Home Improvement businesses, from roofers to landscapers to remodelers, all have one thing in common: there aren’t enough hours in the day. Fortunately, it takes almost no time to invest in the growth of your business.
Believe it or not, the most impactful part of a job is the five minutes right after you finish the work. Here’s why: taking a few moments to do two crucial things before leaving a job site for the final time can have an enormous impact on your business.
Read on to learn what they are and why they matter…
Number one: Take quality photos (and video!)
When researching purchases online, how often do you view product photos? All the time, right? Well, you’re not alone – 67% of people say that product photos are “very important” when shopping around online.
If people don’t buy boots, golf clubs, or TVs without seeing them first, then they sure as heck aren’t buying a new roof or kitchen without seeing visual examples, either. So do yourself a favor – when you finish a job, take a few minutes to snap some photos that will help market your business in the future. It’s well worth the investment of your time.
If you don’t consider yourself an advanced photographer, this post has some great tips. In reality, phones these days all take decent photos. You can download free apps with preset filters to spruce your phone pics up – we like Snapseed (works for both Android and iOS).
You get extra credit if you remember to take photos when you started the job so you can post “before and after” examples.
Bonus tip: People are 85% more likely to buy after viewing a product-focused video, so consider shooting a walkthrough of jobs you’ve just finished in addition to taking still photos.
Number two: Collect a customer review in person
According to recent data, 92% of consumers said they read reviews to determine the quality of a business’s customer experience. What’s more, a full 85% said they trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
With customers having access to information in just a few clicks, online reviews often make or break a sale. Any small business owner will tell you the impact that sites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Angie’s List have on their ability to attract new customers. Not collecting and showing off customer reviews is no longer an option.
But customer reviews aren’t something to lose sleep over; in fact, they often have a hugely positive impact on small businesses. Data has shown that having reviews, even if there are a few negative ones, is better than having no reviews.
So what to do about the fact that only around 5% of customers actually respond to survey requests sent via email? Collect them when they’re most likely to respond – in person right when you’ve finished a job. Our customers report that more than 80% of their clients are willing to complete a review in person.
Armed with project photos and a testimonial from a satisfied customer, how do you ensure that potential future customers see them? Posting them to your website and social media channels is a start, but combining them into a great looking portfolio for prospects to browse will maximize the impact these assets have on future sales.
Obviously, making it easy for home improvement businesses to get past successes in front of future customers is what we’re about at Project Map It. To get started growing your business, get your 30-day trial started by signing up below.
Want to learn more before getting started? Click below to sign up for a free 15-minute walkthrough with a member of our team.
