Need more remodeling leads? Here are 5 short term strategies to get more leads right away and 6 long term strategies.
Intro
Are you looking for a way to generate more high quality remodeling leads? This article will give you some solid strategies.
I’ve broken out this article into two main sections - short term leads and long term leads. If you need to generate more cash flow now, or have a relatively new business, short term leads might be the way to go. If you’re looking for a way to increase your leads in the long term, and can afford to wait before you start seeing results, long term leads might be your best bet. Longer term lead strategies might also give you a better overall return on investment.
Short Term Lead Generation
Long Term Lead Generation
If you’re interested in running Facebook Ads for your remodeling business, Service Allies has a good program with a proven track record.
You can also with Service Allies.
Short Term Lead Generation
Lead Companies
Lead companies offer a good solution to start getting prospective remodeling customers fast.
One thing to note with lead companies is that you will need to follow up with leads fast and often. If you start with a lead company, and your leads take the back burner on your list of priorities, don’t expect to get good results.
This is exactly why lead companies get such a bad wrap. Business owners often rely on referrals before they start any marketing efforts, and referrals aren’t leads - they are pre-sold deals. By the time they call you, they just need you to take their order.
Leads, on the other hand, don’t even know who you are yet - you’ll need to demonstrate why your company is the best option through your communication and presentation. They’re not sold on you yet. And they definitely won’t chase you. The ball is in your court to get ahold of them, and the ball is in your court to sell them.
If you go the lead company route, plan to call new leads 5-10 times and text them 2-4 times. Realistically, this is what’s needed to get good results. Also, note that “good results” doesn’t mean you book and close everyone. In fact, a good booking rate for leads that come through marketing is 30% and a good closing rate is between 25% and 40%.
Of course, not all lead companies are equal. Quality can vary based on the traffic sources the lead companies use and whether or not the leads are exclusive. Track your results from each source, and after 3-6 months you’ll figure out which one gives you the best return on investment.
Facebook Ads
Similar to lead generation companies, running Facebook ads allows you to start getting leads within 1-3 days. But unlike lead companies, Facebook gives you much more control over lead quality and allows you to advertise from your own business name.
You can decide where your ads show up, the writing that’s used, images, and more. This lets you attract specific types of leads. If you especially want basement finish leads, or bathroom remodeling leads, you can advertise those projects specifically.
Advertising from your own company means that in addition to getting leads right away, your business name will be seen 30,000 to 70,000 times every month. All this extra exposure will help grow your reputation and get leads in the long term who have become familiar with your brand.
Service Allies specializes in running Facebook ads to generate remodeling leads and other types of home improvement leads, with our clients getting 20-60 leads per month on average. We can help you generate:
We also offer a CRM system and lead follow-up training. If you’re interested, you can check out our case studies here.
TikTok Ads
TikTok offers a powerful new way to generate your own leads with video ads. (TikTok is a video social media platform where users share bite-sized entertaining videos that are usually around 30-60 seconds long.)
Despite the stigma around TikTok, it’s not just children and teenagers on the app anymore. There are already 150 million TikTok users in the U.S. alone. With so many users, there’s also a huge pool of homeowners on the app with money to spare. And since TikTok is so new, advertising competition isn’t as fierce, which means a better advertising ROI. A personal friend of mine here in PA runs a large HVAC company and does $17 million in annual sales (last I heard.) TikTok is an integral part of his lead generation strategy!
It can be tempting to chase the fantasy of going viral. But going viral is a time consuming, expensive strategy that doesn’t work for most companies. It’s better to take the more controlled approach of paying for ads and testing out several videos. On a side note, the most successful videos for TikTok ads are simple selfie videos where you talk about your product and offer. Videos that look like ads don’t feel native to the platform, and in turn don’t perform as well.
If you’re considering TikTok ads, talk to this marketing company who runs them for a variety of home improvement companies.
Email Blast
Most remodeling companies underestimate the value in their old lead list. If you have a list of 500-1000 emails, there’s a good chance you can turn that into a few projects by sending out a few emails.
Try sending out 4 or so emails over the course of a week. The first few emails can be pretty general. For example:
- Mention that you’re looking to take on more kitchen, bath, or basement projects right away and ask if they’d like an estimate
- Share some photos of recent projects that you completed
- See if they got your previous emails
- Highlight all the details of a recent project you completed
But the final email should promote a special offer of some kind - a significant discount to services, a free 3D design, a financing special, or something else.
The key to making this strategy work is to respond immediately when prospects write back. Be friendly, keep it simple, and focus on booking the appointment for an estimate.
Google Ads
Google Ads allow you to get in front of homeowners who are searching for remodeling companies in your area. By the time they go to Google, they’re getting ready to buy.
For Google Pay-Per-Click Ads to work in your market, there should be a high volume of monthly searches. You can’t create the demand, you have to compete to capture the demand that’s already there. If you’re looking for kitchen remodel or bath remodel projects in particular, ask your marketing company if there’s enough demand in your market for it to make sense.
Your marketing company should set up a landing page specifically for the ads. While your website home page will give prospects an overview of your business, and help them navigate your site quickly, a landing page is specifically designed to convert high-intent traffic into leads. They’re designed with minimal distractions, lightning fast load times, and all the proof that visitors will need.
New campaigns will probably produce a few leads within the first 2 weeks, but they can take around 3 months to really pick up momentum. Your Google company should be tracking your lead conversions and looking for ways to make your ads more effective over time. Also, keep in mind that your Google reviews will have a big impact on the quantity and quality of the leads you’ll get.
