Before I got into the drone industry, I worked as a professional marketing consultant and website developer, helping companies build and turn their websites into well-oiled sales machines.
At the end of the day, your website should be your #1 sales rep.
It should work for you while you sleep, and it should bring in the majority of your business. That’s the beauty of the Internet superhighway. If you know how to apply website and digital marketing best practices, you’re able to compete with companies much larger than you, with much deeper pockets.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve looked at hundreds of drone company / aerial services websites.
And…most of them suck.
In this post, my goal is to walk through a list of the must-have elements your aerial service company website should have, and to provide specific examples from some of my favorite websites.
Consider this a kind of best practice checklist for your website.
I hope this post is helpful to you! Feel free to send any thoughts or comments to support@dronepilotgroundschool.com.
Introducing Your Team
Don’t just have an “about us” page like everyone else. Go one step further and share information about who your pilots are, what their background is, what their interests are, and anything quirky and fun to help you stand out amongst your competitors. Here are a few companies that do a good job sharing their individual team members:
Sharing Your Gear
While you don’t need to get super technical here, it’s a good idea to share on your website what kind of gear you’re working with. Educate your clients on the differences and advantages / disadvantages of the system you’re using, whether it’s a multirotor or fixed wing, DJI Phantom 4 vs. DJI Inspire, custom build, etc.
Let them know about battery life, about camera quality, about what wind speeds you can handle, etc. Bring them into your process! People love a behind-the-scenes look into how a company is run, and this can be a great way to build trust with your prospects.
Here is one example of a company that shares info about its gear:
Showcasing your Organizations / Certifications / Insurance
Do you hold liability insurance? Share that. Are you certified by the FAA / CASA / TC / CAA / etc.? Put that front-and-center, and explain why that’s important to your website visitors. Are you a member of any local business chapters or networking groups? Share that as well. Show people that you’re integrated into the local business ecosystem.
Here are a few examples:
Sharing Your Demo Reel / Portfolio of Work
If you’re starting from scratch, get as many real-world examples of your work that you can share as possible, even if you’re going out and doing pro-bono work to boost your portfolio.
To a prospect, you’re only as good as your most-recent photos and videos.
This is arguably the most important piece of your website. You’ve GOT to have work to show. Here are a few examples of companies who do a really good job displaying their work, either on their home-page demo reel or their specific client work categories:
Being Clear About WHERE You Operate
Not only is this helpful for local search engine optimization (SEO), but it also tells clients exactly what geographic regions you service. Here are a few examples of companies that are good about laying out exactly where they operate:
Answering Common Questions / Objections on an FAQ Page
Part of your job as a marketer of your business is to be consultative, to out-educate your competitors and to address any concerns or objections your potential customers may have when they’re trying to figure out whether or not they should hire you.
Here are a few companies that have built great FAQ pages you can use as inspiration when putting together your own:
Sharing Testimonials / Reviews / Case Studies
No matter what you’re selling, potential buyers like to see confirmation that you’ve made other customers happy. Testimonials, customer reviews and case studies are powerful sources of content for moving prospects even closer to the final buying stages. Put real, short, and powerful testimonials on your website. Include REAL NAMES and titles and USE PICTURES of the person along with their testimonial. This adds authenticity. Not including a name makes a testimonial seem phony, even if it’s real.
Here are a few companies that share great testimonials:
