Let’s be honest.

Most builders don’t want to muck around with web chat. Feels like one more thing to manage, right? Another distraction when you’re already flat out quoting, running jobs, and fielding texts and calls non-stop from suppliers and clients.

But here’s the thing. I reckon we’re missing out.

Not everyone wants to pick up the phone, and these days, most people won’t leave a voicemail, they’ll just move on. If someone’s already on your website, they’re this close to reaching out. Web chat is a low-pressure way to keep that door open.

What’s the story?

Prior to founding The Good Builder with Peter Love and Jonathan Tibbits I led a specialised marketing agency focused on the construction sector. During that time, we tested web chat and got many runs on the board for builder websites. 

It works. Simple as that.

Pete and I chatted about this topic on the pod this week.

“I used to think it’d be one of those things no one actually uses.”

“But within the first week, we had four new leads come through, all decent jobs, too.”

Not surprising, like you’d expect from a lot of millennials and Gen Zs these days, none of them wanted to call. They just had a quick question, “Do you build in this suburb? How soon are you booking out? Can I get a quote?”

That’s all it took to start a conversation. Once you’ve got that, you can take it from there.

Does it matter?

We all know that trust is a big deal in this game. People want to feel heard. Web chat isn’t just about being “digital” or ticking boxes; it’s about showing potential clients that you’re available, approachable, and organised. We’ve talked a bit recently about the importance of response times and capturing leads with QR codes on site signs. Web chat arguably fits into the same ballpark.

I’ve worked with builders who would miss calls during the day, and by the time they rang their clients back, they’d gone with someone else.

The beauty is that once it’s set up and working in the background, even if you’re on the tools, you’re not going to miss out.

It doesn’t mean you need to be glued to your phone 24/7. You can:

• Set auto-responses
  
• Get messages emailed to you
  
• Respond after hours if you need to.

It’s just about being easier to reach.

What do we know?

We’re not selling you a course here on web chat. We’re just trying to bring you value based on what we know and have seen work. If you’re already using web chat, chances are you didn’t even scroll this far, but here’s what’s stood out since builders have started using web chat:

• People are more likely to reach out if they can type a quick message instead of calling.
  
• It makes your business feel more responsive, even if you reply a few hours later.
  
• It helps qualify leads. You can ask a couple of questions upfront and see if they’re the right fit.

You could be driving, you could be on the toilet, you could be watching telly at night and a message pops up and you can respond, you know? That probably never would’ve happened if the only option was a phone call.

What should you watch for?

There are a few things to keep in mind.

First, don’t overthink it. You don’t need fancy AI or bots pretending to be people. Just keep it real.

Set it up to say something simple like, “Shoot through a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” That’s it.

Second, choose a web chat tool that lets you reply from your phone. Some of the better ones even connect to Facebook or Instagram DMs, so it all comes into one place.

And third, let your team know what’s happening. If you’ve got an office manager or someone helping with comms, make sure they’re across it too.

My final thoughts

Web chat isn’t magic. It won’t double your leads overnight. But if you’ve already got people landing on your site, and you probably do, it’s worth asking,

“Are we giving them the easiest way to get in touch?”

I just think, why not give them that easy option?

 It might just be the nudge that gets you the next job.

Author: Aaron Ng

Aaron has worked for some of the nation’s largest developers and home builders in the marketing arena, before founding one of QLD’s largest construction focused marketing agencies. He is passionate about all elements of marketing and customer experience across the industry.