Build a strong online presence

In most markets, competition is high for home service businesses. Within each community, there is a range of providers from the handy-person to the large corporate enterprise. When new competition comes on the market and begins snagging up all the work, businesses that have been around for 20+years are left wondering how they are getting left behind. Often the answer is digital marketing.

Most home service businesses are built on reputations. Word-of-mouth was once enough to keep a business working through each season. Vetting companies to work in or on a home was something that was done by checking the better business bureau and chatting with neighbors. But the personal-referral method of growing a business has shifted to digital-referral. This change often gives the leg-up to the companies with the strongest digital profile as opposed to the companies with the deepest history. 

Start with an optimized website

Growing a digital presence requires a combination of assets that work together to create influence. The start of that effort is usually a website that is attractive and optimized for search engines. High-performing home service websites open quickly, are easy to navigate, are responsive for a variety of devices and include social proof in the form of reviews or testimonials. The goal of your website is to build trust with potential clients and encourage them to take the next step which is usually to schedule a consultation or appointment.

Just having a website is not usually enough to generate sales. There are over 1 billion websites online. The chances of your website showing up in a search result without an SEO strategy are very slim, but there are some actions you can take to drive targeted traffic to your website.

Extend your reach

1. Perform Keyword Research – Understand what your ideal audience is searching for by performing keyword research.
2. Invest in Local SEO – Add targeted keywords to the meta-data of your website and being writing content that answers your audiences most asked questions.
3. Review Management – Build as many reviews as possible on as many review sites as possible. Reviews build trust and help search engines select your site to show in a search. 
4. Build a Social Circle – Running social media channels is not easy and it takes a lot of work, but it is necessary to be active on social to maintain top-of-mind. Create engaging posts and interact with your audience for the biggest payoffs.
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Winning the digital game 

If you are finding that new businesses that have come into the market are winning over your clients, the likely reason is that they are outperforming you online. It does not matter how many years of experience or how many happy customers you have if your business cannot be found when a shopper is looking.

Are you ready to fill your project calendar? Schedule a meeting with our team  here at Charm Digital Media, to build your internet influence and win back your customer base.