A Success Story: How One Contractor Boosted Leads By 200%
The story of a contractor for remodeling who took his business from a famine-or-feast to fully booked without having to double the amount he spent on marketing
In the business of contracting it isn’t enough to make a difference in the calendar. Each year highly skilled tradespeople as well as construction professionals witness less talented competitors gain more business because they’re more visible and more adept at establishing credibility online, as well as more adept at pursuing their customers. The story follows a contractor who saw a gap in his own company and made the decision to close it systematically carefully, strategically, and which resulted in a transformation of not only his income but his whole working relationship. The names and a few particulars in the story have been altered, however, the plan of action along with the timeline and the figures are true. If you manage a contracting business of any sort the story is worth reading.
The Starting Point: A Skilled Contractor With an Invisible Business
A few years back, Daniel Reeves was running an organization for residential remodeling in a mid-sized Midwestern city. He had earned his name through 14 years of high-quality work including bathrooms, kitchens basement finishes, kitchens, and entire-home renovations. And customers who had utilized his services were always pleased. His Google reviews were six five-star reviews from customers who went the extra mile to thank his work. The issue was not how good his job was. The problem was that virtually nobody could find his website. His website was a 4-page template created in 2017 that included images from the stock market as well as a contact form which forwards his email to an address which he visited sporadically. It was his Google Business Profile had been registered but not completedwith no photos and no descriptions of services and no updates on a regular basis. He was not with any online social site. The only source of lead was word-of-mouth, which resulted in a routine to small contractors everywhere with occasional peaks of busy seasons, followed by slow months that caused continual cash flow stress. In February, which was particularly slow when his calendar was empty after the next week, Daniel made a decision which would transform the entire business model.
Month One: Laying the Digital Foundation
Daniel’s first phone call was to an expert in local digital marketing who was specialized in service companies. After an honest examination of his current online presence, the conclusion was evident the problem was that he was not losing out to more experienced contractorsthe problem was that he was losing companies that had better visibility online. This first period was devoted exclusively to building foundations. Daniel’s Google Business Profile was completely created from scratch with each category of service was completed with a precise manner as well as a thorough business description that was written to talk directly to homeowners looking for remodelers, as well as 47 images of the project uploaded from Daniel’s personal phone archives which he’d taken for a long time but were never used. The process of generating reviews was implemented with a template for text messages that was sent to each past customer with a number that he could find along with a direct hyperlink on his Google reviews page. Within 30 days, the reviews had risen between six and thirty one. The Google Maps ranking for ‘kitchen remodeling contractor’ in his town was moved from the third position to the top five of local search results. The website was redesigned on local SEO concepts — distinct pages of service for every major category of remodeling and each one focusing on specific local keywords, and the option to call at the top of each page. The website was launched on the day twenty-sixth of the first month.
Month Two: Activating Google Local Services Ads and Referrals
With the digital foundation set the second month was devoted to the activation of paid lead channels as well as the formalization of referral generation. Daniel was able to apply to apply for Google Local Services Ads -an application that required him to submit his contractor’s license as well as proof of insurance and a background check. The approval came in just eleven days. After the very first week ads being displayed, his telephone received four leads that were verified from homeowners looking for services to remodel their homes in his region. The cost per lead generated by LSAs was forty-two dollarsless than what was being charged through an unrelated lead platform that delivered low-quality leads that were highly competitive for more than twice that. In parallel, Daniel launched a structured referral program. Each client who been working with him in the last three years was sent an individual message that was not a formal letter to thank them for their faith and stating that he would be giving a hundred dollars gift card to every client who refers someone to a project that he had completed. In the first 30 days three referrals came in from former clients who had not mentioned his name to anyone else before, simply because they were not invited to do so. Two of these referrals were completed projects.
