6 Ways for Home Improvement Contractors to Get Leads

If you’re a contractor looking to build your clientele, you’ll need an excellent reputation and a solid portfolio of quality work. But how do you build that reputation to begin with? Homeowners have a lot of options when it comes to home improvement, and you’re going to have to work hard to earn their trust. Here are a few ways to increase your contractor leads for home improvement.

1. Trustworthiness

Trust is the key trait any contractor can demonstrate to a new client. Home improvements are costly and personal. Most people will never have a bigger expense than when they decide to renovate their kitchen or another part of their home. They’re naturally anxious about who they hire to do the job. But when a client trusts you, the rest of their worries fall by the wayside. Show your trustworthiness from the start by following through with what you say you will do. Additionally, you can gain credibility by making sure you have a good rating with the Better Business Bureau, and featuring the BBB logo on your website. You should also be sure to include logos and references to trade organizations to which you belong, such as NARI, EGIA, or other industry groups. When you show that you’re an established professional, you can help potential clients feel more comfortable.

2. Punctuality

Many clients are hesitant to hire a contractor because they’ve heard nightmare stories about contractors who never showed up on time or delayed a project for months on end. When a client hires you, be sure to show them they can expect you to be punctual to every single appointment. You can demonstrate your commitment to your client by using smart scheduling tools, established project management methodologies, and a high level of communication expertise. By being punctual, and showing you care about your customers’ time, you’ll show that you’re serious about the job and can be trusted to complete it on time.

3. Payment Options

If you’re asking yourself, “Should I offer a choice of payment options to my customers?,” study after study shows the answer is a solid yes! Offering a choice of payment options can help you grow your business. In fact, you can see a 50% increase in leads when you advertise payment options in your marketing materials and on your website — especially when advertising attractive payment options like Same-As-Cash loans and a low monthly payment loan. You’ll also get more referrals — customers value the convenience and flexibility that payment options provide, and that satisfaction means they’ll be more likely to refer their friends, relatives, and neighbors for additional work from you.

More fun facts:

• Offering payment options can nearly double your close rate. For example: assuming a 25% baseline, you can increase your close rate to 44% when offering a 12-month Same-As-Cash loan and a 6.99% 7-year loan.
• Homeowners who choose to finance spend 43.8% more on their home improvement projects. That’s a big jump!
• Over one-third of homeowners regret not spending more on their project to get the results they truly wanted. Payment options can make those bigger dreams come true.

4. A Great Reputation

Your clients are only a quick internet search away from finding out what people have to say about you online. Will you have a good reputation? Working on your reputation is one of the most important investments you can make for your business. Word of mouth has always been one of the best marketing tools, and the internet makes it more crucial than ever to have a great reputation. Build it by asking happy clients to leave you online reviews and spread the word to their friends. You can incentivize them to do so by creating a referral program. Be sure to make it easy for your clients to provide a review by sending them links for your Yelp and Google Business review sites, or other relevant review accounts they can access with a single click. As those accounts start to grow with a collection of good reviews, you’ll become more discoverable online. Once again, make sure you have your BBB logo on your marketing materials. If you have the resources to maintain a professional blog at your website, you can start to build a reputation as a thought leader in your industry, and also do a little humblebragging about the causes you support in your community.

5. Expertise

Even the most trustworthy, punctual contractor won’t get very far if they don’t have expertise in their trade. Make sure you’re one of the most knowledgeable contractors in the business by doing everything you can to learn more about your craft. Develop a specialty or trademark style that gives you an edge on the competition. Make sure to have a well-designed, web- and mobile-friendly visual portfolio of your work on your website. Displaying what you can do can really help potential customers envision how you can help their dreams come true! Soon you’ll have a long list of clients waiting to have an expert weigh in on their home improvement projects.

6. Reasonable Pricing

Every client has a different budget driving their choice in who they hire as a contractor, but when potential customers are weighing all the pros and cons, price is less important than value, especially when you’ve managed to excel at all the five items mentioned above. When you can demonstrate that it’s worth it to go with a superior contractor, and when you offer a choice of payment options to remove the barrier of price, you’ll find your business will grow as a steady line of clients seek you out because they’re eager and ready to pay for your high-quality work.

Getting Contractor Leads for Home Improvement

Stay dedicated to your business, and all of your hard work will pay off over time. By developing these six important traits, you’ll quickly start growing your contractor leads for home improvement.