Internet marketing is one of the most effective ways to generate leads and business growth for pretty much every business right now. If you’re not familiar with internet marketing and how it can help your residential contracting lead generation then you should spend some time learning about it. It can be daunting to do internet marketing on your own—but rest assured, there are plenty of amazing services that can help you market your business for free or for a fee depending on your needs.
Sign up with TrustedPros to start marketing your business the easy way. It’s FREE!
Internet marketing does not need to be complicated or expensive. It really depends on the services that you choose to grow your business. Regardless of this, there are ten key things that you absolutely need to do in order to make the most out of your internet marketing efforts.
We’ve spotted mishaps riddled across the internet, on TrustedPros, and other internet marketing platforms. Our list is here to help you identify the mistakes you might be making (or might be about to make) and turn them around. Let’s shift gears to help you grow your business!
1. You’re not uploading professional photos
Photos and images are absolutely key to creating good content—and good content helps your grow your business. In fact, 37% of professional marketers say that visuals are the most important content for their business growth.
This is a perfect example of what your photos should look like. Clear and perfectly displaying the work.
In addition to that, social media posts (such as tweets) that contain images receive 150% more shares than those that do not have images. In addition to that, Facebook posts that contain images receive 2.3 times more engagement than ones that don’t have images!
If these stats about audience engagement aren’t convincing, then what is?
Using photos in your marketing strategy should be your top priority.
But, if you’re using bad quality photos in your marketing strategy, then you need to step up your game as of yesterday.
This photo could use more focus and light. It’s difficult to see the cabinetry because of the low light and flash.
Think about it: homeowners who want to hire a renovation contractor or home service professional want to see results. The best way to market your business is to show results. Their first point of contact with you will probably be online. So, be sure that the photos that they are going to see are great.
Whatever platform you choose to use for marketing, you should be sharing high-quality photos on it as often as possible.
As of now, there is no excuse for poor quality photos on your website or other profiles. Use a DSLR, a photographer, or a smartphone—just get those photos of your projects and accomplishments taken, and share them everywhere. Especially on your TrustedPros profile!
And when you do get around to the photoshoot, don’t use flash!
Once again, the flash and the angle that this photo was taken at do now showcase how well the tilework has been executed.
Showcase your skills best by editing your work. You can use simple free tools:
- Create before and after graphics with Canva
- Try smartphone apps such as Instagram and VSCO to edit and share your work
- Create a video slideshow or album to share online and on the TrustedPros photo upload tool
This photo was taken in daylight and clearly displays the room without any blurring or distortion.
2. You have a bad cover photo (or no photo at all)
A cover photo seems like a silly Facebook creation from seven years ago. That may have been what it started as, but today it plays a crucial role in your company’s internet marketing success.
Your cover photo is the gateway to your company’s brand. It’s the biggest and most prominent image that your prospect will see before they engage with your company. People connect with images and they remember them.
Having a cover photo is extremely important. You can showcase your latest project, what you’re most proud of, your awards, your team, your hours, your website link, or your logo. Whatever it is, you need to have a cover photo.
A bad example of a cover photo. This company has no cover photo! No pizzazz!
Go ahead and upload a cover photo, but don’t make the following mistakes when you do so:
- Uploading the wrong size. A stretched out photo will look terrible and it will make you look unprofessional. The cover photo pixel size on TrustedPros is 980 x 390 pixels.
This could be a great cover photo if it was sized properly. Including the company name would be a great addition to this photo.
- Not including your company branding. Post your logo on whatever image you use. TrustedPros will use your cover photo to advertise your company, and you want to make sure that your company name stands out!
- Using a bad colour scheme. Colours play into human psychology in a very influential way. Use the right colour scheme that will entice your audience. Learn more about colour psychology here.
- Including too much text. Use about 20% of the image space for text.
A beautiful cover photo example! The only thing that is missing is a bit of text, such as a Call to Action (CTA) to entice the viewer to call or contact the business!
- Not having a focal image. There should be a clear focal point to attract the eye into the centre of the photo. The outside sections of the image should remain relatively empty.
Just an FYI, TrustedPros cover photo size is 980 x 390 pixels!
If you don’t have a cover photo, or you have a bad cover photo, then your prospect won’t remember your company, won’t relate to it, or won’t care to look further.
3. You’re not being transparent with your business credentials
Business transparency is becoming more and more important to consumers. With consumer awareness platforms on the rise, it’s becoming easier for consumers to get the business information that they need in order to make informed buying and hiring decisions.
