Best Marketing Advice For General Contractors

Marketing a general contractor business can be tough, it’s not as simple as placing a few ads and waiting for the phone to ring. Customers aren’t just looking for someone that can get the work done.

They’re looking for a contractor they can put their faith in and who stands out above the crowd. With an estimated 220,000 general contractor companies registered in the UK, the competition is immense.

The Secrets To Success Through General Contractor Marketing

If you’re not marketing your general contractor business successfully, you’re losing work to companies that are. Being good at what you do isn’t enough, you need to make sure that the right people know about it. Which is where this article comes in.

Keep reading to find out exactly how you can elevate and promote your general contractor business and build a solid marketing foundation and get your company seen and talked about for all the right reasons.

Set A Strong Brand Story

You probably already have an established brand which runs through your website, your logo, your uniform, the colours you use and the way you deal with customers in person and online. Your brand is the main way that customers recognise your company and equate it with quality, reliability and value.

But there’s so much more to your brand, you need to explain on your website why you’re passionate about the work that you do and why that makes you better than the many thousands of other general construction companies out there all competing for the same jobs.

Did you know that an effective narrative in your company’s bio can increase conversion rates by more than 30%?

You should outline the origin of your company and mention why it was founded, what made you form it and what gap in the market did you aim to fill. You should include stories of any significant projects which show your company’s particular strengths and show the growth of your business over time.

Make a big deal of what makes you different to the crowd, this could be your dedication to craftsmanship, the use of brand new technologies or your skills in sustainable construction. You know your company’s unique selling points better than anyone, make sure you include these in your narrative.

Don’t just make a list, weave the USP points into your narrative seamlessly and share them all across your marketing channels. This includes on your website, social media and even in customer reviews and testimonials.

Whether you’re an electrician, roofer, plumber, plasterer, bricklayer, tiler, loft conversion specialist, garage conversion specialist, heating engineer, window and door fitter, carpenter or joiner, general handyman, gas safe engineer or external wall coating specialist your brand sets the tone for your company.

Make Your Content Relevant & Appealing To Potential Customers

To set your company apart from the competition, you need to create content that addresses the specific needs of your customers. Don’t write generic content, be specific about the unique aspects of the services you provide and the actual benefits they offer to your customers.

Take before and after pictures of any work you undertake. For instance plasterers could show cracked walls, flaking or uneven surfaces and then show the wall after it has been plastered.

Start by mentioning any questions or concerns potential customers might have when starting a construction project. That could be anything from concerns about staying on budget, queries about the latest technology or the building materials used for certain projects.

Use these concerns to write content that’s in depth and addresses these subjects specifically. You can create blog posts, videos, infographics and FAQs.

If your company specialises in environmentally eco friendly construction, produce content that explains the benefits of sustainable building practices including case studies and customer reviews to back up your claims.

Make Sure Your Website Is Optimised For Mobile Use

Did you know that more than 55% of website traffic around the world comes from mobile phone use? In the construction industry that figure is more like 80% of work starts with searches on a mobile phone.

You need a website that looks good on mobile and loads fast. Most users will click away from a site that takes too long to load. Which means a simple act of speeding up the load time of your website on mobile devices could see you getting a larger part of the market share.

Plus your site gets ranked by search engines which determines how high up on the search engine results page (SERP). Now the algorithms used by companies like Google and Bing are ever changing. But one of the factors is the time that your site takes to load.

Other factors include your business name, domain name and various keywords and how well those factors match up with the search terms used by people looking for construction work. All the bigger construction companies have optimised their websites for mobile phone usage and if you want a fairer share of the general construction work in your area, your website needs to be too.

Optimise Your Construction Website For SEO

Search engine optimisation (SEO) is vital for general contractors looking to increase visibility and gain more traffic to their websites. You need to identify the main keywords used by the public when searching online for construction companies.

They often search for construction services by saying “local general contractor” or “commercial building contractor”. These keywords need to be incorporated into your site naturally. Add them to titles, headers and meta descriptions.

