11 Sep The Five Keys To Marketing Your Contracting Business
To say that the Internet has become incredibly challenging when it comes to marketing your business is, at this point, probably a bit of an understatement.
This is especially true in terms of roofers, contractors and other professional services businesses, where it seems like more competitors are cropping up all the time. In the vast majority of cases, you only have ten spots in the search results on the first page of Google. Once you add in all the noise of Google Ads, display advertising, the “map pack” and other competitors like Home Advisor and Porch, it becomes increasingly difficult to stand out in a crowd. It also highlight the importance of digital marketing for your contracting business.
All of that is to say that you’d better have a plan in place to generate leads online – and it had better be aggressive and proactive in equal measure. But thankfully, getting to this point is a lot more straightforward than you may realize. In truth, there are five keys to marketing your contracting business online – and all of them are certainly worth a closer look.
The Importance of Search Engine Optimization
According to one recent study, a full 68% of all online experiences between a consumer and a business like yours still begin in the exact same way: with a search engine. When you also consider the fact that only about 0.78% (less than 1 percent!!!) of people ever bother to click on links from the second page of results, it’s easy to see why SEO is one concept that you should be paying attention to.
Whether someone is looking for a roofer or plumber due to an emergency situation, or if they’re thinking of having work done on their home and are looking for a partner who will act with their best interests in mind, they’re increasingly turning to search engines like Google in order to perform this essential research. Search engine optimization makes sure that your own site ranks as highly as possible, both in an effort to help drive value for your customers and to stand out from your competitors at the exact same time.
Why Google Maps Optimization Matters
Along the same lines, Google Maps optimization doesn’t just help your main website rank as highly as possible – it also maximizes your local search visibility to attract the attention of the people who are most likely to become your customers in the first place.
Think about it like this: if someone is looking for a contracting business, finding the site of a company located 200 miles away doesn’t actually do them any good. They’re looking for companies in their area who have done work for people in the communities that they live in and experience on a daily basis. By making an effort to make sure that your Google Maps SEO is taken care of (which includes optimizing your Google My Business page with accurate location and contact information) you’ll increase your exposure to people who live in the same city that your business is based in.
Why is this important? Because according to another recent study, about 72% of consumers who did a local search ended up paying a visit to a business located within five miles of their home. Think about all of the potential customers who live within five miles of your business and it’ll be easy to see why this particular element is so important.
Why You Should Really Be Acquiring Reviews
These days, people don’t want to be “sold to” any longer. They simply don’t have the patience for it – they’re already being bombarded by generic marketing messages during nearly every second of every day while online.
But at the same time, that doesn’t mean they’re not looking for a contracting business like yours – it’s just that they’re going to be less receptive to traditional advertising when making a decision about which company to go with. They want to hear about real world experiences from people just like them – which is a big part of the reason why acquiring reviews is so important.
By posting reviews not only on your website but also on social media, you’re building a tremendous amount of social proof – and are establishing yourself as an authority at the exact same time. Especially when taken together with all of these other techniques, this is a lead generation opportunity that you literally cannot afford to pass up.
The Impact of Pay Per Click Ads
According to another recent study, people who arrive at your website via a pay per click ad as opposed to an organic search link are about 50% more likely to make a purchase than average. If you needed one statistic to help illustrate the importance of PPC advertising, let it be that one.
When used as a complement to all of your other efforts like SEO, pay per click advertising is a perfect opportunity to get your message in front of the right person at exactly the right moment. Not only can you get incredibly specific in terms of whom you’re targeting and where, but you can also continue to retarget people who have had experiences with your website in the past. This is a great way to make sure that your contracting business always stays at the top of their mind so that when they’re ready to have that important work done, yours is the first company that they think of.
Social Media Marketing: The New Frontier
Finally, we arrive at the idea of social media marketing – something that can potentially expose your business to countless new customers when executed properly.
Again, you shouldn’t look at sites like Facebook and Twitter as opportunities to spam people with ads for your business. Instead, post pictures of recent work that you’ve completed that you’re particularly proud of. Pay attention to the types of conversations that people are having and interject with your point of view whenever you can. Reach out and answer industry-related questions that people have before they come to you directly.
By simply making your presence known on social media and showing the world that you care about helping people, you can create a significant advantage for yourself in an industry that is growing more competitive all the time. You’ll establish your contracting business as the one that truly cares about helping as many people as possible – which may very well be the most important benefit of all.