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For home services professionals, competition can be stiff. There are a lot of providers out there, and it can be hard to figure out the best way to stand out. Plus, the way homeowners think about and search for home repair and home remodeling solutions has changed over the last decade, so it’s important that home services companies, like plumbers, roofers, general contractors, home cleaners, and more learn how to capture the attention of today’s modern consumers.

That means that in order to market your home services business effectively, there are many different factors (and marketing channels!) to consider.

home services marketing tips - top resources to find providers

That’s a lot of places people are looking for businesses like yours!

Based on insights gleaned from the 1.4M+ leads we’ve generated for home services businesses, we’re going to explore our top 16 home services marketing tips to help you reach and close new customers.

16 best home services marketing tips

Let’s walk through each home services marketing tip in detail:

1. Invest in local SEO

Internet searches are the top way homeowners are finding a home services provider, according to our national home improvement consumer study. And, when searching for home service professionals on search engines, consumers are usually taking a local approach.

Searches with phrases like “electrician near me” are a regular occurrence. After all, an electrician five states over is not going to do you any good! That’s why it’s critical for home services professionals to have a presence in local search results.

This means that your home services marketing must include a local SEO, or search engine optimization, strategy that helps you get found in search results when potential customers are looking for your services in your area.

home services marketing tips - local search result for okc roof repair

These businesses show in organic search results for “roof repair oklahoma city.”

Local SEO is just SEO that optimizes your website and online presence for local searches. This includes adding location-specific keywords to your website, optimizing your web content for the right keywords for your services, and managing your offsite local listings (which we’ll talk about more in a bit!).

Related: Get the steps for how to do local keyword research.

2. Run paid search advertising

Another way to get your home services business found on search engines for relevant searches is to run paid search advertising, also known as pay per click (PPC). PPC ads show up at the top of search engine results as a way to quickly capture searchers.

home services marketing - ppc

In order to run PPC ads for your home services business, you choose keywords or key phrases to bid on and set a budget. Your budget is spent only when your ads are clicked–hence, the name pay-per-click ads.

3. Add Google Local Services ads

To make your paid search advertising even more effective, you can also run Google Local Services ads as part of your home services marketing strategy.

Local Services ads are only available for a handful of industries, and home services is one of them. These ads show above Google ads and are meant to provide all the information a searcher would need to contact your business–so your budget is only spent when a user converts rather than clicks.

home services marketing - local services ads

In order to run Local Services ads, you have to go through a special verification process to become Google Guaranteed, which basically means that Google will verify your licensing and insurance information and lets searchers know that there’s an extra layer of trust and protection that comes with working with your business.

4. Use video to up your game

There’s no question that video marketing delivers messages more effectively in a shorter amount of time.

Consider these stats:

  • 80% of viewers can recall video ads they’ve seen in the last 30 days.
  • Video watchers retain 95% of a message compared to 10% for those who read text.
  • Adding a video to your email marketing can increase clickthrough rates by 200-300%.

These stats illustrate why adding video to your home services marketing mix can help you reach and convert more consumers.

You can use video marketing to educate your customers and prospects on the best ways to take care of their homes, showcase your trusted employees, and run YouTube ads to get in front of even more potential customers.

Related: Get YouTube video ideas that will work for your business.

5. Boost your home services business with better reviews

Getting your business found is only half the battle. According to our home services study, 70% of homeowners rely on recommendations from family or at least one review site. Plus, research has found that nearly 90% of consumers trust online reviews.

In other words, once a potential customer knows about you, you then need to convince them that your company is better than the competition–or you won’t be on their shortlist of who to call. As a home services business, your job goes beyond promoting your business to new customers, it’s also about getting existing or former customers to publicly sing their praises about your company.

home services marketing - reviews

You can encourage happy customers to leave reviews for your home services business on relevant review sites like Google Business, Yelp, and Angi. And, make sure you’re responding to reviews so happy (and potentially unhappy) customers know you’re reading and considering their feedback.

6. Build a user-friendly website

Once you’ve caught the eye of prospects and gotten them to visit your website, you want to make sure your website is ready to dazzle them. The majority of today’s searches are happening on mobile devices, so it’s critical that you have a site that looks great and loads quickly on mobile.

best plumbing websites - mobile

See more of the best plumbing website examples here.

You also want to make sure your site is clearly laid out and that your contact information is front and center. You’d be surprised by the number of home services businesses that hide their address and phone number away on their site. Instead, make sure that your contact details are in the header or footer of every page, so someone who’s looking for home services help in a rush doesn’t have any trouble getting in touch!

7. Add live chat to your website

One way to take your website to the next level is to add live chat. Live chat can help you quickly answer questions, provide details, and collect lead information so you’re able to provide a positive user experience for potential and existing clients on your website.

People prefer to use chat and messaging rather than calling a business, so if you provide live chat as an opportunity for them to reach out, you have a higher chance of converting them into a customer.

home services marketing - live chat

Source

8. Manage your business listings

For home services businesses, business listings are extremely important. Not only do they help you get seen on search engines and help your local SEO, but they also provide an additional place to collect and manage your reviews.

Start by claiming your Google Business Profile so that you appear in Maps results and have a shot at getting featured in organic search results as well as the Google 3-pack. Business listings can be tricky for home services providers–especially when you don’t have a specific business address. So it’s important to include the most accurate service area for your business to increase your chances of showing up on Google for local searches.

home services marketing - local listings

Sites like Yelp, Angi, and others are places where consumers turn for assistance in finding local home services providers, so you want to make sure your business is listed in these places as well.

