How to Grow Your Home Service Business Consistently Over Time
Running a business is going to be stressful regardless of how successful it is. An entrepreneur understands the stress of providing for their employees and growing their business. A home service business owner is no different as sustained success is going to take hard work. A dedication to the customer in today’s consumer-driven world is essential. The ease of finding another home service professional like a plumber or electrician makes it imperative to focus on customer experience. The following are tips to grow your home service business over time.
Focus on Digital Marketing
Marketing has changed for nearly every industry as consumers have changed the way they look for a business. People flock to search engines to find home service providers in their local area. Marketing for a local area will take more creativity than a person marketing for a business selling products online. The focus on digital marketing should include responding to reviews on various platforms. You can drive up your rating through answering and remedying any issues a former customer might have had. Customer retention in home service business is essential as this can be the best way to grow over time.
Referral Programs
Referral programs can be great for a home service provider. There are so many platforms that can be used to recommend a business that locals use. NextDoor.com is a perfect example of a neighborhood website where people frequently ask for referrals for electricians or HVAC professionals. Rewarding current customers with discounts or gift cards is a great way to build rapport.
Seasonal Specials
HVAC professionals might have maintenance specials during the spring and fall. Most professionals recommend having your system serviced before summer and winter. The reasoning behind this is that your system will work the hardest during these seasons. Take the time to make sure that current customers are informed of these specials. All customers want to feel like they are getting a great deal and a special can deliver that experience to them.
Partner With a Contractor
A partnership with a home builder or home improvement contractor can be extremely beneficial. Contractors are always looking for reliable partners with whom they can refer customers back and forth. Being able to fill a schedule week after week provides revenue consistently. The cost per customer acquisition will likely be driven down with the work that the contractor provides. You want to partner with a reputable contractor as you don’t want an unethical contractor to ruin your company’s reputation. Try a few test projects for the contractor as you want to see how working with them is before entering into any kind of contract. You might find the contractor is demanding but always fails to pay on time and provides another excuse each time your compensation is discussed.
Growing any business over the course of time is going to present challenges. Take the time to list out different ways that will drive customer numbers up and retain the customers that you already have!
