What to put on a siding contractor website

1. The materials you install, compared honestly

Many siding buyers start with a material question: vinyl, fiber cement, engineered wood or metal? Give each material you install a short section with the same four points, so they're easy to compare:

• What it looks like, with a photo of your own job
• Upkeep: painting, caulking, washing
• How it handles hail, wind and sun in your area, in general terms
• Where it sits on cost: lower, middle or higher, without quoting numbers you can't hold

Include the downsides. A page that admits fiber cement needs repainting someday is easier to believe than one where every option is perfect. Leave off materials you don't install.

2. Replacement and repair as separate pages

A full re-side and a few blown-off panels are different customers. The repair page should answer the question that comes up on repair calls: can you match what's there? Explain how you handle matching, and be upfront that older colors and profiles can't always be matched exactly. The replacement page should walk through the steps: tear-off, house wrap, what happens if you find rot, trim, cleanup, and a typical time range.

3. Trim, soffit and fascia

If you do trim, soffit, fascia or gutters along with siding, list them. Not every homeowner knows the names of these parts, so a labeled photo helps. It also shows that one crew can handle the whole exterior.

4. A storm damage page that stays factual

Hail and wind damage siding as well as roofs. A storm page can explain what damage looks like from the ground, how your inspection works, and the general steps of an insurance claim. Keep it plain: the homeowner and their insurance company handle the claim, and the insurer decides what's covered. Don't promise coverage, and never offer to pay, waive or absorb a deductible.

5. Before-and-after photos

Siding is one of the easier trades to show. Take a photo from the same spot before and after, and note the material and color in the caption. Color names matter here, because it's common for someone to ask for "the color in that photo". See before-and-after galleries for how to set these up, and ask the owner before showing their home.

6. Colors and styles from real jobs

Manufacturer color charts are fine as a reference, but your own finished houses show more than a swatch can. Group a few projects by style: lap, board and batten, shake accents. Don't use manufacturer or stock photos in a way that suggests the job was yours.

7. An estimate form

Ask for name, phone, address, whether it's a repair or a replacement, the current siding if they know it, and what they noticed. That's enough to return the call prepared. If you can't pick up during the day, say when you call back.

Quick checklist

• Material comparison with honest pros and cons
• Separate repair and replacement pages
• Trim, soffit and fascia listed
• Factual storm damage page
• Before-and-after photos with material and color
• Short estimate form
• Licenses and insurance shown only as issued; see showing licenses and insurance honestly