No matter what kind of small business you have, plumbing or not, needs to have a secure business website. For those in the plumbing industry, being able to have a website can be a vital way for potential customers to learn about your business, see reviews and photos of your work, as well as learn Read more
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No matter what kind of small business you have, plumbing or not, needs to have a secure business website. For those in the plumbing industry, being able to have a website can be a vital way for potential customers to learn about your business, see reviews and photos of your work, as well as learn about the areas that you work in and your charges. When you have a website and get website visitors, especially if they are leaving their details for you to call them back, then you need to keep their information secure. As a result of a data breach, your plumbing business could be facing large fines, as well as a loss of reputation, so it is vital to keep your site secure.
When you are a plumber, you rarely sit down at a desk. You are out and about on jobs each day, so what can you put in place to make sure that your website is secure when you can’t monitor it all the time? Here are some things that all plumbers with a business website need to think about.
Secure passwords
It might come as a surprise to learn that many people use words like ‘password’ as their password! But for hackers, this can be one of the things that they will try. It may seem obvious, but make sure that you are choosing passwords that are secure and that aren’t easily guessed, such as ‘plumber2021.’ Choose passwords that are complex, including letters, numbers, special characters, and capitals. These should always be changed regularly too, which can easily be done when you’re home, after a day out on the job.
Outsource IT Services
If you are looking for someone else to look after the security of your website, then it can be a good idea for your plumbing business to outsource your IT services to someone else. When you don’t have to think about it, you can have peace of mind that your site is secure. An IT services provider can make sure that the site is prepared for any potential threats and be proactive in preventing any problems. Plus, if the worst does happen, an IT service provider will be able to recover your site.
Make sure software is up to date
No matter who hosts your website and what software you use, there will be times when the software will stop being up to date. Hackers will look for weaknesses in outdated software as a way to get into your website and get your customer information, so you should always look for regular updates. If you are able to, make sure that auto-updates are enabled, so that it will take care of it all for you. If you can’t do this, regularly checking this yourself is important.
These are just three simple steps that could help to keep your plumbing business website secure. When you have customer information and your website helps to attract customers to your business, these areas are definitely worth looking into.
Is your plumbing business experiencing a drought? Things drying up a little bit? Jokes aside, it can be disheartening for things to slow down for your business, especially when you work for yourself. But while things might seem a little quiet right now, it doesn’t have to be this way for long. With some simple Read more
Is your plumbing business experiencing a drought? Things drying up a little bit? Jokes aside, it can be disheartening for things to slow down for your business, especially when you work for yourself. But while things might seem a little quiet right now, it doesn’t have to be this way for long. With some simple steps you can help pick yourself back up, ready for a busy summer.
Take a look at some things you can do to give your plumbing services a boost this summer.
Reconnect with existing clients
If your clients aren’t coming to you, perhaps it’s time to go to them! While you might be looking for ways to get more repeat customers, it doesn’t hurt to focus on the ones you already have. A courtesy call or email to see if there’s anything they need could be a good way to book in some work. You might even be able to offer a discount on your typical rates as an incentive.
Push summer-related services
While a lot of people need plumbing services in the winter, you could be surprised at how busy the summer months can get. Outdoor plumbing can face all kinds of issues, which isn’t ideal for your customers who need to maintain their lawns and keep their flowers healthy. It’s also a great time for people to create water features, maintain their pools, etc. Do some promotion around your summer-related services to see if you can bring some new customers on board.
Give your customers what they want
Do your plumbing services cater to your customers’ needs? Different developments in the industry could mean that you’re behind your competition in terms of what you offer. One simple and fast way of upgrading your business is to get a chip reader so that you can accept card payments from your customers – it’s a little thing, but it can make a big difference to customers who can’t pay in cash. You should also ask about the kinds of services they’d like to see and work out if this is something you can offer your clients.
Use social media to build up recognition
Social media isn’t just for big companies with big budgets to make a splash, it’s perfect for small, local businesses like yours too. There are some effective ways of using social media for your small business, including some paid-for ads using local targeting. Even showing off your latest work can be a good way to get people interested – start following some people local to your area and start pushing your services.
It’s normal for businesses to experience quiet periods, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay idle during this time. You can use this time to market your services, but it can also be a chance to do some additional training so that you can offer even more services to your clients. It could also be an excuse to take a much-needed vacation, so that you’re nice and refreshed ready for the next busy period!
Sales in the plumbing trade are less but upselling and rather about how you can build a good relationship to keep tradespeople coming back and retail customers if applicable. It is about maximizing your sales and offering people something they can’t get anywhere else. With many big box brands ready to dominate the market and Read more
Sales in the plumbing trade are less but upselling and rather about how you can build a good relationship to keep tradespeople coming back and retail customers if applicable. It is about maximizing your sales and offering people something they can’t get anywhere else.
With many big box brands ready to dominate the market and offering the tools of the trade for less than independent wholesalers, how exactly can you carve out repeat custom without undercutting yourself?
Share The Knowledge
Bigger companies may offer better prices, but you can offer a wealth of knowledge from your experience in the trade. It is a personal touch that makes people keep coming back to you and pointing them in the right direction to use the best products for the job is one way to make sure this happens. With a valid reason for purchasing specific tools or products and explaining the differences, you can start building a relationship that encourages repeat custom.
Use this interaction to gently upsell by enquiring about other facilities in the home, such as their HVAC setup, water quality, or drainage. If you offer these services, you can book a job or at least supply the equipment to fix any other plumbing issues.
Website
Are you a word-of-mouth company? If so, you need to spread the word to a wider audience by taking your wholesale company online. So many people fancy themselves as DIY plumbers, and capitalizing on the frequent google searches that attest to the many home DIY plumbing repairs can offer you an outlet to move goods to the general public, not just trade.
