographical location, and specific needs. This vastly reduces the time customers have to spend searching for products in specific dimensions and building their carts.

2. Group products together — Put products that are similar or complementary together to make it easier for the customer to find them.

3. Purchase-related messaging — Send personalized messages to customers about discounts deals etc. as well as before, during, and after purchase with the use of your ERP data.

4. Ease of reordering — Allow customers to be able to reorder with ease by providing them options based on their previous purchases. For example, repeating items with the same specifications or grouping certain products that the customer often orders.
   
   Doing this tremendously increases the chances of a customer reordering from you because they don't have to go looking for items again, especially if they require custom specifications.

5. Ease of location — Show customers products based on their location. This makes the catalog easier to navigate as the products that will not be available to them will simply not be shown to them.

6. Real-time order tracking — Enable real-time updates of every order so that the customers are always up to date. This makes the process transparent with customers while decreasing the number of queries you will receive regarding orders. 

2. Display your excellence 

89% of construction companies say their adoption of technology will change the way they do business. This has been a major motivator in their foray into digitization as it allows them to try out new things and see how they optimize the way they operate.

Having an online platform for your construction company allows you to showcase your excellence and achievements as a company. You can catalog different products and services you offer, explaining them in great detail.

This allows the customers to take their time and understand the products on offer. They can read through the description over and over if need be or return to it later to check again. This way, they’ll be making a sound decision because of the information you provided beforehand.

Similarly displaying your achievements and describing them in detail lets the customers see what you’ve achieved as a company. It greatly increases the trust they have in you to perform the job and increases brand loyalty and goodwill. 

Moreover, you can put up videos and pictures of certain processes. This gives users an idea of what goes into performing a process and the dedication your employees put in. A behind-the-scenes look enhances appreciation of the final product.  

Here’s how to display your work as a company on your website to build trust among your target audience:

• Display every product with a detailed description, photos, and videos.

• Put up case studies of how you helped your clients achieve desired results.

• Have videos that explain processes to make it easy for the customer to understand them.

• Display the awards, accolades, and testimonials you’ve received over the years. 

• Share behind-the-scenes looks with photos and videos to show users how you get the work done.

3. Getting everyone on board

The challenge with going digital lies in both incorporating technology into day-to-day processes and training the workers to make the shift. However, resistance to digitization only proves to be a hindrance to a company achieving more.

Pen and paper plans are time-consuming and prone to errors. Adopting technology, on the other hand, allows them to try out different versions of the same plan and analyze how it will fare in execution.

One of the easiest ways for construction companies to incorporate technology in day-to-day operations is to use it to communicate. Everyone from entrepreneurs, engineers, contractors, architects, and suppliers has resorted to the like of video calling to collaborate on projects. 

Online platforms and tools have allowed companies to work together even when they’re geographically separated. This has only been triggered by the rise of remote working in the wake of the pandemic.

By using online platforms to work, you can bring everyone from your employees, clients, and associates together for a more harmonious workflow. Some of the most popular online platforms and tools used by construction companies are:

1. Communication tools — such as messengers and video calling tools. However, we recommend that you get one tool that allows everything from personal messaging to group video calling. This helps keep the conversation and information in one place for everyone to cross-check as and when needed. It’s easier to organize as well.

2. Project management tools — Construction projects are often big and time-consuming. Using a project manager helps you keep track of every aspect of a project. Time-tracking keeps all processes in the loop.
   
   You can observe in real-time if the processes are being performed to plan or not. Or if everything is under budget. This is incredibly helpful in scaling projects and keeping them under specific budgets and guidelines.

3. Scheduler platforms — Scheduler platforms and tools help you create shifts and schedules for your workers without hassle. You can create flexible schedules for your staff that can be publicly shared.
   
   It helps you plan better while considering everyone’s availability. Having an online platform helps you share the schedule with complete transparency that your workers are sure to appreciate. 

4. Provide transactional ease to customers

Another way digitization in the form of online platforms benefits the construction industry is that it gives ease of payment to customers. Construction projects are often complicated to bill to the customers are they’re heavily personalized.

Digitization allows you to break down raw materials and labor costs as well as craft the bill with more accuracy. Having an in-built payment gateway on your website also helps the customers pay you with ease.

Having such a readily available option for payment makes them more likely to pay their bills than it would be in offline scenarios. You don’t need to meet them personally to get payment as well.

They can simply pay you on the website. Moreover, having all your payments recorded helps in organization and keeping records for further processes such as taxation.

Provide a rewarding experience to your customers to find success as a construction unit

The construction industry may be a little late to join the digital revolution but it has done well to adapt to it in the most optimized manner. The most prominent way to use technology to your aid is through online platforms that help you provide a rewarding experience to your customers. 

To earn their trust, provide them with personalized catalogs of your products and services and showcase your excellence. Connect with your associates better through messaging and video calling and provide them with better gateways for payment.

Let us know in the comments how construction companies can make the most of technology to find success.

Author bio

Atreyee Chowdhury is a professional content and copy writer with more than 10+ years of experience. She’s passionate about helping SMBs and enterprises achieve their content marketing goals with her carefully crafted and compelling content. She loves to read, travel, and experiment with different cuisines in her free time. You can follow her on LinkedIn.