For home services providers, showing up online can make the difference between growing your business or plateauing with your existing customer base. And while the total addressable market for home services is already large at $595 billion—home improvement spending at $376.9 billion, home maintenance spending at $157.7 billion, and home emergency spending at $60.6 billion—the demand for home services continues to grow. In order to keep up with the competition, your business needs to show up online in all the right places.
To show up online and increase the sales for your home services business, consider these tips:
Show up on social media
Social media is a free and effective way to connect with consumers online. And while nearly 80% of all internet users have a social network profile, it’s the perfect place to find new customers. Find out what media platforms your homeowners are using and then make a plan to show up and provide value. Depending on the age range of your target customer, the social media platform you start with may vary. For a general starting place, Facebook is a good option with a large user base.
Engaging with customers on social media is key to developing relationships that lead to good reviews and repeat business. And by regularly posting content that offers tips and tricks and ways to save money (always a hit with homeowners), you will increase the trust of both current and future customers with your brand.
Consider these best practices as you build your social media presence:
- Consistently show up on each of the social media platforms where you have a presence—consistency improves trust and brand recognition for those that follow your brand online
- Respond to every comment and message you receive on each social media platform—responding to customer comments and questions is just as critical as responding to customer calls and questions you might receive via traditional methods, like a phone call or email
- Make it easy for customers to purchase or book with your business—clearly outline what services you offer and how a social media follower can book an appointment or purchase a product
- Connect each account to your website—reduce friction for customers that want to learn more about your business by connecting each of your social media profiles to your home service providers website
- Offer valuable information and help to your followers—content that helps your audience now will help you build your customer list later
Show up in digital advertising
Paid advertising—whether on social media or through search engines—is another great way to show up online and bring awareness about your brand to new customers. And it offers a clear way to show up where customers are already searching. “Near me” searches on Google have increased by 500% in the last few years. And more and more consumers are using their mobile devices to research services and products before they purchase. Don’t miss out on those potential customers—make a plan to show up as local customers are searching.
If you’re just starting out with digital advertising, it’s important to know what information you’ll need. Digital ads are built to target a specific audience, so be prepared with persona information such as location, age, gender, and preferred social media platforms. And keep in mind that paid advertising will only work if your messaging is clear and targeted to the right audience. Don’t waste your marketing spend if you aren’t sure who your target is or what messaging will convert.
As you launch your first (or next) digital ad campaign, be sure to identify specific metrics so you can measure success. Click-through rates, conversion, and bounce rates are a good place to start. And if you’re bidding on specific keywords for a Google Ad, keep in mind that certain home services keywords can exceed $40. All of that information—from cost-per-click to your baseline metrics—should map back to your digital advertising plan and budget.
Show up in local search results
Nearly 80% of all local searches on a mobile device lead to a purchase within 24 hours. Showing up in the top three to five search results can make a huge difference in how you capture new leads online. In order to show up, your business needs to meet specific criteria, based on the user’s search terms. Reviews, relevancy, location, and average star rating all play a part in what results get served up first (and in what order), so it’s critical that you focus on these areas to meet customers where they want to meet you—in a Google search result.
To make sure you show up in your local search results, be sure to prioritize these best practices:
- Keep your Google My Business listing updated—make sure your hours, address, website URL, photos, phone number, and everything else on your listing are current and working
- Ask your current customers for reviews—without a review request program, you won’t get the number of reviews you need to boost your ranking on Google (and typically only disgruntled customers leave reviews without being asked)
- Improve your customer experience—a positive customer experience leads to a positive customer review (and with more positive reviews, you’ll have a higher average review rating)
- Ask for reviews for each location—even if your services are the same at each location of your business, location-specific reviews are critical for each listing to rank when “near me” is used in the search
To capture more leads and increase your revenue, home services brands need to show up online. By implementing strategies to show up on social media, in digital advertising, and in local search results, you’ll not only find new customers, but you’ll also meet the growing demands of the modern customer experience—adding convenience and ease to your customer’s journey.
To learn more tips on how to convert leads, read our free Guide to Converting More Leads.
