All kinds of contracting businesses benefit from having an effective website to showcase their services. Websites serve as a business’s online headquarters, where site visitors can learn more about your company, what you offer and if your services will suit their needs. Believe it or not, 97 out of 100 people will visit a local Read more
SEO
All kinds of contracting businesses benefit from having an effective website to showcase their services.
Websites serve as a business’s online headquarters, where site visitors can learn more about your company, what you offer and if your services will suit their needs. Believe it or not, 97 out of 100 people will visit a local operation’s website to learn more about it.
Home service contractors may feel frustrated that they aren’t getting enough leads to keep their business running.
It may be because they haven’t done enough word-of-mouth marketing or their website is just not up to par. For these reasons, your business needs to create a website that measures up to your competitors and attracts potential clients.
Here are some of the essential components you need to consider incorporating into your website to generate leads, provide ample information for potential clients and gain business from your local community.
About Us/Services Page
This may seem like a no-brainer, but your website should have an “about us” section, as well as one that outlines the services you offer to your clients. You should put yourself in visitors’ shoes and answer any questions they have about your services.
For example, New York City-based West Village Contracting has a few sections on its website explaining its story and its services, so clients don’t need to search hard to find it.
Inquiry/Contact Forms
It’s important to offer site visitors an opportunity to ask questions about your business through inquiry or contact forms. They are an attractive component of any website, but especially for contractors. This is because many of your clients may have specific questions about a particular job they need done.
However, having an inquiry form alone is not enough — you’ll need to ensure that one or more of your employees spend dedicated time answering these client questions. For example, Cabex Construction has a specific contact section where clients can input their name and contact information and provide details about their remodeling project.
Testimonials Section
How will potential clients know about your services and reputation without hearing about other client experiences? It’s essential to have testimonials on your contracting business’s website for this reason. They prove to your clients that you’ll work hard to earn their trust.
For instance, Penco Electrical Contractor’s contact section offers plenty of testimonials from sources that will speak to the company’s performance and overall reputation. Having client references shows potential customers that your business is the one they should choose for all their home improvement needs.
Service Location Map
A service location map shows your clients the region you operate in. People who aren’t sure you’ll service their needs can view your map to determine what areas you cover.
Advanced Builders and Contractors in California has a drop-down menu on its homepage that lists all the regions it works in. It makes the task of selecting the right contractor for the job easier.
Consider these examples and the types of elements you need to include on your website to ensure you’re generating the most leads and attracting clients in your region.
Attract Visitors and Generate More Leads With a Stellar Website
Your website is your online headquarters, which is why you need to ensure it builds your reputation as a business. Potential customers will browse the internet to find contractors, so you should consider using these components to score high on a search engine results page and draw people in.
April Miller is a managing editor at ReHack.com who specializes in engineering and construction technology. You can find her work published on sites like Open Data Science and The Society of Women Engineers.
Have a plumbing business and looking for effective ways to attract more customers? Below are just a few marketing strategies that are worth trying to help boost business. Build an attractive website A website is essential for generating customers and making your business look official. This needs to look professional in order to build a Read more
Have a plumbing business and looking for effective ways to attract more customers? Below are just a few marketing strategies that are worth trying to help boost business.
Build an attractive website
A website is essential for generating customers and making your business look official. This needs to look professional in order to build a sense of trust. Make sure that information like contact details, services you provide and credentials are clearly visible on the homepage. You can also display testimonials from happy customers. There are lots of cheap and easy ways to build your own website. Alternatively, you can always hire a web design company to make one for you.
Get on social media
Social media is another great tool for connecting with customers online. You should create a Facebook business page at the very least. Post content on your page regularly – this could include updates, promotions and plumbing-related tips. Boost posts to help them reach a larger audience.
Encourage positive online reviews
A lot of customers like to look at online reviews before deciding whether a business is trustworthy. Encourage every happy customer you work with to leave a positive Google review. This will help you to encourage more customers by showing that you’re a company people can depend on.
Invest in SEO
SEO (search engine optimization) is a marketing strategy that can help to boost the rankings of your website. This can lead to more people visiting your site – and consequently more customers. SEO relies on using various tricks such as using keywords on your website and boosting the page of your site. It’s worth hiring an SEO company to do all this for you as it’s not something you can easily do yourself.
Print off some business cards
There are many types of marketing to try beyond online marketing. Handing out business cards is a simple and effective way to get business offline. If you meet someone who may be looking for a plumbing service, you can quickly exchange contact details and make yourself look more professional by handing out a business card. You can also post business cards through letterboxes and pin them up on public notice boards.
Consider taking part in local marketing events
There may be local events that you can sponsor – this involves putting some money into the event in exchange for being able to display branded posters and banners at the event. There could even be a local trade show worth entering – by renting a 10×20 trade show booth and showing up with some flyers, you may be able to generate some business.
