Online Marketing Tips for Trade Businesses
Written by Rachel Richards
Whether you’re a plumber, landscaper, cleaner, carpenter, or any kind of tradesperson, your days are already filled with repairing and building your customers’ homes. In years past, word of mouth was the primary way to drum up new opportunities. But now, people are turning to Google to search for tradespeople they want to hire. How can you encourage potential customers to find your company and choose you over the competition? To guide you in the right direction, here are some helpful online marketing tips for trade businesses.
Launch an SEO-Friendly Website
Your website is the core of how you connect with your audience. It needs to feature an attractive web design, compelling content, and strong search engine optimization. A great website presents a professional image to your customers while making it easy to find you on Google and interact with your business.
In 2020, Google released its Core Web Vitals, which are metrics that measure a website’s user experience. If your site performs well on these factors, search engines will favour you and feature you higher in their rankings.
Google’s Core Web Vitals measure:
- How fast your website loads
- How easy it is for users to interact with your site
- How stable elements behave when pages load
Other page experience factors that Google considers important are:
- Mobile responsiveness
- Relevant and up-to-date content
- Quality internal links and backlinks
- Optimized keywords
- Having no pop-ups or malware
- Security features like HTTPS
- And much more!
SEO is a long-term game, so focus on making these technical improvements over time, and you’ll start to see traffic and leads come in.
Set Up Your Google Business Profile
Getting listed on Google acts as a powerful storefront for your trade business. Free of charge, it allows you to list essential info, such as your address, phone number, operating hours, and website. You can also customize your Google Business Profile with your logo, photos, and special offers to help you stand out.
When local users are searching for keywords related to your trade business (like “plumber in edmonton” or “landscaper near me”), your Google Business Profile will be given priority in search results. This makes it much more likely for them to reach out and hire you!
Be Active on Social Media
With 83% of Canadians on social media, it’s a smart move to market your trade business on one of these platforms. However, you should take a strategic approach to get the most out of your efforts.
First, you need to figure out which social media platforms to be on. Rather than spreading yourself too thin, pick one to three platforms that are popular with your target audience. For example, Facebook is great for the older crowd that wants to be part of a community. Instagram is popular with younger people who are looking to explore inspirational photos and videos.
Next, you need to create social media content that solves your customers’ challenges and answers their questions. Figure out how many times per week you can post consistently, and stick with it (for example, two to three times per week). Some valuable content examples include:
- Before-and-after photos/videos of your projects
- Home improvement tips and advice
- Customer reviews and testimonials
Finally, don’t forget the “social” part of social media! When you receive comments and messages, respond to them in a prompt and positive manner. You can even follow industry-related hashtags or join relevant Facebook groups. These are the perfect places to start conversations with potential customers.
Encourage & Respond to Online Reviews
Word of mouth is still king, but it’s online reviews that run the show these days. When browsing companies on Google or Facebook, users look to your ratings as a signal of legitimacy and customer satisfaction.
From your website and social media to emails and invoices, encourage your customers to leave an online review on a variety of marketing touchpoints. You can even provide links to make it as easy as possible for them.
Once you start receiving reviews, be sure to respond to them! Thank customers for their feedback and address any concerns that come up. You’ll build trust with them, and you’ll send signals to Google that you value your customers—which will also drive you up in search rankings.
Track Your Progress with Analytics
Measuring your performance is one of the biggest advantages of digital marketing. But with the wealth of data available, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Instead, focus your energy on two or three metrics that are key to your business.
To get started, list out your digital marketing goals. Make sure they’re specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely (SMART). This will allow you to direct your activities and track your success. Some examples include:
- Boost brand awareness: Increase online ad impressions by X% in X months
- Build a social media community: Increase engagements by X% in X months
- Drive leads: Increase website conversions by X% in X months
Measure these metrics on Google Analytics and your social media platforms. Check back on them at least on a monthly basis so you can see what’s working and what you need to change to improve your results.
Build Your Online Marketing Strategy
Looking to set up your trade business for digital marketing success? These tips are a great start, but our experts can create a dynamic strategy that takes you to the next level. Reach out to us for a free consultation today.