The home improvement service industry is vast; according to Allied Market Research, it was worth 31.6.8 billion in 2020. Unfortunately, it also faces stiff competition, which can be stifling, especially for many enterprises. Therefore, as a business owner, you need to develop creative ways that can help promote your brand and give it the competitive edge it needs to survive and thrive. If you’re in the home improvement industry, below are the top tips on how to grow a service company:
1. Invest in Word of Mouth Referrals
If you’re looking for effective tips on how to grow a service company, consider investing in word-of-mouth referrals. According to a Nielsen report, 92% of consumers trust referrals from known people more than they trust other advertising media. Therefore, this is one of the most effective ways to generate leads you can easily convert to paying customers.
One of the top benefits of word-of-mouth referrals is that it’s a free marketing tool. Therefore, you don’t need to invest immense financial and time resources to attract customers. Instead, your past customers will do all the work for you, leaving you with enough time to focus on other needs of your home improvement business.
However, for word-of-mouth marketing to be effective, your company must offer quality services and an even better excellent customer experience. This will ensure that your referrers only say positive things about your brand. After all, if your services are not good, your past customers will most likely warn others away from your business.
2. Canvas the Areas Where You Offer Services
Canvassing is another top tip on how to grow a service company. It’s an effective marketing strategy that allows personal contact with your target audience. Therefore, you can easily convert your prospects into paying customers.
One of the top canvassing techniques you can utilize for your home remodeling company is going door to door. For example, if your business offers landscaping services, you can knock on the neighbors’ doors when you’re out on the job. Then, you can tell them about your company and its services.
Unfortunately, according to the FTC, many home remodeling scams often involve door-to-door knocks, which means prospects might be wary of you. So, to mitigate this, you must never be pushy with the target customers. Also, you can assuage their concerns by providing the names of your past clients in the neighborhood as references. Lastly, you can offer your business details, including office location and online platforms, where they can check your company and verify that it’s legit.
3. Create a Business Website
If you’re looking for tips on how to grow your business, consider an online presence. And the best way to do this is by creating a professional website for your home improvement company. On top of that, you need to optimize the website through techniques such as SEO, thus increasing your business’ visibility.
One of the several benefits of having a website is that it makes your business more accessible to customers. According to Chron, many consumers often use internet searches to find home services contractors. Therefore, if you offer construction services, having a website will mean that your business will come up when consumers search for construction companies.
Another benefit of a website is that it allows potential customers to interact with your business before contacting you. Indeed, according to a survey by Visual Objects, as many as 76% of consumers will check out a company’s website before further engagement. And on top of attracting prospective leads, having a business website can make it easy for you to convert them into paying customers.
4. List Your Business on Google Maps
According to Search Engine Land, Google Maps is one of the most popular search tools, with up to 76% of consumers using it to find local businesses. Therefore, if you’re looking for tips on how to grow a service company, Google Maps is an excellent idea. And the way to leverage this resource is by creating a Google Business Profile.
One of the benefits of having a Google Business Profile is that it allows you to target prospects near you, thus growing your local customer base. For example, if you offer roofing services, your business will appear on the map when a customer searches for a roofing company near them. They can then go through your profile to see the service your business offers, reviews from past clients, and contact information for reaching you.
Another benefit of listing your home service business on Google Maps is that it’s a simple and inexpensive advertising technique. Signing up for a Google Business profile is free and very straightforward. On top of that, maintaining your profile doesn’t take much time; once you sign up, you only need to update your profile occasionally to keep it relevant.
5. Leverage the Power of Social Media
Social media networks are not just tools for interacting with family and friends; they are also vital business resources. In fact, according to the Social Media Examiner, up to 96% of SMBs use social media. Therefore, this is another marketing tool you should use to make your home services company competitive.
One of the top reasons why social media is popular amongst businesses is the wide audience it offers. According to Statista, as of 2022, the U.S. had a social media penetration rate of 90%. Therefore, most of your prospects are on social media, giving you a simple way to reach them.
Another benefit of a social media presence is that many consumers use it when looking for products and services. So, for example, if your company offers plumbing repair, having a social media presence will make you more visible to users looking for plumbing solutions, which can help you generate many leads. Furthermore, you can also use social media to assist in converting your leads and engaging with your existing customers.
6. Use Video Content to Promote Your Brand
Video content is another one of the top tips on how to grow a service company. According to a survey by Wyzowl, around 91% of businesses use video content for marketing. Additionally, 96% of marketing experts consider video to be one of the most essential elements of their marketing strategy.