Make sure that your website has a clear structure to help search engine bots crawl through your site properly. Make sure your headings are structured correctly (H1 for titles, H2 for subheadings) and create a site map.

Compress any images and reduce any unnecessary script as this all contributes to the speed of your website. Decent link building also affects the ranking of your website. You need to develop relationships with other reputable companies in the construction and estate agents communities to get yourself backlinks which will help your websites ranking and authority.

SEO and web development are where we at Footsteps are proven to shine. If you don’t think you could optimise your construction website or you don’t have the time, contact us today and let us take the pressure off you.

Use Google Business Profile

For general contractors, Google Business Profile is an invaluable tool for enhancing local SEO and attracting clients in your area. Using this platform correctly will seriously increase your visibility in the local area.

Over the past couple of years there has been a 200% increase in “near me” and “where to buy” searches. Claim your Google Business Profile listing and make sure all of the information is correct and up to date.

Make sure to include;

• Your business name
• Address
• Phone number
• The services you offer
• The areas you cover

You should also regularly update your listing including new photos of projects and any changes to your business like opening hours etc. Ask satisfied customers to leave a review to improve your business’s search ranking and credibility.

Google Business Profile is also a great place to share any updates, promotions or news about your services. These regular updates keep your company in the public eye making it more likely that customers will choose you when they next need any construction work done.

Use General Contractor PPC Ads To Increase Your market Share

SEO optimisation and Google My Business are ultimately going to get you noticed. However, it takes time to get ranked, time that means your contractor company could be idle.

This is where pay per click (PPC) ad campaigns are invaluable. As long as your website is good and loads fast, you can use general contractor PPC to get your business seen and get those jobs flooding in.

PPC puts your company at the very top of the SERP above all of the top ranked pages. It will say sponsored by your listing but that doesn’t matter, it will still be the first name that anyone searching through Google will see.

This will generate leads for your construction company and should include images, text and videos or a combination of all 3. All of which can be aimed at your local area.

You need to set a budget but the good news is that you only get charged when someone actually clicks on your ad. Make the ad specific so that you don’t get time wasters of people outside of your area clicking.

To get the most from a PPC ad campaign you should;

• Make it clear which areas you cover
  You only want leads from the actual areas that you cover, be specific.
• List all of the services you provide
  Be sure to list every service you provide and make it specific to prevent paying for irrelevant clicks.
• Use long tailed keywords
  The keywords you target should contain at least three words because this makes it more specific, produces better leads and has less competition.
• Make a custom landing page for each ad
  To keep users engaged and interested, make separate landing pages for each specific ad.
• Reply to reviews
  Even bad reviews can be turned to your advantage if you word the reply correctly.
• Keep in control of your ad budget
  You will need to keep a close eye on your bid amount to maximise your ad budget. Follow how well ads are performing and adjust the bid whenever you think it’s necessary to make your ad budget go further.
• Write an engaging ad
  To get any leads at all from your ad, it needs to be engaging and informative. Be sure to add keywords and any useful advice or information that might tip the balance on the customer using your company for their building project.

You can do all of this work yourself if you think you have the necessary skills and knowledge. Or you could contact us at Footsteps and use our dedicated team who will guarantee to get your construction contractor business in front of many potential customers.

Use Social Media Platforms To Promote Your Business

Social media is seen by some to be a scourge of modern life but it’s also a very popular media. It’s essential that as a general contractor you connect with potential customers by showing your work and building your brand.

Recent studies have indicated that more than 70% of customers are more likely to purchase products and services recommended through social media sites. Post on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, TikTok and YouTube shorts to reach as wide a customer base as you possibly can.

You can post high quality images of your work, offer tips and advice on various building projects, before and after images and generally interact with local people. Always respond to comments, answer any questions and get involved in any relevant discussions.

You could also consider running promotions on social media or contests to increase engagement and encourage followers to share your content. 