Invest in branded vehicle wrapping
Your car or van could be used as a form of mobile advertising. Using a vinyl wrap you can easily promote your company name and contact details on the side of your vehicle. This will make your business look more professional, and you could generate some extra business from it. There are companies that specialize in producing these vinyl wraps.
The website is designed to best support customer needs, optimizing user-experience and convenience Cherne Industries (Cherne), the industry-leading manufacturer of pipe plugs and testing equipment and part of the Oatey Co. family of companies, has launched its new website, CherneInd.com — a robust, easy-to-use hub for Cherne product information, customer support and helpful application resources Read more
The website is designed to best support customer needs, optimizing user-experience and convenience
Cherne Industries (Cherne), the industry-leading manufacturer of pipe plugs and testing equipment and part of the Oatey Co. family of companies, has launched its new website, CherneInd.com — a robust, easy-to-use hub for Cherne product information, customer support and helpful application resources.
The new website houses the brand’s full product catalog, allowing customers to search more than 700 Cherne products, including each product’s specifications, key features, FAQs and safety/instruction manuals. In addition to this technical information, as well as case studies and blogs, the website hosts online training opportunities and detailed, how-to videos.
The Cherne website is mobile-friendly and includes sophisticated navigation with enhanced functionality, making it simple for users to find the specific product they need across both the Waterworks and Plumbing categories. Visitors seeking additional help or information can also communicate in-real-time with a Cherne expert using the “Ask a Tech” functionality, conveniently located at the yellow question mark icon in the bottom right corner of each webpage.
“We’re thrilled to debut the new Cherne website,” says Katherine Lehtinen, Senior Vice President of Brand and Digital Marketing at Oatey. “Not only does it allow us to better serve and connect with the waterworks and plumbing contractors who rely on our products, but it also gives us an opportunity to share our story and reinforce a mission that’s so important to us — developing the best pipe plugs and testing tools to ensure safety and efficiency at jobsites across the globe.”
To explore Cherne’s new website and product catalog, go to CherneInd.com.
ABOUT CHERNE INDUSTRIES
Part of the Oatey Co. family of companies, Cherne Industries (Cherne®) is the industry-leading manufacturer of test plugs and testing equipment for residential, commercial, industrial and municipal piping systems. Based out of its state-of-the-art headquarters in Shakopee, Minn., Cherne’s products are manufactured with an unwavering commitment to safety and quality.
Available via Oatey Co.’s distribution network throughout North America and through partner distribution on every continent, Cherne products are relied upon by residential and commercial contractors, as well as industrial and municipal engineers, worldwide.
For more information, visit www.CherneInd.com, call 1-800-843-7584 or follow Cherne on LinkedIn.
ABOUT OATEY CO.
Since 1916, Oatey has provided reliable, high-quality products for the residential and commercial plumbing industries, with a commitment to delivering quality, building trust and improving lives. Today, Oatey operates a comprehensive manufacturing and distribution network to supply thousands of products for professional builders, contractors, engineers and do-it-yourself consumers around the world.
Oatey is based in Cleveland, Ohio, and has locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. For more information, visit www.oatey.com, call (800) 321-9532 or follow Oatey on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram
Entrepreneurship is a large part of the world of business, and it is only getting more prominent, which means that it is vital to stay on top of all the tools available to facilitate success for your small business. Over the years, countless tools such as Field Pulse have been engineered to offer business solutions Read more
Entrepreneurship is a large part of the world of business, and it is only getting more prominent, which means that it is vital to stay on top of all the tools available to facilitate success for your small business. Over the years, countless tools such as Field Pulse have been engineered to offer business solutions and increase their overall productivity.
Since other small businesses are actively implementing these tools, you will likely fall victim to comparison; therefore, you should consider working smarter. To allow yourself to focus on the tasks most essential to your business and keep your efficiency up, you must be able to determine what tools would work well for your small business.
There are multiple business-oriented technologies, platforms, and services on the market, which might make it hard to determine which ones are best suited for your business. Business proceedings need to be done in haste, and adopting something new may take up more time and involve high costs. Continue reading this article to familiarize yourself with tools that will guarantee your small business’s success and save you the hassle of tedious searching for the best tools and futile adoptions.
Field Pulse
This cloud-based service helps businesses manage communication, job scheduling, and dispatching with teams in the field. It has tools that include work order management, billing, remote access, and routing.
Field Pulse was designed for contractors and mobile service businesses to help provide employers access to client notes, customer information, and project updates. It also has a tool that allows businesses to offer cost visibility across the pipeline and assign pricing to every line item. Field Pulse will enable you to supervise subtasks assigned to individual team members and track their performance as they work on projects.
Additionally, it comes with a time tracking tool that helps establish employee accountability and monitor both the time and location of teams.
Online Business Plan Service
Having a solid plan in place is the key to launching any successful business. Online business plan services make this possible for multiple entrepreneurs. This service offers a myriad of templates and tools necessary for transforming good ideas into profitable ventures.