Using video to promote your business can offer you many advantages. First, videos are engaging, and many consumers love them. Therefore, they can help you to easily target, interact, and engage your prospects. In addition, it’s effortless (and affordable) to make videos, and they can help explain your home services better than any other media.
Lastly, you can use videos in so many ways when promoting your business. For example, you can invest in commercial website video and post them on your business website. This can significantly boost your site’s SEO, making it more appealing to customers and prospects. Alternatively, you can create and share videos on social media platforms, which can help your business target many prospects or engage with your existing customers.
7. Collect and Publish Online Reviews
Online reviews are another top tip on how to grow a service company. According to a survey by PowerReviews, over 99.9% of American consumers read online reviews. Additionally, 98% consider them to be an important resource when making a purchasing decision. Therefore, online reviews are another powerful tool that can promote your home services company.
One of the top benefits of online reviews is that it helps to build trust with prospective customers. For example, when a homeowner searches for electricians online, they’ll want to know if the contractor they’re considering is reputable. Therefore, with good reviews, potential customers are more likely to trust your company.
You can use reviews in several ways to grow your company. First, you can have customers leave a review on your Google Business Profile or social media page. You can also collect customer reviews and testimonials and publish them on your website to increase your credibility. Lastly, you can use reviews to gather client feedback and improve areas where they find your business lacking.
8. Start a Paid Referral Program
Word-of-mouth referrals are a free and effective way of promoting your business. However, not every customer will be motivated to market your business to other prospects. Fortunately, you can change this by using a paid referral program, another one of the top tips on how to grow a service company.
With a paid referral, you use rewards to compensate past customers (and even other parties) who bring you a new client. For example, if you’re an HVAC company, you can reward homeowners with cash or discounted (or free) future services for referring other customers to your business. And to make the program more effective, you can also give cash rewards or discounts to the referred prospects, thus making it easy to convert them.
Of course, paid referrals will require a larger financial investment from your company, but it’s more than worth it. According to the Digital Agency Network, referred customers spend up to 13.2% more than other clients. On top of that, they are 18% more likely to be loyal, making them a valuable asset for your business.
9. Use Public Relations to Promote Your Company
Public Relations is one of the most effective tips on how to grow a service company. With good PR, your business can improve its brand image, trust, and credibility. On top of that, PR can help improve your company’s visibility, allowing you to easily reach your target audience and, consequently, generate many leads.
One of the top PR tactics to use is to appear in the news, especially in local news. According to Pew Research Center, 58% of Americans trust information from national news organizations, while 75% will trust local news outfits. Therefore, if you’re, for example, a commercial roofing contractor, appearing in a local news station for something positive can greatly improve your visibility and trustworthiness.
But how can you get your home services company to appear in the news? There are several tips; the easiest is sending a press release about your business to local news organizations. You could also contact individual journalists and request a feature story on your company. Alternatively, you can volunteer at local events; usually, they’re covered by the media, which can help you earn free and organic publicity.
10. Invest in Data Analytics
You can use several strategies to promote your home improvement service company. However, investing blindly in them will likely lead to several problems, including wasting your funds. This is where data analytics comes in. According to Carlow University, data analytics provide businesses with qualitative and quantitative resources needed to make informed marketing decisions, thus leading to increased effectiveness.
There are many ways you can leverage data analytics when promoting your business. First and foremost, you can use it to learn more about the target market. For example, if you run an appliance repair company, analyzing market data can help you identify your real customers, their demographics, needs, spending habits, the best media to target them, etc. Additionally, you can identify your competitors and their strengths and weaknesses, which can help you tailor your marketing campaigns to give you a competitive edge.
Data analytics are also vital for assessing the performance of your marketing efforts. This can help you identify the best marketing strategies to invest in and which ones to avoid. Consequently, you’ll be able to promote your business better while keeping a check on the marketing costs.
11. Hire a Professional Marketing Expert
When researching tips on how to grow a service company, using marketing professionals is another top idea to consider. After all, marketing is a vital business strategy that can make or fail your business. Therefore, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.
However, you can reap several other benefits by using marketing experts to promote your business. For example, marketers know more about the latest marketing trends and the best techniques, tools, and resources. Therefore, they can help you streamline your marketing campaigns, allowing you to maximize your investment.
Another top reason to hire an expert is that marketing is time-consuming. For example, creating website content and updating social media pages takes a lot of time. Therefore, doing them yourself will mean investing in many hours you could have otherwise spent running your business.
Are you looking for information on how to grow a service company? The above tips can help you promote your home services business. By implementing them, you can enjoy several benefits like improving your brand’s visibility, trustworthiness, & credibility, attracting more prospects and turning them into loyal paying customers. This can help boost your company’s growth, turning it into a successful venture.