How To Succeed Using Social Media

To make sure that your social media works for you, you need to;

• Make your content easy to read
  When writing blog posts always make it easy to read otherwise people will click away before they even get into the article. Use short paragraphs, subheadings and bullet points. Make the content fun and engaging to keep them on the page.
• Make your posts look appealing
  People are constantly scrolling on a never ending quest for entertainment. Your posts need to attract their attention and stop them from scrolling past. Make sure your posts will catch their eye and make them stop in their tracks.
• Make Different Content
  We’re all different, some people like to read while others want to watch. To be sure of reaching a wider audience, you need to write blog posts, make videos and use infographics. 
• Publish pieces regularly
  Once people start watching or reading your content on social media, they will start looking for new pieces. Be sure to publish regularly to keep up the engagement. This will help you to build up an online presence and build trust in your construction company.
• Make custom landing pages for each social media post
  To keep your viewers engaged and avoid confusion,  each social media post should be linked to a custom landing page.
• Tailor social media ads to your target audience
  Social media ads can be tailored to reach your specific target audience. It’s no good getting a huge following too far from the area that you work in.

Pinterest is a great platform for builders and general construction companies to showcase their work. You will need to create a Pinterest business account and make separate boards for all of the services you offer.

For instance, kitchen renovations, bathroom remodelling or landscape work. This is a great way to show homeowners different design ideas or specific services. If you’re a solar panel installer add a Pinterest board showing your work and focussing on green technology.

Fencing contractors can display their recent fence installations showing before and after photos. 

Use Email Marketing To Keep In Touch

If you set up an email subscription you can stay in touch with current and previous customers and potentially gain new work as well. Aim to produce useful and helpful content like offering advice on seasonal tasks, home maintenance and general repairs.

Whatever you do, don’t send emails every day or even every week, stay in touch with monthly updates and offer something of value. You could even introduce a referral service where existing customers refer friends or relatives to your company in return for a discount on future work.

Make it clear that any discounts are dependent on works taken out within a reasonable timeframe. Maybe offer the referrer and referee a slight discount as an incentive.

Offer Free Consultations & Estimates

Free consultations and free estimates are a great way for general contractors to gain new customers and generate leads. Promote your free consultation service on your website and social media channels and use an online booking system where customers can pick a time that’s convenient to them.

Listen to the requirements of the customer, offer professional advice and explain how your company’s expertise can solve their particular problems. Show them any successful projects during your consultation to help garner trust and show your company’s capability.

When offering a free estimate,start with a personalised thank you message and give them a summary of how you can help them solve their unique issues.

Be Present At Local Trade Events

Attending local trade shows can be highly effective for marketing your construction business. These trade events give you the opportunity to network with potential customers, suppliers and other companies in your local area.

They also give you the chance to showcase your particular company and give an overview of your expertise, services and any recent projects completed by your company. You should prepare displays, slideshows and interactive presentations that highlight your experience and showing past work.

To get the most from a trade event you need to network so be sure that you and your team are ready to answer questions, hand out fliers or business cards and discuss possible jobs and collaborations. As with all networking events, following up after the event is key to winning new jobs and cementing new collaborations.

Partner With Local Businesses

As a building contractor you are skilled and knowledgeable at your job. But there will be times when you need to call on the services of other contractors in other industries. 

From estate agents, architectural companies to DIY stores,you can create mutually beneficial marketing campaigns. Look for potential partners who offer similar services but are not direct competitors.

Approach them and suggest initiatives that will benefit you both. Things like bundled services, co-hosted events or shared advertising campaigns.

Offer Seasonal Promotions

To help boost business during slower periods or make the most of peak seasons, general contractors should offer seasonal promotions. Offering promotions at specific times of the year can coincide with the times that customers are likely to want a particular building project completed.

You could offer home renovations during spring or weatherproofing during autumn. Discounting indoor projects during winter or extra discounts for outside projects in early spring can help you to land more work.

For instance most external building work like laying drives, patios or general bricklayers will always find work during the summer months. To keep busy during slack periods you could offer a discount in early spring or early autumn.

Be sure to make it clear that any promotional work must be carried out during a set period. Making this a limited offer creates a sense of urgency and can tip the balance in your favour.

