Growing a plumbing business can be difficult, especially for those just starting out. In the past, generating leads was a little more straightforward: you could run a radio ad, buy a prime spot in the yellow pages, and paint your phone number on the door of your truck.
Those are still essential parts of the sales funnel. But in an increasingly online and algorithmic world, you need to add a few more tools to your belt. Here are some tips to help you get more plumbing leads and scale your business.
Use Online Advertising
As more Americans shop online for products and services, reaching the right people becomes essential. And one of the most cost-effective ways of reaching these shoppers is advertising on social media and search engines.
Platforms like Facebook and Google allow you to focus your message on people most likely to want your services. For example, you can show your ad to people within your area who search for plumbers or plumbing services.
This targeting makes qualifying leads easier, saving you from the hassle of responding to leads beyond your service area.
Optimize SEO
Because online advertising is relatively inexpensive, your competitors are likely running online ads, too. The more businesses fighting for the same keywords leads to increased marketing costs. That’s why it’s important to invest in search engine optimization (SEO).
Simply, SEO is the process of optimizing website keywords so it can be found by people searching for related terms. In this case, you’ll want to optimize your website content and keywords around terms like plumber, plumbing, and pipe repairs.
SEO optimization can be a complex task. For better results, it pays to have an expert help you optimize your website both for keywords and local results.
Revamp Your Website
Most of your potential customers are likely to check out your website before they call. If your website isn’t easy to navigate, they are unlikely to reach out to you for more information.
There are a couple of routes to go:
- Hire a company that specializes in building websites for trades
- DIY it with a service like Squarespace or Wordpress
Whichever route you choose, ensure that your site is optimized for mobile and includes high-quality photos of your work. Having these photos helps those surfing your site get a better idea of your level of craftsmanship. And if you’re already using CompanyCam, publishing those to your site is easier than ever with showcases.
Encourage Referrals
Referrals and word of mouth are still some of the most important lead sources for plumbers. To boost referrals, create a system encouraging existing customers to refer their friends or relatives to you.
For example, you could give a customer a discount on their next service call if they refer someone to hire you for a job. This helps bring in new clients and encourages past customers to keep you top of mind for future projects.
Another effective tactic is to ask customers for reviews on Google, Facebook, and Angi. These go a long way in helping potential customers build trust in your work. And you can also repurpose them for your website and other promotional materials.
Getting started with these tactics can seem a little bit overwhelming. But there are plenty of online tools and resources from the major platforms. Facebook and Google offer free classes designed to get small business owners up to speed on everything they need to know.
