*Note: this is a guest post from Contractor Dynamics. Contractor Dynamics builds lead generating websites for contractors.
Do you have a website, but you’re not getting as many leads from it as you were hoping for? There are several ways you can improve your site to enjoy more lead generation, and from those leads get more business for your company. Whether you’re an electrician, a plumber, or a contractor, these lead-generation methods will work to help you get more customers.Here are 7 of the best ways to get more leads from your service business website.
1. Know Exactly What You Mean by “Lead”
For some people, a lead is a call. For others, it’s someone who signs up for a newsletter. Define what a lead means to you and how many you’re looking to generate a month. After all, the goal is to ensure you have a steady stream of business, as opposed to the roller coaster of being busy one month and slow the next. If you want to increase your lead generation, knowing what a lead is and how many you want to generate is a good way to structure your marketing plan.
2. Make Sure Your Website is Modern
Has it been a while since your website has been updated? If you’re not using a mobile-responsive website, you’re automatically missing out on a huge percentage of potential customers who don’t want to deal with having to zoom and scroll on their phones and tablets.A responsive website will automatically resize its content to fit the screen of whatever device your potential customer is viewing your site on. That way, your information is still easily accessible and visible, without them having to do any extra work. Since up to 50% of customers are now searching for services on phones and tablets, making this change alone could help you see a huge boost in your lead generation.
3. Have a Website That’s Straight-Forward and Easy to Understand
Having a modern website isn’t the only thing you need. Your website needs to pass the 5-second test — essentially, people coming to your site need to see in a few seconds what you do, how you do it, and how they can get in touch with you. Most customers don’t want to have to weed through paragraphs of content just to get your phone number. Having a website that’s easy to understand, with your phone, email, or address prominently displayed, makes it more likely that customers will call you, email you, or stop by your storefront (if you have one).CTA’s — calls to action — can also contribute to an easy-to-understand website. Do you offer free estimates? Do you have discounts available? Tell customers these things in bold font, with your phone number or a link to your contact page included. Then the customers have more incentive to contact you.
4. Have a Unique Selling Point
What can you do that your competitors can’t? Can you offer more experience? Faster results? A bigger crew? More affordable prices? Make sure your site highlights how you’re different from other people in your field in your service area. Customers are getting more and more comparative; any way you can stand out from the competition is another way that will potentially draw customers to your business.This is also relevant if you specialize in something. For instance, if you’re a plumber who specializes in commercial drain cleaning, make sure to highlight that detail in your site content. That way, people looking for that specific service know that you’re a person they can trust to do a good job.
5. Build a Sense of Trust with Your Customers
Do you have reviews from past customers? Photos of your work or your staff? Active social media profiles you can link to? Strong, recognizable branding? All of these things can help a potential customer trust your professionalism and skill level. Customers are more likely to contact a contractor who has visible evidence of past projects on their site.If you don’t currently have pictures or reviews that you can include on your site, we’d suggest starting to gather them. Ask your current customers if you can take some pictures of the work when you’re done. Leave behind a brochure or business card that directs them to where they can leave reviews. If you get emails from customers, send out a reminder email after a week or two, requesting that they review your service. As soon as you have some pictures or reviews, include them on your site.
6. Make Sure All Your Technical Data is Accurate
It’s important to ensure all of your metadata is correct. Metadata — page titles and descriptions, especially — are the first things a potential customer of yours will see when they search for your type of service. You want to be sure all of your page titles and descriptions accurately describe the page they’re for and have keywords and selling points to entice a customer to click on your business.Interlinking your pages throughout the website can also aid in lead generation. For instance, if a customer lands on your home page, having an easy link to your plumbing page may make them more likely to stay and explore what you have to offer.
7. Have Product or Service-Specific Forms on Your Site
What do you want your potential clients to do? Do you want them to request an estimate? Do you want them to schedule an appointment? Including easy-to-use forms customized to each of your services is another really great way to invite customers to leave you their contact information. For example, if home additions are a service you offer, you might consider having a form in your sidebar that says “Request a FREE home addition quote” with fields for the customer to leave their name, phone number, email address, and some general information about what they’re looking for. That way, you have their information and can contact them.There are a variety of ways to generate leads from your website. These are seven of the most effective methods we’ve found to increase the effectiveness of your site and help you generate a solid, consistent customer flow. Good luck!