Month Three: Social Proof, Social Media, and Speed of Response
By the end of month 3 Daniel’s calendar had begun to fill in the gaps it was never before. However, his consultant pointed out two gaps that could be costing him conversions. The first was social mediathe second was social media – Daniel did not have any. Another issue was the speed at which he responded He was able to return the calls and forms of inquiry within hours, or even in the morning, at which point prospects would often have moved to a competitor that was faster. The strategy for social media was deliberately straightforward with an Instagram and Facebook business page. Facebook and Instagram business page that was regularly updated with before-and-after photos of projects made with a brand new smartphone equipped with a decent camera. There were no elaborate captions, and there were no paid advertisements simply constant, high-quality images of change, geo-tagged with the areas where the work was taking place. In just six months, these accounts had grown to over 200 followers, with the majority of them homeowners in the neighborhood. Three direct messages came via Instagram by itself. The speed issue was addressed by implementing a two-part solution that included an automated text response immediately sent to every missed contact or form in response to the inquiry, acknowledging the request and confirms that Daniel will call back personally within 15 minutes. Daniel was then obligated to return any inquiry within the timeframe within business hours. The conversion rate for inquiries increased from around thirty percent to over fifty five percent, a result his expert attributed on the efficiency and excellence in his following-up.
The Numbers: What 90 Days of Consistent Action Produced
After 90 days, Daniel met with his advisor to go over the information. The results were shocking. His monthly inbound leads grown from an average of eight per month, to twenty-six — an increase of 225 percent. In addition, his Google rating count increased from six to 53, with an average at 4.9 stars. The Google Maps ranking for his principal service keywords had put him among 3 of the best local search results for 14 distinct terms. His website was receiving an average of between four and six organic queries each month from users who had not seen him prior to. The referral program he had set up had resulted in nine projects that were signed in three months, as opposed the average 2 per quarter in the past. His calendar was scheduled eight weeks in advance which was not the norm in his fourteen years of running a business. The total monthly marketing expenditure was 1150 dollars, most of which was from his Google LSA budget. The amount he earned during the 3rd month following the change was 63 percent more than the month prior to it the previous year.
What Actually Made the Difference
When Daniel thinks about the changes and the changes he saw, he can see what drove the transformation — and it was not a one strategy alone. This was due to the supply of a prominent and credible online web presence which made Daniel easy to locate as well as a growing collection of social evidence in the form genuine reviews that helped him gain trust and a well-organized referral system that brought out the trust of clients who were not requested; and a reply process that allowed him to be simple to employ by being faster and more personalized than his competition throughout the hiring process. Each of these strategies was complicated or costly. The thing that made them successful was implementing them consistently in a sequence, and not stopping the process in the beginning when the first week didn’t yield immediate results. I was a successful contractor for 14 years in the past,’ Daniel says. I just needed to be a successful businessman for 90 days to make people aware.’
Three Lessons Every Contractor Can Apply Today
Daniel’s tale contains three lessons that are applicable to almost every contracting company regardless of size, trade or market. Your online presence is either a source of value or a liability – there’s no neutral. A poorly-designed Google Business Profile, an outdated website, and a couple of reviews are not ineffective; they can actually lose clients to competitors whose web presence conveys more professionalism and confidence. The second reason is that your current client base is probably your least utilized source of leads. Every client who is satisfied and hasn’t referred anyone to you remains a dormant resource waiting to be activated through an uncomplicated personal request that is accompanied by an incentive that is meaningful. Third, speed of service is a major competitive advantage that the majority of contractors don’t claim. In a world in which the average time to respond for a new enquiry can be measured as hours responding in minutes isn’t just a great service- it’s a key differentiator that gets clients before the competitor gets a call. Customers are everywhere. They are looking for reviews, looking up reviews and deciding now. The only thing to consider is if your company is in a position to be the one they select.
Your Transformation Can Start This Week
Daniel’s lead growth of two hundred percent was not a result of an undiscovered strategy that is not available by other contractor. It was the result of using the well-established and easily accessible tools – Google Business Profile optimization, review generation, Google LSAs the referral program with consistent social content and quick follow-up using disciplined and consistent methods for ninety days. Each of these tools are available to you today, and right now for a minimal cost. Contractors who take a look back in a year’s time from now and marvel how their business has grown those who have read stories like this one and take action on them instead of throwing them away. The beginning point is precisely the place you’re at. The only issue is when you start.
Note: The character mentioned in this article is a composite of a narrative that was made for illustrative purposes. Names and other identifying information are fictional. Results can differ based on the market performance, execution quality, and specific business factors. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional in marketing for guidance that is specific to your circumstances.