If you are responsible for conservatory marketing for your business then I hope you will find these 5 top tips invaluable.
The first step to winning more conservatory installation jobs is to think like a potential householder who is looking for a new conservatory. Put yourself in their shoes.
What thought processes will they go through? Which websites do people visit when they are looking to learn about new conservatory options? How can you engineer so they “see you” online when they are searching for a solution?
TOP TIP 1
Initially, potential customers will be searching online for information on conservatories. Maybe they are looking for a DIY conservatory solution. This is your ideal opportunity to become their trusted advisor. Have information on your website to educate them to the different conservatory options that are available. It may seem counter-intuitive to give free advice but this really does build you as the trusted conservatory advisor and even though some people will solve the problem themselves with a DIY solution there will be others who simply want to call in an expert conservatory installer when they do not have the time or the job is bigger than a DIY job. So this can be blog posts, PDF guides or videos. I recommend this book to my clients on how to create content that draws clients to you. They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan. And this becomes even more powerful when it can be linked to a marketing automation system, see point 4 below.
TOP TIP 2
Be visible online. These days the first port of call, when someone is interested to learn about new conservatories will be the internet and primarily using Google. It is imperative that your conservatory business is visible on Google.
So do a check – how do you appear on Google right now in your local area. Because most of the time people will be looking first for a local conservatory installer.
Step 1 – Go to Google, enter the name of your local area followed by the word “conservatory”, “sunroom”, “orangery” into the Google search bar.
Example: London conservatory, London conservatory installers
Step 2 – Make a note of the websites that come up on Page 1. Study them and get inspiration for your own ideas. Is your conservatory business on the list? If not…
TOP TIP 3
You need to get your website listed.
Google Adwords are the ads top and bottom of the search results page. Advertising is a quick win. But can be expensive and you need to know what you are doing. I would recommend hiring a Google Adwords Expert as it can be complex to set up Adwords and expensive if you get it wrong. (I would definitely recommend using Google Remarketing, this enables you to display ads to your website visitors AFTER they leave your site – the ads follow them all over the internet. These work great and costs next to nothing).
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This is the process to optimise your website so that Google lists it in the rankings. You need to be on page 1 of Google. The good news is that this is free, the bad news is that it can take many months of work to achieve a result. But once you do you will reap the rewards for a long time. SEO is a huge subject so you can either hire an expert or if you have the time and inclination you can teach yourself, check out the book I mention in TOP TIP 1.
TOP TIP 4
Have a conservatory marketing and sales follow up system.
This is what the majority of conservatory businesses do not have or understand. In points 1 to 3 above we are looking at ways to generate interest in your conservatory products and services, which is essential. But what you have to realise is that of those who visit your website only one or two in every 100 are ready to buy today. So if they do not buy today then that means 98% leave your website and the chances are they will never come back. That 98% is where the gold is for your business. So you have to have a system in place that enables you to consistently follow up with EVERYONE who expresses an interest in new conservatories. This can be really simple – paper based or Excel, it is possible but it is a definite chore that requires dedication and time to manage. And that leads me nicely on to what I do. I specialise in helping clients set up a marketing automation system called Keap / Infusionsoft and this is the leading marketing automation system for small businesses.
TOP TIP 5
Referrals. Even in this online world, word of mouth advertising is still the best. How can you encourage previous clients to talk about your conservatories? Can you offer them an incentive if one of their friends buys a conservatory from you? Can you reach out to all your previous customers and remind them about your products and service, this is really easy if you have a marketing system in place, see Top Tip 4 and an efficient Conservatory Installation System, see Top Tip 6.
On this note. Are you listed with the likes of Trusted Trader and / or any other review sites? Social proof these days is so important. How many times have you decided between one or other hotel or restaurant based on the reviews from previous customers. This social proof is key these days and you should be actively asking your customers for a review on each job you do.
TOP TIP 6
Conservatory Installation Systemisation
OK, so you have been busy marketing and you now have conservatory enquiries and orders. But the job is still not finished. Now we have to ensure we look and act professional and do a top notch installtion job so that we WOW and retain those hard-won clients. How do you manage you and your team’s on-site installation and maintenance jobs currently? As the business grows you will need a system to make this as professional as possible so that clients not only return to us later on for maintanance, but they refer us to their friends and family contacts. One very impressive software I have recommended to installtion / service clients for the past 4 years is ServiceM8, I have been so impressed with ServiceM8 than in the summer of 2019 I became a ServiceM8 Certified Partner.
If you are interested to learn more about how to build your own conservatory marketing and sales system then please schedule a free 1-hour Discovery call.