Of course, having a physical location is ideal for plumbers to grab when they need it for urgent and emergency jobs, but having a fully SEO-optimized website can help you cast a wider net and reach plumbers and DIYers further afield.
Another tip is to create how-to content for your website or social media accounts for those easy home DIY tasks such as replacing seals or unblocking sinks. Recommend the right products for the job in each post and detail why they are recommended. People are more likely to purchase a product if they know why they need to purchase it.
Shipping
Hand in hand with online sales is shipping. There are different options for shipping and many different companies you can choose for your deliveries. Assess your needs and get quotes from companies that can offer you the best price and shipping options for your needs.
Are you considering offering international shipping? Choose the leading customs broker in the country to help you meet your legal requirements for international shipping options, and you make the customs process easier and straightforward.
Can you offer a delivery service within a set mine radius for same-day deliveries for local orders? Typically most plumbing call-outs will tend to be emergencies, and as such, the contractor or homeowner will be looking to get the tools or parts they need quickly. Delivering to them at an agreed location can give you an advantage over those who require in-person collection from a warehouse or retail store.
Having a plumbing business is one thing, but having a website for your plumbing website is vital, right from the start. If you want to get customers and show them your work, as well as answer their questions, then a stellar plumbing business website to evolve your business. Improving your plumbing business website doesn’t mean Read more
Having a plumbing business is one thing, but having a website for your plumbing website is vital, right from the start. If you want to get customers and show them your work, as well as answer their questions, then a stellar plumbing business website to evolve your business. Improving your plumbing business website doesn’t mean that you need to have an overall change of things. In fact, there are some small things that can have a big impact on your site being found online, helping you to increase your brand, reputation, and customer base. Here are some of the things that you can do to improve the website for your plumbing business.
Make sure that you have a call to action
Getting calls to action on a website is a really important element of your business website. What this implies, as the name suggests, is that it helps visitors to take some action as a result of being on your website. This could be anything from calling you to get a free quote, downloading some information, or having customers sign up to your newsletter, but that is just the start of where calls to action can come from. When you have some real targeted calls to action that will help with your customers and your business, then it can help your marketing goals and your sales goals.
Improve your images
The work that a plumber does can be shown best through some visual images. Images on your website will give some visual interest to customers and can showcase your best work, displaying before and after images. Visuals on a website can help to bring in customers, and they can complement your content that is already on the website. It can also help you to establish a specific vibe to your site, which can reflect your plumbing business in the best way.
Keep your site secure
If your website is a first port of call for customers, then if it gets hacked and is down, they won’t be able to find you online. Business websites can also store customer data which also needs to be kept safe and secure. There are things that you can do to keep your website secure, such as passwords and updating them regularly, as well as backing up your site. But you could also think about using a managed service provider. They work remotely to make sure that your site is secure from cyber threats and so on. It is a good idea to look up the qualities of a good managed service provider before going ahead, though, just so you know exactly what to be looking out for and which company to choose.
Add customer testimonials
Recommendations are the things that are vital in industries like plumbing. If your website doesn’t already have customer testimonials, then it really needs to. Asking previous customers for a short review doesn’t take long, but it goes a long way to show that you are reliable, trustworthy, efficient, and do a good job.
When people need a plumber, what do they usually do? In years past, they may have looked in the classified section of their local newspaper but today? They go online of course and search for plumbing companies near to where they live. For this reason, your company does need to have a website. Your plumbing Read more
When people need a plumber, what do they usually do? In years past, they may have looked in the classified section of their local newspaper but today? They go online of course and search for plumbing companies near to where they live. For this reason, your company does need to have a website. Your plumbing business will pull in more sales if you get one up and running, and you will have the opportunity to stand out amongst your competition too.
If you already have a website online (or if you are in the process of putting something together), the following might be useful to you. These are the improvements that will benefit your customers and your business, so consider each suggestion.
Improve your SEO
When customers Google ‘plumbing business near me,’ you want your company to come out on top on the search page. If you are several positions down (or pages away), your competitors will have the advantage. For this reason, you need to focus on your website’s SEO (search engine optimization) to ensure your site ranks highly.
Check out this guide on SEO for plumbers for advice you should find useful.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
What does a local resident do when their home springs a leak? Do they spend five minutes booting up their laptop to search for a plumber? Probably not, especially if they have their cell phone to hand. For this reason, you need to make sure your website is mobile-friendly. As web pages can load incorrectly when the website isn’t optimized for phones and tablets, it’s important to make the necessary changes on your site.
A website designer will help you in this regard, so get in touch with somebody if your skills are clearly more plumbing than computer-related. But if you are able to comprehend the inner workings of a website as well as your customer’s plumbing fixtures, here are some suggestions for making your website mobile-friendly.
Add testimonials and customer reviews
Why should somebody choose your business over your nearest competitors? You need to give them a reason to do so, perhaps by making adjustments to your prices or by displaying your certifications on your website. You should also add testimonials and customer reviews, as these will evidence the work you have done for others.
So, speak to your happy clients and ask them to write something about your company. When your site visitors read what they have said, they will be more inclined to trust and consider your plumbing business. Be sure to ask your customers to write reviews on local business sites too!
Add features your visitors will find useful
When in the process of developing your site, there are all kinds of free APIs that could be integrated into your website, such as web search options, weather reports, and text-to-speech tools. Some of them can be considered inessential but useful, while others could be considered essential for some of your customers. Follow the previous link for some examples and discuss the range of APIs that could be integrated into your site with a web developer.
Going beyond these, you could include other things on your site, such as a blog or video page to give your readers useful information about their home’s plumbing. Your articles and videos could include ‘how to’ guides, as these would showcase your expertise as a plumber.
To further improve your plumbing website, look at the sites of your competitors and beyond and learn from the very best of them.