Are you looking for ways to get more business for your construction company?
Buyer behaviour has changed dramatically in recent years, and all industries are having to adjust to the new way people react to marketing messages – the construction industry is no different.
Perhaps you’ve even began to notice that your clients are now much more informed about the materials and services you offer these days – or already have your costs sussed before they even contact you.
There’s a reason for this; people are taking to the internet to do their own research in their own time, and they’re no longer interested in being sold to via telemarketing or door-to-door salespeople. Instead, they make up their own mind about the work they need done based on the online information and resources available.
As a seasoned construction marketer, I’ve personally been around to witness these changes over the past few years, and I know how you can tip the scales back in your favour.
It’s called inbound marketing – and I’m going to tell you why it’s your new secret weapon, below.
1.Clients do their own research
You may find far fewer clients are actually picking up the phone to ask you for advice about their extension or roofing job, and some are even saying ‘no’ before you even get the chance to give them a quote.
That’s because most of them are already using sites such as Google to research all of their options before they even contact you. In fact, it’s estimated that 60% of the buying decision has already been made before they get to that stage.
But wait a minute – where does inbound fit in?
Well, you can’t change the behaviour of your clients, but you CAN make sure that it’s your website they go to in order to find out the answers they need. A great way of doing this is via a blog which addresses the subjects they care about when finding out about your construction services.
Of course, there’s a lot more to it than this, but that’s the gist of it. Find out more in my blog post ’11 Ways to Guarantee Reaching Your Best Customers Online’.
2. You need to establish trust
It’s extremely important for any business to establish a trusting relationship early on with new clients; that applies whether you’re a builder, a joiner, a roofer or a conservatory supplier – it doesn’t matter!
The chances are, if you’re in the construction industry, you’re going to be spending a lot of time working on someone’s property, so they need to trust you.
And building trust in an online world is equally important, if not more so, than in real life – after all, these people likely haven’t ever met you.
But by being up front and providing helpful, valuable content that answers their most asked questions – even the ones that you might not ordinarily want to answer such as price – you can go a long way to establishing that trust early on.
Think about it: people trust you when you’re helping them – not when you’re only trying to make your next sale.
3.They aren’t always ready to buy
I’m sure you’re probably aware by now that not everyone you speak to will be ready to hire you for a job on the spot. Maybe you’ve spent valuable time speaking to prospects and giving them a detailed quote, only for them to stop answering your calls or tell you they’ll think about it.
This can happen for all sorts of reasons, and most of the time it’s not your fault – despite this, it can be easy to become disheartened.
Inbound marketing is a good way of keeping you at the forefront of prospects’ minds when they go cold like this, and it can help to nurture them until they reach a point where they’re finally ready to make that all-important purchase decision.
4. You need to demonstrate authority
Similar to point 2. above, clients also want to know that you’re an expert in your field and you’re the best possible person to get the job done.
Sales copy, such as talking about how long you’ve been in business for, won’t do this alone. To really demonstrate you know what you’re talking about, content creation is second to none.
By giving detailed information about materials you use, the length of time a job takes, and advice on how to get the best possible quote for their job, you’re demonstrating authority in the best possible way.
Those are just some examples of the amazing content you could create!
5.Clients want the tough questions answered
If you are prepared to answer those tricky questions and do what no-one else is doing, this is a great way to get the edge over your competitors.
For instance, how many construction companies will openly talk about costs on their blog? Probably not that many, as they are worried it can scare clients off.
However, these are the questions your clients want to know most, and they’ll respect you more for being upfront enough to address the issue openly and without too much prodding.
You might also want to talk (in an unbiased fashion) about your competitors and compare a few of the difference services they offer. Again, you might think “but won’t they just go there instead?” — Actually, you’d be surprised, and they’re more likely to trust you for being honest. Just don’t be negative!
Your next steps
I hope you’ve found this blog useful, and by now you should have a better idea about why inbound marketing is so important for your construction business.
Here’s what you should be thinking about doing next:
- Help your clients research their options
- Build trust with your clients
- Nurture them until they’re ready to buy
- Demonstrate your authority by sharing your knowledge
- Answer the tough questions that no-one else will
If you have any questions about inbound marketing, take a look at my blog – you may just find your answer there (see, inbound really does work!). If not, feel free to leave a comment or contact me directly – I’ll be happy to help!