Some of the tools include chart generators and financial calculators to help crunch numbers and embody the business’ vision in a quantifiable way. Also, they feature goal achievement monitors and performance graphs that will allow you to track your progress and make necessary changes to your business when an issue arises.
Anti-Virus Software
Since every business requires a network connection, it is crucial to protect your business’s connection. Anti-virus software guards networks and computers against spyware, dangerous viruses, worms, trojans, and other malware. Without this protection, you could soon end up with an infected computer that will lead to lost productivity, stolen information, and down networks.
Web Hosting
In today’s online world, it is hard for businesses to thrive without an online presence. With a web hosting service, you can create a website that stores your business’s files and uploads them directly to the web when you need it to.
This will provide an internet connection that will enable consumers to access the site through any domain name they choose. Web hosting offers numerous options, including an unlimited number of email addresses that include the site’s domain name, email functionality, one-click installation of supported apps, and website builders that you can use to design the site.
Online Data Storage
Running your small business will require that you rely on computers more than ever; therefore, it is critical to ensure your information is appropriately stored. Online storage services offer a place to store your files in case something happens to your computers, like theft, accidental erasures, and hard drive failure.
Since the data is being stored online, you can always access your files from anywhere provided you have an internet connection. Plus, an online storage service also offers a place to store large files, which enables you to free up more space on your computer’s hard drive.
Online Project Management Software
For your small business to be more productive, it is important that you stay on track. Using online project management software offers a means to manage and organize complex projects from start to completion efficiently. This software will help you allocate and manage resources including, generic and external resources, team members, physical assets, and documents.
Additionally, it offers ways for clients to view reports and status updates and tools for teams to communicate through. Generally, online project management software increases efficiency by issue tracking, centralizing requests, communication, scheduling, resource availability, and document management.
Time Management and Tracking Software
With a lot to accomplish, it is essential for you to maximize the productivity of your small business. Time management and tracking software will help you monitor what is being accomplished so that you can better manage both the time and productivity of your employees.
This software will monitor and record individual employee hours, including work hours, projects, overtime, sick leave, and vacation time. The software also has the ability to track customers, expenses, individual projects, and invoices.
Credit Card Processing
Using hard cash has become almost unnecessary over the past few years; since shoppers prefer using credit and debit cards, it is expected that they will want to be able to use them everywhere. Adopting credit card processing services will enable you to accept every form of payment, such as electronic checks, traditional checks, debit cards, and major credit cards, anytime and anywhere. This service uses encryption technology to provide protection against credit card fraud for your business by making sure every shopper’s personal information is protected.
Start Implementing These Tools Today
Success does not come as naturally as most people would want it to. In order for your small business to become more productive and overall successful, you would have to make the necessary changes to achieve that.
Investing in a few new services that offer exemplary tools is a simple way to get your small business off to a good start. Although it might be a little challenging to change your thinking about some of your business processes, these changes will significantly enhance your business’s efficiency. Consider implementing the tools outlined above and watch your small business thrive.
When you have your own business, you always need to make sure that you’re doing what you can to get more customers. Unless you’re an established business and you’re starting to get a lot of referrals from customers, it can feel like you’re waiting to grow. But, you will find that you are able to Read more
When you have your own business, you always need to make sure that you’re doing what you can to get more customers. Unless you’re an established business and you’re starting to get a lot of referrals from customers, it can feel like you’re waiting to grow. But, you will find that you are able to get to where you want to be as long as you know to put the work in. The thing is, you might be wondering exactly what it is that you need to do.
That can often be the trickiest thing is usually knowing exactly what it is that you need to do to stand out in the first place. Your expertise is your trade and not marketing. So it’s not always easy to know what you need to do to get interest and promote what you do. Let’s take a look at what you need to do.
Know Your Customer
Before you start, you have to know your customer. It’s a good idea for you to think about who you’re targeting and who will buy from you so that you know how to reach them and get them to find you.
Advertise Locally
Then, you’ll want to try and advertise locally in your area so that people can find you. From local flyers and adverts in local papers to having banners and sign writing on your vehicles. This will show off what you do and get people to take notice.
Build A Great Website
You might then want to think about working on your website. It can be a great way for customers to find you. You’ll also want to work with an SEO company to help you to rank well on Google. So when people are searching for your business you’ll come up and they’ll reach out to you.
Use Social Media
From here, you’re also going to want to make sure that you’re using social media too. When harnessed well, social media can really make a difference in your small business. It can allow new people to find you and see what you do, it can gain loyal customers, and gain more business. So make sure that you’re shouting about what you do.
Test And Retest
The thing about marketing is that you can’t just work on one thing once and hope for the best. It’s all about testing, retesting and optimizing what you’re doing. It’s so important to look at your data, see what is performing on your website and what’s driving you traffic and getting you customers and then focusing more on that. Just trying new things and ideas is all it takes for you to start getting results.
Marketing your business can be such a hard thing to do when you’re not really sure what you need to do to make it happen. But the good news is, you only have to focus on a few things. When you’ve worked through these ideas, you should start to get a bit of traction for your business.