To keep a steady stream of clients and grow your contracting business, you need to market aggressively online. Getting ahead of your local competitors means not only having a great online presence, but also an active strategy for reaching new prospects, generating leads, and converting customers.
You can easily spread yourself too thin by trying a little bit of every marketing tactic under the sun, but you also can’t put all your eggs in one basket. The best approach is to choose only the most effective online channels and use them in an integrated marketing approach, where they work together to give you the best possible return on your investment.
Here are the 5 essentials of digital marketing for construction and contracting companies!
Website
Your website is the hub of all your online marketing efforts. It is almost always the first impression prospects have of your business, so it needs to reflect the quality of your work. Most people seeking your services in your area will start with a Google search. If your website isn’t optimized for search engines, you’ll be buried under your competitors. If your website is outdated or difficult to use, your visitors will bounce and click on to the next website. Investing in quality professional web design will be the smartest decision you can make for your contracting business.
Use your website to gain credibility by including professional photography of past projects and testimonials from happy customers. Display contact information at the top and bottom of every page. Use bold Calls-To-Action like “Request an Estimate” to collect leads from interested prospects. Your website isn’t just an online representation of your business, it’s a marketing tool that if used correctly can produce new leads for you 24 hours a day.
Landing Pages
Landing pages are campaign specific web pages that are separate from your main website. When you do any type of advertising (whether it be PPC, social media, etc) it’s always more effective to advertise a specific service and offer than it is to advertise your business in general.
Hardly anyone will click through an advertisement that reads “General contractors based in Chicago, IL. Whatever your project is, we do it all.” Why not? Because it doesn’t speak to any specific need or pain point that the viewer holds.
An ad that reads “Could your kitchen use an update? Get a 10% discount on your remodeling project when you order by May 15th” will perform much better because: A.) It’s speaking to a specific audience – people who need their kitchen redone B.) it entices them with a specific offer, and C.) it creates urgency by making the offer time-sensitive.
But when an interested prospect clicks on your ad and is brought to your website’s homepage, they may be confused about the next step. They see all of your other services and your contact information… are they supposed to call now and ask for the discount? Rather than let them wonder and risk losing the lead, bring them to a landing page, designed with the sole purpose of collecting leads for that specific campaign. A landing page will have a description of the service, the offer, and a lead form for the prospect to fill out. Landing pages are a great way to significantly increase the conversion rates of your online marketing campaigns.
Google AdWords
When you search for a business on Google, the first few results will usually be paid advertisements. Aside from a small symbol that indicates it’s an ad, they look just like regular Google search listings. Google AdWords allows businesses to bid on certain keywords so that they appear in the top results for those searches. Instead of paying to have the ad displayed, you pay every time someone clicks on it.
The first step to a successful Google AdWords campaign for a construction or contracting company is to do keyword research and find out what your most-likely-to-buy prospects are typing in when they search for your services. When you sign up for your free AdWords account, you’ll also get access to Google’s free keyword tool that helps you find the right keywords for your campaign. You only want to spend money on searches that often turn into purchases. For that reason, it’s important to continue monitoring and optimizing your campaigns so that you aren’t wasting money on clicks that don’t convert.
Facebook also offers advertising services that can help you reach your potential customers. You can geo-target ads to appear only to accounts within your service area, target by age to exclude kids and teenagers, and even target people who are homeowners.
When selecting which of your services to advertise on Facebook consider your low-cost, entry-level services that would appeal to the widest audience. Rather than advertise expensive remodeling projects that most people can’t afford, advertise smaller, simpler services that most people need. For example, mold remediation/removal and interior painting are both small jobs that a lot of people need done in their homes, but haven’t taken the initiative to hire a contractor. When they see your Facebook ad, they’ll be reminded of the problem. If your ad involves an enticing offer, they’ll be even more inclined to click through and convert.
Instagram is a great platform for creating brand awareness and fostering connections with your clients. Believe it or not, people aren’t just concerned with quality and price, they want to buy from businesses that they connect with on a more human level. When we have so many competing options to choose from, we choose the business with the best personality. You might have a good idea of who you are as a company and what your brand represents, but do your clients and prospects? Instagram is the place to show them.
Take photos of you and your team, your office, your projects, and anything you find interesting or entertaining enough to share. Found some wild life at a construction site? Take a picture. Your crew went out for pizza together? Take a picture. Instagram also allows videos up to one minute long. Anything that displays the culture of your company is worth showing. The key to building a presence on Instagram is to post daily if possible, follow relevant accounts, interact with them by commenting and liking their posts, and to followback/respond to anyone who follows you.
Where do I start?
If your construction/contracting company is ready for growth and needs help building a comprehensive online presence, Plum Direct Marketing offers a variety of digital marketing services designed specifically for your industry. From custom web design to Google AdWords campaigns to social media advertising, we know how to reach your ideal customers with messaging that converts! Check us out at www.plumdirectmarketing.com or call 1-800-992-9663 to speak with one of our marketing advisors.
