What’s the most commonly ignored method of bringing in new business for contractors? Website lead generation.
Let’s face it, if you don’t have a website at this point, you’re missing out on a wealth of new business opportunities. For those contractors who missed the website train, we’ll start by saying, “DROP EVERYTHING YOU’RE DOING AND HIRE A WEBSITE DESIGNER NOW.”
Over 85% of consumers are searching for local businesses online. That statistic alone should be making you do an online search for a reputable web designer!
For those who have a website, we ask “Is your website working as hard as it could be for you?” Are you tracking leads that come in from your website? The web is a cost-effective lead generation source, but you need to know if your website is failing you or if it’s a lean, mean lead machine.
Consumers research businesses online
Consumers are better informed about the products, services and businesses they use than ever before. Online word-of-mouth via social media, user reviews and personal recommendations is very important. Findings from a 2014 Local Consumer Review Survey show:
- 88% have read reviews to determine the quality of a local business
- 72% say that positive reviews make them trust a local business more
- 88% trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations
- 92% of users will use a local business if it has a 4 star rating
- 72% of consumers will take action after reading a positive review
- Reliability (27%), expertise (21%) & professionalism (18%) are the most important reputation traits for a local business
It’s a great idea to include testimonials/reviews from past customers on your website as proof of your quality, reliability and customer service. Also, ask customers to post reviews on sites such as Houzz, Angie’s List and Yelp to help spread the word about how great you are across the web.
It’s a mobile economy
Is your website mobile-optimized? In April 2015, Google tweaked its algorithm for mobile searches to favor sites that look good on smartphone screens, and penalize sites with content that is too wide for a phone screen and text and links that are too small. Trust us, you do NOT want to be penalized by Google, it’s too important for local contractors to show up on the first page of search results. So call your website manager now and make sure your site is mobile-friendly.
These are just a couple of ideas to help make your website work harder for you. For additional lead generation tips, be sure to download our Contractor’s Guide to Lead Generation!
