SEPTEMBER 12, 2019Digital Marketing, Websites, Construction Marketing
By Marilyn Heywood PaigeThis month we are focusing on construction marketing because we have noticed some opportunities that could be game-changers for companies in the residential and commercial construction fields. This includes all skilled labor trades from general contractors to electricians to plumbers to HVAC.
Sure, we know that construction is booming right now and every firm is busy, but things always change and most of the industry is struggling to find skilled labor. Acting on the four insights and three tips that follow could radically improve your construction company’s lead generation and ability to attract new employees. Read on!
A large percentage of construction companies don’t know how to market themselves effectively. Most do very little marketing and what they do attempt is typically poorly executed.
This is significant because while virtually every other industry has made considerable strides in marketing themselves online, construction is one of the few industries around that hasn’t fully made the transition to digital marketing successfully.
It seems only the largest construction companies have robust digital marketing assets. Typically, small to mid-sized construction companies have poor digital footprints which creates a significant opportunity for the construction company who wants to improve their digital marketing.
With even modest digital marketing efforts, a construction company can overtake their competitors online in pretty short order. In most other industries, there is so much digital competition, that it takes huge investments of time and money to gain the kind of traction you can gain in the construction industry’s online space.
There is an enormous opportunity for small to mid-sized construction companies who dedicate resources to a proper marketing strategy. They will find it comparatively easy to dominate in online lead generation.
One of the reasons construction companies have been slow to move to online marketing is because business owners typically rely on word of mouth referrals to get business. In truth, much of the construction business still runs on referrals. However, the new generation of construction company owners is far more digitally connected than the previous ones. Millennials and Gen Z business owners look to the Internet, social media, and analytics to drive their businesses. They are more likely to text than phone, and their comfort zone is online. As these generations take over the construction industry, online marketing will become more critical for growth. Construction marketing has to change to accommodate the new generations’ behaviors.
Small to mid-sized construction companies rarely have good websites. Take a look around, and you’ll find that most look like they were either built in the early 2000s or they were made hastily by someone’s high-school-aged kid. The content is generally pretty poor and sparse as well.
Our aim is not to knock construction companies. Rather, we want to point out that there are significant opportunities for construction companies who want to prevail digitally. Getting your construction company’s website to rank in search engines can be fairly easy if most of your competitors are not doing SEO correctly (or at all).
Tip #1 Do keyword research–or, pay someone to do it for you. Find the keywords that your competitors rank for and for which you can rank higher in search engines.
Tip #2 Write search engine optimized content for each page of your website that features those carefully researched keywords. Write at least 500 words per page–more if it is particularly competitive in your area.
Tip #3 Pay a professional to build a website for you that is easy for users to navigate, has professional photos, and that clearly communicates your value proposition.
Just by understanding what your competitors are and aren’t doing in their construction marketing and taking the steps outlined to improve your website, you will be miles ahead of most of your competitors in the construction industry, so when the economy cycles through, you’ll have advantages to leverage.
Looking for construction marketing strategies or a marketing plan for your construction company? We can help. Contact us to discuss your goals.
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