Use Chatbots To Get More Building Work

We live in an age where everyone wants things done as soon as possible. Even if you have a fast loading website, if there’s no one available to answer questions when someone contacts your company, they’re likely to look elsewhere.

Nobody wants to wait until the following working day to get answers, they want them immediately. Chatbots are automated conversation systems that can offer customer support twenty four hours a day seven days a week.

They can provide answers to common questions as well as real time assistance. This means customers get the answers they need and your time is freed up to do what you do best, construct.

Consider A Leaflet Drop To Promote Your Construction Business

Not everyone is technically minded and to be sure to catch more of the customers in your local area, try a leafleted ad campaign. Design your leaflet in much the same way as your website, add your brand, colours, contact details, areas covered and the specific work your company does.

There are several ways to get leaflets delivered, including contacting Royal Mail or doing a deal with a local newspaper or magazine. If you don’t have the time or knowledge to make a successful leaflet, call us today. We have a dedicated team just waiting to help your building company grow.

If you’re a garden  designer or landscaper and want more work in your local area consider designing a leaflet that showcases your work and gets you in front of more homeowners.

Become A Local Sponsor

You can get your company noticed and build your local trust as well as your community spirit by sponsoring a local event or sports team. The village show is a great way to get your company in the mind of all local people as is a local football or cricket team.

When locals need any building work done, they’re more likely to contact the construction company that sponsored their village show or local sports team to keep it in the village.

Think About Virtual Consultations

One of the best ways to increase your market share is to offer virtual consultations. The reality is that travelling to various sites to offer consultations takes up a lot of the day.

While you’re travelling to and from these consultations, you’re effectively losing money. offering virtual consultations means customers can show you what work they want done and you can give them a reasonably accurate estimate for the cost and time it will take to complete the task.

Virtual consultations could potentially allow you to price two or even three times the amount of jobs compared to actual site visits. 

Increase Your Reputation

As a construction contractor, you know just how important a good reputation is. You are in one of the most competitive industries out there and a good reputation is vital if you want to keep working. 

To be successful your construction business needs to be visible and credible. You need to display trust markers like “licensed, bonded and insured”. You should also display any certifications and accreditations like CSCS and others for specific related trades like NICEIC or SELECT as well as CPCS.

These all demonstrate your commitment to maintaining industry standards and will help new customers trust your company. Be sure to manage online reviews too.

Most people will read reviews on your company before deciding to contact you. In a recent survey it was noted that most people won’t even consider a construction company if it has less than four stars on its profile.

To increase your good reputation you need to;

• Ask for reviews from satisfied customers
  Once you complete a job or service, ask the customer to leave a review  on Google or Yelp.
• Publish reviews on your website
  Integrate some of the positive reviews on your website to help grow trust with new customers.
• Respond to all reviews
  Responding to all reviews gives the impression that you listen to your customers and care about what they say.  This will help to grow a good reputation for your company. If you get a bad review, respond to it in a calm and dignified manner.

Use Local Media To Promote Your Construction Company

Getting featured on local media is a great way to grow your brand’s credibility and visibility. This includes newspaper articles, radio interviews, local TV segments and even podcasts. 

These features all help to reach a wide audience of potential customers and business partners. Look at the type of content local media publish and craft press releases that they’re going to want to feature.

These releases should highlight unique aspects of your business, like innovative projects, local sponsorships, green initiatives or community involvement. You will need to network with local journalists, editors and presenters.

Attending local business events that the press are likely to cover is a good way to meet with these people and promote your company’s unique selling point.

You Do The Hard Work While We Get You Noticed

Expanding your online presence and sharpening your digital marketing can create a real buzz for construction companies like yours. We realise that this is probably more than you can personally handle which is why we offer our expertise and years of experience to help you to promote your business.

At Footsteps we offer a full range of digital marketing techniques including website design, social media management, SEO, content marketing as well as pay per click advertising and leaflet design.

If you want your business to grow to its full potential contact us today at Footsteps design or call 01206 864441. We’ll concentrate on all things web related while you concentrate on what you do best, building and construction contracting. 

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