It's time to start drumming up plumbing leads. What's your plan?
These days, marketing is all about the digital; you'll rarely come across a client who found you while thumbing through the Yellow Pages. Those thumbs are now busy scrolling through digital directories and social media. And if that's where your leads are, you need to be there too.
Whether you're a tech-savvy digital native or you're trying to break into the online space for the first time, we've got you covered. Here are some plumbing marketing strategies to get plumbing leads for your business.
Redo Your Website
Now, this tip assumes that you already have a website. If you don't, setting up a website should be your priority.
Do Plumbers Really Need Websites?
In a word - yes. If you're trying to find plumbing leads, you need a website. A plumbing website is your digital storefront; it's a place where you can show off who you are and what you do.
We live in an age where people like to know what they're buying before they start shopping. In terms of physical goods, shoppers look online for reviews and practical advice before they consider purchasing. When talking about services, such as plumbing, it's not that different. Most leads will look you up online before they give you a call to learn for themselves what you do, how past customers rated your service, and to assure themselves that you are a legitimate professional in your industry.
So, if your website isn't up to scratch, here's what you need to know.
Upgrade Your Plumbing Website
Many potential customers who find your plumbing business online - whether through social media, Google, or a tradie directory - will end up on your website. Therefore, it needs to be functional, easy to navigate, and represent who you are as a business. It needs to contain the following:
· Information about your services
· Reviews from past clients
· A bit about you and your team
· High-resolution images of you and your team on the job
· Your values and mission statement.
And that's all before you look at the technical aspects. Your website also needs to be optimised for both mobile and desktop searches. It's a good idea to hire a website designer to help you find plumbing leads through your website because a non-functional or unprofessional-looking website will put off most prospective clients. However, the number one reason why you may find it financially rewarding to seek professional help when building or cleaning up your plumbing website is to ensure your website is optimised for SEO.
Creating content optimised for SEO
When a customer types "plumber for heritage homes" or "plumber in (your suburb)" into Google, is your business going to be one of the first search results? The way to get your website ranking high in search results is to optimise it for SEO.
We're now going to explain the basics of SEO so if you're a tech-savvy tradie, take a coffee break.
SEO For Plumbing Businesses
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. Companies that get SEO right will funnel plumbing leads to their website passively, meaning you only need to do the work once to see ongoing results.
To get SEO right, you need to think about what word your customers will type into a search engine when they're looking for you. Plumber for renovation? Best plumber in (your suburb)? These phrases are known as keywords.
When someone types those keywords into a search engine like Google, that search engine will then read through billions of web pages looking for websites that use those keywords, and will show the top results to the searcher. They also use geolocation technology to deliver the most relevant results in the searcher's area. Since these "organic" (non-paid) results are based on relevance and location, solid SEO allows smaller plumbing businesses to appear alongside larger companies in Google's organic search results.
So, to get your website in front of more plumbing leads, you'll need to use those keywords in your plumbing business website.
Alright, let's get everyone back from their coffee break because this is an SEO tip you all need to know.
Google Penalises Websites That Overdo Keywords
While it may be tempting to throw in your keywords as often as possible, it won't help you reach the top of the search results. It's called "keyword stuffing", and Google is actually smart enough to recognise it. When you make your content unreadable to the people searching for your content by overdoing your keywords, you simply won't rank high enough in searches to be found. A good rule of thumb is to put your keywords in only where they sound natural. If you can, it’s good to also avoid the urge to write something then come back later and add keywords. The reason is, this can break the flow of what you’ve written, confuse potential customers, and lead you to rank lower on Google due to creating unintentional complexity in your writing.
Ok. We must know what we're doing. If you're here reading this post about plumbing leads, you likely typed something about "how to find plumbing leads" into your search bar. And here you are.
Now, we didn't pay for this post to reach the top of your search results; you're here because Google recognised that this article is relevant to your search and that it is an informative article that humans - not just search engines - want to read. Pretty clever, right?
If you don't have the skills to write SEO content for your website, it's worth paying a professional copywriter who can. SEO copywriters are plentiful, and many operate on a contracting basis which is perfect for all you small-to-medium trade businesses out there. Our top tip for engaging with SEO writers on a contracting basis is to try and get one that works in your country, or at least understands the culture around your trade sector. This ensures that you’ve got someone writing copy that fits exactly to what your business represents, and speaks exactly to the people who will be visiting your website to do business with you.
What About Paid Ads?
SEO is a fantastic way to get your business seen for free. But if you're still having trouble ranking or want to give your chances of finding plumbing leads an extra boost, you can always turn to paid ads.
To get your business listed above organic (unpaid/SEO driven) search results, you can pay for Google Ads. The process of setting up Google Ads is pretty simple, and you'll only pay for the number of clicks your ads get.
Get More Reviews And Testimonials
We've touched on testimonials, but they're so important, and we want to explain why. Most of your potential clients will read reviews from previous clients before giving you a call. They want to ensure they're connecting with a reputable tradie - not someone who will swindle them or doesn't know what they're doing. Glowing reviews from past clients are a great indication that they'll be getting their money's worth.
Train Your Plumbers To Ask For Reviews
Plumbers often hesitate to ask for reviews, particularly when first starting a plumbing business. But if you can get your plumbers in the habit of requesting a review immediately after they complete a service, your business stands a better chance of building up a collection of honest reviews.
But your customers are busy; they won't spend the time searching for a place to write a review. The best way to get consistent reviews is to text or email your customers after a service, expressing that you hope they're happy with their service. This is a great place to request a review - just be sure to send a link to our Google listing, so they know exactly where to write it.
Social media
Social media isn't necessarily the space where you'll be discovered by potential clients seeking plumbing services, but it still plays an integral part in your plumbing lead generation ecosystem. The same leads looking up your reviews are also heading over to your social media pages to see what's happening there. A bare social media account these days gives the impression that you're either out of business or not seeking new work. But if you can build up a regular stream of engaging and entertaining content, you'll instil your reputation as a professional industry-leading plumber who they will want to work with.
So, have a go at creating regular content to let leads know you're working hard, that you're a leader in your industry, and are open to new customers.
Automate with a Plumbing Software for Better Customer Service
We really need to talk about the next step in the process because no matter how many leads you accumulate, you won't keep them without good ongoing customer service.
Now, we know this is a particularly difficult part of the business for busy plumbers like yourself, which is why we want to talk about plumbing apps and automation. When you automate the repetitive aspects of your business, you take away much of your admin work, leaving you with more time on the tools.
Here are some popular features of trade business automation software that'll help generate and retain quality plumbing leads and give you a more professional outlook:
When a pipe clogs in a home or a commercial building (or whatever your speciality is), you want to have your marketing set up in a way that leads customers to your business. Need a hand getting started with plumbing software to grow your business? Get started now! Request a demo of AroFlo's industry-leading business automation software.
Then, go fix your website - you've got plumbing leads to catch!
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