You cannot hide from consumer awareness in this day and age. All a consumer needs to do is Google your business name and they will know everything about you.
So, if you can’t beat the system, why not leverage it? Take advantage of consumer awareness and use it to your company’s benefit. If consumers want to hire reputable, established, and transparent companies, then publish your business information!
Companies like TrustedPros make it easy for you to publish your business credentials and give your company a business trustworthiness and transparency rating. That’s why you need to create a profile (or claim your business) and update your business information.
Companies like TrustedPros make it easy for you to publish the credentials that consumers want to know about before they hire you. TrustedPros will rate your business based on your transparency and honesty. Leverage it! Hiding from it will only give you a bad score.
You should jump to update this information. Publishing it will only get you one step closer to signing more contracts.
Be sure to post information such as:
- WCI
- Liability insurance
- Trade license
- Business operation/history
4. You’re not collecting consumer reviews or hustling to get them
If you haven’t received the memo yet, consumer reviews are absolutely essential for business marketing and growth these days.
In fact, over 93% of consumers look at a client reviews before making a purchase. If you have no online reputation then you better get one.
Homeowners will pass over your company and hire someone who has online reviews faster than you can imagine.
Consumers want to read your reviews and make the majority of their first steps in the hiring process based on client reviews and references. That means that you should hustling to get real client reviews.
And to top it off, homeowners care about your client rating. In fact, 44% of homeowners who use TrustedPros say that they will only consider hiring contractors who have a 3.5 star rating or higher.
If you’re haven’t collected any client reviews then:
- Set up a TrustedPros profile
- Use the request review tool to prompt clients to write about their experience
- Or, send your company’s write a review page link to past clientele
You should always ask your clients to write a review for your company. Your business depends on it!
Please note: TrustedPros has very strict review guidelines. We will not stand for fake review submissions. Fake review submissions can negatively affect your TrustScore. For more information please read our TrustScore and Code of Ethics policy.
5. You’re not responding to reviews
Responding to client reviews is extremely important. You should respond to all reviews—both positive and negative.
Responding to reviews is one of the most important things that a business can do. In fact, businesses who respond to 50% or more of their reviews have experienced double the business growth in comparison to those that do not!
Respond to positive reviews because it shows the author that you appreciate their time and effort. It also publicly displays your graciousness and client respect. You want to do everything to make your company look amazing.
It’s these little things that count. Your prospect’s opinion of your company will start with what they find out about you online. They won’t have any experience or knowledge of your company other than these small gestures along with your reputation.
You should be responding to negative reviews 100% of the time. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary. Please check out our tip sheet if you’re not sure how to respond to a negative review!
Get a notification whenever you receive a client review. Sign up today!
TrustedPros members are immediately notified whenever they receive a client review. This helps you respond to feedback promptly and improve your growth.
Make sure to keep your profile and membership active in order to receive alerts.
6. You’re not winning awards and telling people about it
Certain lead generation services and contractor marketing platforms, such as TrustedPros, celebrate their members by giving them prestigious awards. For example, contractors who have a TrustedPros profile are eligible to win a Best of TrustedPros Award each year. Winners receive a profile badge, as well as website widgets, and vehicle stickers.
These prestigious awards are only given to contractors who provide premium customer service. Recipients must maintain a steady Client Rating of 4.0 (and above) by the time of the award period. That means that it’s difficult to win an award considering how stringent our review verification process is!
Winners receive an award icon next to their company name in our directory. This helps them stand out against their competitors.
Want to win a Best of TrustedPros Award? Start collecting reviews now!
So, if you’re not listed on TrustedPros and receiving positive client reviews then you can’t win an award.
If you’re a business owner who is proud of your premium service and craftsmanship then you should do everything in your power to show it off and have it validated by a trusted consumer protection platform, such as TrustedPros!
Consumers want an objective source that will inform and aid their decisions. They want their decisions to be easy and evident ones, and awards do this for them.
Make this year a fruitful one and leverage awards to grow your business! Share your success on your website and social media to catch your prospect’s attention!
Start a profile and start collecting reviews! It’s the only way to win a pristegious Best of TrustedPros Award!
7. You have no peer endorsements
Peer endorsements turbo-charge your company’s reputation and trustworthiness. They help improve your B2B reputation as well as your B2C reputation. The act as an opportunity to showcase third-party support, trust, and validation. They speak volumes to consumers as well as businesses because a business in your industry knows exactly how to evaluate the quality of your craftsmanship, service, and business process.
