You know better than anyone else the ins and outs of your trade. You know what you bring to the table and how valuable your services are.
But the question is how you can prove this to prospective customers.
Proving your worth is the first and foremost goal of digital marketing for contractors. You must establish yourself as an expert in your field and the local community.
This may sound stressful and overwhelming, but with a few essential contractor marketing strategies, you will learn just how easy it is to market yourself online, which can bring in more qualifying leads and grow your customer base.
So, what are these strategies we speak of? Well, read on!
#1: Know Your Customer
The first step in building your customer base is knowing your customers and what you can offer to them.
If you are currently in a very competitive field, which means there are a number of other contractors and companies that offer similar services, you may want to hone in on a particular niche.
This can be anything from the building of mini houses to efficiently designing and building outdoor spaces.
In doing so, you will not only bring in more targeted traffic/customers, but you will also stand out in the sea of competitors that don’t have a focus for their business.
Ultimately, your marketing efforts should focus on what you can offer to your customers. In other words, why should they hire you? What separates you from other contracting companies?
Knowing your buyer persona might help in this process:
#2: Build a Great Website
If you do not currently have an online presence, it is time to focus on building one.
Before you can get too far into that, you must first build a website.
Without a website, there is less of a chance that customers will trust you, not to mention find you.
In fact, some consumers will not do business with a company that doesn’t have a website. A professional website will give potential and current customers an idea of who you are, what you offer, and so much more.
Because your website is essentially the face of your brand and serves as a prominent advertising tool, you must be willing to invest both time and money into the development of a good website.
Your website should be focused on your niche and be great, which means it should be equipped with a modern design.
Your website needs to load within three seconds because customers won’t wait for a page to load.
Further, it should be easy to navigate and mobile-friendly. Mobile-friendliness is essential, as 57% of American traffic comes from tablets and smartphones.
As you build your website, you will want to ensure that you don’t overlook some of the most basic information that your website needs.
- Business contact information
- Photos/Videos of your work, including before and after images
- Customer testimonials
- Online booking/consultation
- Instant chat feature
- Blog
#3: Invest in SEO Services
So, now that you have a website, how can you help get people there?
Well, a major priority of yours should be to build your website to perform well in the search engines, which means investing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
There are over 1.5 million searches per month for contractors and general contractors. Nearly half of these web users will click on one of the top few listings in the SERPs.
Therefore, to increase your chances of that web user visiting your website and calling you for a consultation, you need to optimize your website properly.
By following proper SEO practices, you will better be able to define your services and service area, reach a wider audience of prospective customers, drive targeted leads based on your keyword strategy, and improve the overall quality of your website leads.
#4: Factors That Play a Role in the Algorithm
One of the most important aspects of SEO is identifying the most relevant keywords associated with your business and using them in your content.
Long-tail keywords, such as tile flooring contractors in Chicago, are crucial.
Here is a look at additional factors you should focus on:
- Organically and strategically placing relevant keywords in your web content and blog posts.
- Producing regular content on your blog that is valuable and sharable.
- Inserting high-quality links in your content.
- Making certain the website is easy to navigate and mobile-friendly.
- Getting your website listed on quality sites.
All of the aforementioned factors will help create a positive user experience, which is necessary to keep visitors on your site as long as possible.
The more time someone spends on your website, the more likely they are to invest in your services.
In addition, it lets Google know that your website is relevant, improving your ranking in the SERPs.
#5: Focus on Local SEO Efforts
Aside from general SEO on your website, you also should focus on local SEO efforts.
After all, based on the industry you are in, you don’t want to reach the entire world. Instead, you want to reach local people who are more likely to purchase your services.
Local SEO is particularly important early on, at which time you want to focus on your local community. Eventually, you can brand out and market to nearby communities and more as you work to build brand awareness.
One way to start your local SEO marketing efforts is by getting your business listed on local directories. You can start with Yellowpages, Superpages, HomeAdvisor, Yelp, and BBB.
The key is to ensure all of your information is consistent across all platforms.
This is particularly true with the NAP, which is your name, address, and phone number.
Google utilizes this information during a verification process that identifies whether your website and listings match and are credible.
You should also claim your listing on Google My Business.
Google compiles a list of the most relevant local companies when a user performs a search query. These companies will appear in a box, which is referred to as the local SEO 3-pack.
By claiming your Google My Business listing, you are opening up the possibility of reaching more people and capturing those desired leads.
Make sure to fill out as much information as possible, allowing users to learn about your business and increasing the chance of them visiting your website if they desire additional information.
You will also want to garner reviews for your listing, as well as any other online directories and platforms your business is listed on.
A consumer is more likely to reach out to a business for their services if they have positive reviews from previous clientele.
#6: Get Testimonials
Testimonials and reviews have been mentioned, but we want to ensure you understand just how important they are.
Gathering reviews from clients who were satisfied with your work can go a long way in proving your credibility and converting leads.
While you can’t control the reviews customers leave your business on Google or other directory sites, you can control the ones that are displayed on your website.
You will also want to keep an eye on any reviews that are posted on Google, Yelp, etc.
Although you can’t control them, you can respond to them. If there is a negative review, make sure to be polite and respectful as you reply to the customer.
Make sure to apologize and indicate the action that you plan to take to potentially rectify the situation.
And don’t assume you should only reply to negative reviews. Go ahead and reply to customers who have left a positive review so they know just how much you appreciate them.
#7: Utilize Social Media
From Facebook and Instagram to Pinterest and YouTube, you have a multitude of social media platforms at your disposal to use to your advantage.
In many cases, customers will find you via social media first (if you’re there) before reaching your website; hence, the importance of utilizing social media to market your brand.
You can use social media to build a following, establish yourself as an industry expert, demonstrate previous work, and so much more.
If you intend on utilizing social media for your business, which is always a wise choice, you must be willing to put in the time and effort to post/update regularly and engage with prospective customers. Consistency is always key.
Some examples of content to include on your social media page include:
- Before and after photos of your construction projects
- How-to videos
- Interior design shoots
- Virtual tours
To ensure you reach as wide of an audience as possible, make sure you have incorporated social media into your website footer, email signature, and marketing materials.
This ensures that everyone knows you are on social media and will increase the chance of them following you.
Wrap Up
As you can see, there are many steps you can take to contractor marketing.
Taking these steps, along with others, you will garner more web traffic and convert those visitors into leads and sales.
And remember, you may need to try different approaches to your digital marketing campaign until you find what works for you and your brand.
If you need help putting together a rocking content marketing strategy, take this quick assessment.
