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Contractors: Stop Worrying About Marketing and Do This

A month or so ago I asked my newsletter subscribers one question; What would you like to know more about marketing your business? If you aren’t getting the newsletter, you are missing out, so go subscribe by clicking here. But what I’ve come to the conclusion is, for as much as you think your marketing isn’t working, it is still doing a good enough of a job to send traffic to your website, but it is your website that isn’t converting it into business. Below are some questions I received, and how we can tie each of them back to your website underperforming.

Your questions with my answers:

Question: How much of my print advertising isn’t being seen? My guess is 75%-90%.

Answer: Your website already sees more than enough traffic to make you a very happy contractor. If 10-25% of your ad spend is driving people to your website and you aren’t converting anything, it is time to look at the content, design and/or layout of your site.

Question: How to target customers who aren’t just looking for the lowest bid?

Answer: Your content tells your story. You make people well aware long before they call you that you are not going to be the cheapest solution, but you will be the best. You can tell them in the project amounts you talk about, the areas you work in, the materials you use. You make yourself look ‘not cheap’ and that will do a good job weeding out lowest bid buyers.

Question: How to use Facebook ads correctly?

Answer: Drive traffic from Facebook to your website, then use Google to remarket to them. Ever been to my website then see my ads for the next 30 days? That’s on purpose. And you should be doing it too.

Question: I wish there was a magic button to push in times like this to make things better. If there is, what is it?

Answer: It is your website about us page. I see so many about us pages trying to do the job of services pages when the about us page is your chance to shine. The about us page is the second-most read page on your site, and if you have a bad one, you are suffering for it. A good about us page gives the reader the rundown on the who, what, where, when, why and how of you, your business, your partners, your services and even the company dog if you want. My point is, make it personal.

This page is where you show off too. List your awards, memberships, affiliations, and recommendations. Just don’t link out to them. Your Houzz builder of the year award, great, just don’t link out to Houzz. Keep’em on your site.

Question: Half of my marketing works, the other half doesn’t. How do I know which half?

Answer: Thank your personal God that you are getting 50%! Most people don’t even see a quarter of that. But seriously, you are helping make my point. If half of your marketing is working, then your website isn’t doing the job you hired it to do, which converts that 50% into prospects.

Question: Where is the money best spent? Where are the best leads coming from? I know you can ask the customer, but they never give you the right answer.

Answer: Your website. Your website, and who cares? The best money you can spend online is in support of your own website. Content, design, layout, calls to action, driving traffic to it with paid ads, you can’t lose spending on the only property on the web you own. Number two, 90% of customers decide to do business with you based on what they find on your website. That should take care of that. Finally, when the customer says, “I found you on the web” just ask if they mean your website or somewhere else first. They are always going to get to your site, you just want to know if they started there or not.

Question: Nothing, I have it covered.

Answer: No. no you don’t. There is always something you can improve on your website to make it do better work for you while you are out working for it.

As you can see, your website does a lot of heavy lifting for you. Give it the tools you’d give to your best foreman, worker, admin or gopher to do their job better, then get out of its way. If you don’t know where to start, start with a free homepage review. You can read about it here.

Have a great week!

Darren