Leveraging your business connections and asking them to write an endorsement for you can help you acquire new business connections and build your prospects. Think about it: if a top contractor who you have worked with says good things about you on a public platform, more businesses will feel comfortable working with you.
If you need a sub in a pinch, then you can leverage your endorsements to find one last minute. When well-rated and regarded businesses are happy to work with other people who they can trust.
Improve your B2C services by leveraging diverse talent for your next project. It’s win, win!
Build prospects. Collect business endorsements today!
8. You’re not maximizing your online business reputation game
The internet is a huge place. You can either leverage that or get lost in it. One of the best ways to leverage internet marketing for your business is by monitoring what people are saying about your company, when it’s happening, and where it’s happening.
People can talk freely and openly about your business, so you need to be monitoring it at all times to benefit from your online reputation.
There are a few ways to do this:
- Google Alerts. You can track specific words with Google Alerts. Alerts are sent directly to your inbox in the form of links to pages that talk about your company. This way you are able to do whatever is necessary to manage your reputation.
- Open multiple business listing accounts. You may want to use only one review platform, but your clients may decide to write you reviews on different platforms. But, if you don’t have an account with a platform and you receive a review on it you won’t be notified about the review, nor will you be able to write a prompt response. The best thing to do it open multiple accounts and populate the information on them all. That way you will have maximum control over your reputation and your business standings online. This translates to more leads. Just don’t forget to check up on all your accounts
- Utilize Google My Business. Google My Business is one of the easiest ways to improve your search engine results and display your reputation right on the search engine. It’s free and it gives your company significant search engine page real estate. It makes it easy for prospects to see your contact information, website, and aggregate client reviews.
- Follow your company on social media. When you have social media accounts other users will be able to reach out to you by “mentioning” you. However, if you don’t have an account then you will not be able to track when people try to reach out to you. When an individual mentions your company you will be able to see what they have said and reply to it. If they have negative feedback then you can respond and rectify the issue and remediate the relationship. Otherwise, they will talk about your company without your knowledge. It’s best to be in the know to prevent small issues from snowballing.
9. Your website isn’t mobile optimized—and you also don’t have a website
Consumers are using their mobile devices more than ever to surf the web, make purchases, open emails, and share content through social media. If you don’t have a website then you better make one, and it better be mobile friendly. It doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to be easy to use. It also needs to showcase your best work, provide an easy point of contact, and connect the viewer to your consumer review reputation.
Why? Search engines such as Google prioritize websites that are mobile-friendly, which means that these websites pop up in search engine results above websites that aren’t mobile friendly. If your website doesn’t pop up in the results, then your prospects will see you less.
Consumers spend 69% of their media time on their mobile devices. In addition, studies reveal that 48% of consumers start mobile research on a search engine before clicking directly to a website. Finally, the majority of mobile users say that they will not recommend a business that has a poorly designed mobile website.
Mobile websites are important for your business because your prospects are probably using their mobile devices to find your business. Not only do they use these devices to surf the web, they use them for social media. They are finding your business through mobile, and you need to accept that and accommodate for it.
10. You’re not using social media
We know that social media isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It might not be your favourite way to communicate, but it probably is for your prospects and potential leads.
The homeowner demographic is transforming from exclusively Baby Boomers to Generation X and Millennials. As a result, today’s homeowners are more in touch with social media and rely on it to find new businesses, communicate with friends and family, and receive news and information.
This means two things:
- You need a mobile friendly website
- You need to use at least one social media channel properly
Social media is an excellent source for business development. It helps you seek out new prospects by:
- Allowing you to publish company information
- Showcasing your company products, services, videos, and photos
- Enabling prospects to contact you easily
- Allowing you to be seen by leads and new connection via geo-tagging, hashtags, and mentions
You don’t need to have a social media account on every platform—in fact, we advise against that! It’s important to find one platform that you like (and that your clients and prospects use) and post to it regularly.
Summary
There are so many different ways to improve your internet marketing game at this point in time. In order to make the most out of internet marketing to grow your business you should leverage resources that make marketing easy for you.
We’ve covered ten things that contractors aren’t doing when it comes to internet marketing:
- Using professional photos
- Using great cover photos
- Being transparent with credentials
- Collecting consumer reviews
- Responding to all consumer reviews
- Leveraging awards
- Collecting peer endorsements
- Maximizing online reputation management
- Mobile optimizing your website
- Using social media
It’s time to grow your business! Use TrustedPros to improve and leverage your local reputation to generate leads and prospects.
I’m ready to grow my business!
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