Most of the time, the search for a mover starts on a smartphone. You can expect that most of your visitors will be using a mobile device. Your website needs to be designed with these visitors in mind.

Not that long ago, website designers used to build entirely new websites for mobile users. These days, a responsive website design gives users the full functionality of a desktop website on mobile — without the need for a separate website.

Your moving company website content has several different goals. It needs to inform your visitors about your services, rates and team. It’s also part of what Google uses to determine which keywords to rank your website for.

Part sales tool and part SEO tool, your website content needs to be well written, professional, reader-friendly and keyword-rich. Take your time when writing it, and ask a friend or colleague to read it over for you.

Most of the time, when a prospective customer comes to your moving company website, they’re not just perusing. They have a specific purpose in mind. They want to learn about your services, see what kind of rates you have or contact you to schedule an estimate.

Regardless of why someone is visiting your website, it’s important that you make it easy for them to find what they need. Keep it simple when designing your website navigation. Use a familiar menu-style navigation for the best results.

Make sure that your contact information is displayed visibly on every page of your website. The upper right-hand corner is a great spot for your contact information. And, make sure that your phone number is clickable for mobile users.

Having easy-to-find contact information is important for many reasons. For one, it makes it easy for leads to contact you. It also adds legitimacy to your business, especially if you have a Google map embedded (if you have a physical location).

When someone is ready to convert and request an estimate, it behooves you to make it as easy as possible for them to do so. Although some people will always prefer to call, others prefer the ease of filling out a form on your website.

Give your visitors the option to request an estimate in whatever way they prefer by including an estimate request form on your website — in addition to your contact information. Make sure that your form is short, simple and quick to fill out.

Hiring a mover takes a lot of trust. Moving companies handle almost all of a customer’s possessions, and customers want to know they’ve found the right company for the job. Part of an effective moving company website’s job is to build that trust.

There are lots of ways to build trust on a moving company website. Include information about the licenses, insurance and certifications you hold. Add trust badges. Embed a reviews widget on your website where customers can read and write reviews easily.

Speaking of building trust, one of the best things you can do is to include pictures of your real-life trucks and team. This shows your visitors that there are real people behind your website, ready to help them with their move.

Cheesy stock photos won’t do for your moving company website. People can spot them from a mile away. If possible, hire a photographer to get high-quality photos of your team at work. It’s well worth the investment because you can use these photos on your website, in your ads, on social media and beyond.