The economy has slowed down and even come to a stop for many industries, but construction companies are still working hard. Some construction projects are deemed essential, so plans, inspections, and maintenance continue.
A big challenge for the construction industry is the lack of worker protections like sick leave and paid time off. When workers don’t work, often they don’t get paid. However, many construction companies are making it work and keeping families fed and workers employed during the economic uncertainty. Many workers are grateful they still have the opportunity to bring home a paycheck, unlike shut-down industries.
Contractors can refine and streamline their marketing efforts during this time. Preparing your marketing plan and updating it now will have your company ready when the economy turns back on.
Create a construction or contractor website
All businesses today, in every industry, need a well-designed, mobile-friendly website. In the digital age, customers view your site like the online version of your offline business. Outdated websites with poor messaging, and limited functionality, are a liability for companies. Potential customers that come across obsolete websites make quick judgments and move on to the companies that invest in the online reputation.
The main things you’re looking to convey with your website are clarity, trustworthiness, and persuasiveness. The messaging should be simple and speak directly to your customer’s pain points and explain why you’re the best solution. Online visitors also want to see a gallery of your work, get an understanding of what makes you unique in your industry, and see reviews or testimonials from past satisfied customers.
Online reputation management
For general contractors, nothing may be more important than managing your online reviews. Today’s consumers look first to the stories of past customers when making a purchase decision. Everything you do from showing up on time for a free estimate, to accurately invoicing will influence the quality of reviews you receive.
But even with excellent workmanship and customer service, you have to be proactive in collecting reviews from satisfied customers. The most motivated to review are customers with complaints, so you’ll need to kindly ask happy customers to help out and share their experience. You can accomplish this by sending an email that links positive reviews to a review platform and negative ones to a feedback form.
Use social media
Many contractors falsely believe that social media marketing is not relevant for their vertical. The reality is, smart marketing goes where the people are. Contractors would be wise to start with Facebook and LinkedIn. Facebook is good for home-based services, and LinkedIn works best for making peer and professional contacts.
The main rule for social media success is – stay active. Start by creating your business page on each platform. Then post regular, even daily, posts about your work, news on jobs, and tips on things like home maintenance and choosing the right contractor. Share useful articles from peers and industry experts. The more active you are, the more eyes you will get on your pages. Soon you’ll find that leads will reach out to you with questions.
Protect your reputation
These marketing tips are probably the biggest ones to tackle first. You can hire a local web agency to help you get started or find several free guides online. Online marketing efforts can be made inhouse, but there are plenty of affordable companies out there ready to help with some or all of your marketing efforts.
McGowan Excess & Casualty protects contractors with good reputations and strong records from the unexpected. Excess casualty insurance can help bridge the gap when extreme exposure arises. We specialize in writing Umbrella & Excess Liability products for a broad range of commercial customers. MEC underwrites on behalf of “A” Rated Carriers, on both Admitted and Non-Admitted paper, and is available in all 50 states.