Long Term Lead Generation
Special Offer Forms or Lead Magnets
Putting special offers on your website is a great way to get more leads. Don’t expect leads to come flooding in right away, but for such a cost-effective strategy the results you’ll get in the long term are worth it.
Here are some ideas for offers:
- A PDF with valuable information that’s based on your experience. For example “5 Tips for Choosing a Remodeling Contractor” or “10 Ideas for Your Kitchen Remodel”
- Financing offers, like 0% APR for 24 months or “Get a new kitchen for as low as $189 per month!”
- Discounts on services. For example, “Get a new bathroom before thanksgiving and receive $1080 off your purchase!” You can also discount a specific part of your remodel. For example “30% OFF kitchen cabinets!”
- Free 3D renderings. People love to see what their kitchen or bathroom will look like before they actually start the project. A free rendering could be the last thing they need before they pull the trigger!
Building Reviews
Having a good rating on Google with lots of detailed reviews is one of the most impactful things you can do for your marketing. It will help all your branded marketing efforts and help you generate more leads.
To get more reviews right away, call through your list of customers. An easy way to approach the conversation is to start off by asking for feedback on their experience. Then, if they have great things to say, ask for a Google review.
It’s best to have a secondary person who didn’t work with the customer directly make the calls. Calling for feedback on their experience when you were the one working with them the whole time might be awkward.
Don’t go too fast. Try to get around 1-3 reviews per week and no more. If you start getting lots of reviews in a short period of time, Google might see it as spam and won’t allow the reviews to show.
Yard Signs
Yard signs are one of the most cost effective ways you can generate quality leads. They’re so effective because they are both an ad and a vote of confidence for your business at the same time! When a homeowner sees your company in another homeowner’s yard, it’s almost like they’re referring your business. And when they call you, you just got 2 leads for the price of 1!
To get the most out of your yard signs, use a color that stands out and make sure your company logo is easily distinguishable from a distance. Your sign should also include your phone number in a large text format and a website.
If yard signs aren’t part of your marketing, order some and start asking your new customers if you can put them in their yard! They’re more than worth it.
SEO
Google tries to show the most relevant content possible when you search for something. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is when you actively try to make your website relevant to Google and relevant to keywords that your target audience is searching for.
SEO often costs thousands of dollars per month. But you’ll be getting in front of low-funnel customers who like to do their research, and it will allow you to generate high quality leads. Of course, your market has to be big enough for it to make sense. Ask your marketing company, before you sign on, if there is enough intent in your market for the keywords you want to target.
The company you sign on with should produce high quality content that matches keyword intent. If there’s a high volume of searches every month in your market for “kitchen design ideas,” your SEO company should write an article on this topic with photos, relevant links, and valuable info.
You can help your SEO company. If you share your industry experience, it will give them the ability to create content that’s more valuable and original - exactly the type of content Google is looking to serve users!
Keep it mind that SEO is a long-term strategy, and it can take 3-12 months to begin to generate leads on a regular basis.
Partner with Local Businesses
If you know and trust contractors in your market who offer different services than you, consider building a referral network with them. Make an agreement to refer customers to each other.
If your company is specialized this will be especially effective. For example, one of my clients offers design and cabinet sales only. Since he doesn’t do remodeling himself, he’s built a referral network with other remodelers. This referral network is responsible for about half of his business!
You may not need to offer a referral fee, so there’s no need to lead with that. If a referral partner asks you for one, however, it’s almost always worth the small investment!
Local Events
Participating in local home and garden shows can help you generate a big cluster of leads on a seasonal basis and book out your schedule with projects. I’ve seen this done with a lot of success!
To make this work, go all in. Here are some tips:
- Build a beautiful, creative display that will get homeowners to stop and look
- Have a people person running your booth that will put people at ease
- Have flyers with high-quality photos of your completed projects ready to hand out
Bonus: How to Get Better Quality Leads
Some of you reading this are already getting leads, but you’re looking for a way to get better quality leads than what you are right now. Here’s how to do it.
First, there are two important distinctions to make when it comes to lead quality: lead qualification and lead confidence. Both will affect how likely the lead is to turn into a customer, but it’s crucial to understand the difference.
1) Lead Qualification
Lead qualification determines how much of a viable buyer your lead is. There are a number of factors that determine this, such as:
- How close your lead is to making a buying decision
- If your lead can afford your services or at least able to finance them
- How well does what your lead is looking for match what your company offers
- If your lead is within your service area
If a lead meets criteria well enough, they are a qualified lead.
2) Lead Confidence
Lead confidence is your lead’s confidence in you as a company.
- Do they trust you enough to do what they're asking for?
- Do they think you’ll get it done in a timely manner?
- Do you seem worth the price you’re asking for?
- Do they like you? Did the salesperson give good vibes?
To get more qualified leads, make sure the messaging, images, and targeting your marketing company uses is likely to attract a buying audience that’s currently in the market. Avoid misleading headlines and make sure you set clear expectations.
To increase your lead confidence, making them more likely to buy, you can:
- Show them photos of beautiful projects you’ve done - don’t assume they’ve already seen what you want them to see on your website.
- Dress nicely, wear a pleasant subtle cologne
- Be respectful of their home when visit
- Use videos on your website and on “thank you” pages after your leads submit their information
- Follow up with your leads quickly before they forget they reached out
- Follow 5-10 times with new leads, and text them 3-4 times
- Respond to calls and text messages quickly
I hope you enjoyed this article and got some useful information! Thanks for reading.