It’s also important that your home services business information is listed accurately and consistently in local listings to provide a positive customer experience and because consistency is an important ranking factor for your local SEO. Google looks at your business information across the web to determine the trustworthiness of the information they can find about you–the more sites have consistent information, the more credible Google finds said information, which, in turn, can give you a boost in search results.

Related: Get cleaning services advertising ideas and marketing tips (including cleaning up your local listings!) here.

9. Don’t underestimate the power of referrals

Referrals are a great asset for any business but can be especially powerful in the home services industry. Customers are looking for a business they can trust that they know will perform the work correctly, so many turn to friends and family for suggestions. We shared this stat earlier, but it’s worth repeating here: 70% of homeowners rely on recommendations from family.

You want to be that recommendation. This means that you need to incorporate asking for referrals into your home services marketing.

home services marketing tips - referral email example

We detailed how to ask for referrals here.

10. Encourage Nextdoor recommendations

Nextdoor is a website (with an app) where people can connect with their neighbors, share items for sale (like Facebook Marketplace), and, lucky for you, ask for recommendations for home services professionals. This is a great way for people to discover your business from clients who have been happy with your work in the past.

home services marketing tips - get recommendations on nextdoor

First, you’ll first want to claim your business page on the app. Anyone can mention your business regardless of if you’ve claimed your business page, but this will give you more control over what people see about your business.

Then, you’ll want to ask your happy clients to mention you on Nextdoor and make sure you’re always providing the best possible service to increase your chances of getting mentioned!

11. Respond to customers and leads quickly

For most homeowners looking for help from home services professionals, time is of the essence. You’re generally calling a plumber with an emergency need, not something that can wait a few weeks. In fact, our home services study found that 93% of homeowners get a fix in less than one week. No wonder research shows that 50% of consumers will do business with the company that responds to them first.

home services marketing - follow up quickly

The best way to get customers for your home services business is to quickly respond to and convert the leads you’re working so hard to get.

A well-designed lead management process will result in more closed business. Ideally, you need a solution that seamlessly integrates with various marketing tools used to help consumers discover your business (like your website, local listings, SEO, paid ads, and social), while also delivering all leads into one inbox. Without such a tool, your staff will have to continually log in to various administration sites to pull new leads, which, of course, would slow down response time.

12. Focus on delivering great customer service

Once you’ve gotten noticed and made contact with your prospects, you want to be sure you follow through and deliver stellar customer service. From arriving on time to the job site to speedy and seamless invoicing, being on top of your game every step of the way helps you impress customers and develop a long-term, loyal relationship.

Great customer service can help you get repeat customers and good online reviews–plus it can encourage referrals, which are all key components for a great home services marketing strategy.

13. Use email marketing to nurture leads

When you run a home service business, beating out the competition is all about getting seen first and staying in close communication throughout the customer journey. If you can do that, you can set yourself apart from other businesses that struggle to manage their communications.

Email marketing is a great way to do this. You can use email marketing to nurture leads by sending messages about specials you’re running, tips for homeowners, and more. This helps you stay in front of your customers and prospects so you’re top of mind when they might need your services.

home services marketing - email marketing

This moving company sends a regular newsletter called “Smooth Moves” filled with content that would be relevant to its audience.

14. Engage your audience on social media

If your home services business hasn’t jumped on the social media bandwagon, now is the time. Not only is social media a great place for people to connect directly with businesses, but it’s also a place they’re spending a significant amount of time.

The average user spends 142 minutes on social media each day. That’s more than two hours every day!

If your home service business is absent from social media, you’re missing the opportunity to engage with this highly engaged audience.

You can use your social media pages to share:

  • Updates about your business
  • Positive feedback or testimonials
  • Helpful videos you create
  • Educational content you write or curate
  • Local events or causes

home services marketing - social media

Your social media posts don’t have to be fancy–they just have to be consistent and engaging.

Related: Get social media post ideas for each month of the year by checking out our free marketing calendar template!

15. Grow your audience with a social media contest or giveaway

If you’re looking for another way to use social media for your home services marketing, a contest or giveaway is always a great option.

Facebook giveaways or Instagram contests can help you grow your audience, engage with your existing fans and followers, and promote your business.

home services marketing tips - social media contest

To run a giveaway for your home services business, simply identify a prize your audience would like (perhaps a discounted or free service), create your contest post including your timeline and how to enter, set the post live, and choose a winner when it’s time!

We walk through these steps in detail here.

16. Add your branding everywhere

If your home services business doesn’t already have your branding wherever you can get it, now’s the time. Home services lends itself well to branding on vehicles, uniforms, equipment bags, and more.

Think about it: If you have technicians or vans driving around or out and about in the neighborhood, a branded car wrap would be easy advertising for your business!

home services marketing - branding

Make sure that your branding includes a link to your website and your phone number so it’s easy for people to find more information about your business when they see your brand out and about.

 

Home services marketing made easy

With the right marketing plan in place, your home services marketing can be a breeze. Focus on building an online presence and delivering an amazing customer experience to get new business for your home services company. And, don’t be afraid to try new marketing channels and tactics to help you stand out and reach a new audience.

Here’s a recap of the top home services marketing tips:

  1. Invest in local SEO
  2. Run search advertising
  3. Try Google Local Services ads
  4. Use video marketing
  5. Improve your online reputation
  6. Update your website
  7. Deploy live chat
  8. Manage your business listings
  9. Get referrals
  10. Encourage recommendations on Nextdoor
  11. Respond to prospective customers quickly
  12. Deliver great customer service
  13. Stay top of mind with email marketing
  14. Engage your audience on social media
  15. Run a social media contest
  16. Get your branding everywhere

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