Any business needs an online presence nowadays. If you don’t already have a website and social media(s), you’re falling behind; this is especially true in construction. Through an online presence, you can showcase your work to thousands of potential clients, far exceeding the amount you could contact individually.
According to a Salesforce survey, 85% of consumers conduct research before they make a purchase online, and among the most used channels for research are websites (74%) and social media (38%). This only highlights the importance of building an online presence, as these methods of research aren’t going anywhere; future clients will only utilize these methods more and more, especially social media, to conduct research when choosing a contractor for the job.
Through an online presence, you can communicate with potential clients without meeting them prior. You can showcase your work, state your experience and communicate your values as a contractor far before they meet you, only increasing the chances that they will choose you to do business with.
Seize the Opportunity
In 2019 alone, there were approximately 3.8 million Google searches conducted each minute, many of which were carried out to find information on local businesses. This is a huge opportunity that will only grow as more and more people gain access to the internet, highlighting the importance of allowing your business to be discovered naturally by clients combing the internet for qualified contractors.
Not only will an online presence increase customer awareness, but will improve upon brand quality and your credibility. Think about it; are you more likely to buy a product without being able to see it beforehand, or buy the product with pictures and reviews validating it’s quality?
This is exactly where the industry is moving. Even if you’re not familiar with how to use these platforms, there are plenty of entities that are able to manage and create websites and social medias for an affordable price. You can do it yourself, but if you’re not familiar with how to use these platforms, it’s best to outsource the work. Landing even one job from your online presence will easily outweigh the cost of creating and maintaining your presence.
You’re Online- Now What?
Once online, you’re not just going to take off naturally and start landing clients. As anybody in the construction industry is far too familiar with, good things take time to build, this applies to your online presence as well.
With your social media, it’s important to keep up your presence. Posting with some consistency allows you to connect with your clients and audience on a personal level, which increases the chance that they’ll want to work with you. Posting pictures of your work as well as saying nice things about your clients goes a long way. You spend a lot of time with your clients, and social media can offer a way to show them that you’re delightful to work with, even if they’ve never heard of you before. Tagging the city you’re working in on your photos is a great way to get discovered by potential clients in your area, and following other construction companies in the area is a great way to get discovered by clients who already follow your competitors.
As for your website, promoting it is a little different. Gaining new leads in construction has traditionally been done through word of mouth, but now times have changed, and a wider selection of contractors are available to be discovered by new clients, rather than just relying on who their neighbors used.
Your presence online is built by maximizing your SEO, which is just a term for how to pop up higher in Google searches. It takes time to increase your position in Google Searches, but simple tricks such as writing blogs, publishing content and promoting your website will help boost your ranking (promote it on your social medias and attach it to your business cards!). The easiest way to maximize your SEO is by hiring a professional, which may seem like a waste of money, but is incredibly important; your website will be useless if people can’t search you in Google and easily find you.
Aside from being discovered, your website should be easy to navigate and easy on the eyes. A well designed website keeps visitors engaged, which makes them more likely to stay on it and explore your work rather than bounce right off. It’s a good way to market yourself; you can highlight your work, personality, and what makes you stand out from other contractors– a great example would be showcasing that you use contractor-client communication software to make your clients building experience as smooth and pain-free as possible. More and more construction firms of all size are utilizing these types of software, making it a disadvantage to not already be using them, as your competitors will be.
Takeaways
Promoting business looks different than it did even 10 years ago, with online presence becoming more and more important. Although we can’t help manage your online presence, we can help manage your projects and client experience; once you’ve landed a client through your online presence, it’s vital that their experience exceeds their expectations. Utilizing client communication software is a great way to go above and beyond, as it will save time on the site, which ultimately saves both you and your client money.
Come check out our website for more tips and tricks to building your construction business.
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