As a general contractor you want to reel those customers in, and then keep them coming back for more. So, what’s your strategy? How can you create lifelong customers for your business and create the stability you need? We’re glad you asked. Let’s take a look at creating lifelong customers for general contractors.
Customer Service
The first and most essential step in creating lifelong customers for your general contracting business is to focus on your customer service. One of the sad facts of business is that people are more likely to tell others about their bad experiences than they are to tell people about their good experiences. Even in the information age with nearly instant digital communication, word of mouth is still the thing that can make or break your business.
Now, we’re not saying you should kowtow to every Karen who comes along, but you should be striving for fairness and excellent customer service. You’ll want to consider specific customer service tips that can make your business thrive.
Be sure you’re communicating regularly and honestly with your client base. We all know and understand that mistakes and unforeseen circumstances happen. That’s just a fact of life and business. But the difference between good customer service and bad customer service often lies in how well you communicate what’s happening. When a customer learns that you’re a trustworthy general contractor, you’ve earned yourself a lifelong customer.
Also be sure you’re offering contractor financing to facilitate the needs of your customers. They’ll be able finance their projects, and you’ll be providing the extra service they need.
Digital Marketing
Another important step to building those lifelong customers for your general contracting business can lie in your digital marketing campaigns. It may sound trite, but your marketing efforts can actually make a difference in keeping your business in the minds of your client base.
Consider how your repeat clients may go long spans of time between booking your services. You want to make sure they know that you’re active and working and that you’re successful. A well-written email campaign can keep your clients up to date on information about your business that they may be interested in. Notify them of new projects you’ve been working on or promotions that may be pertinent to them.
A social media presence also keeps your repeat client base informed about you contracting business. These platforms are also a great way to stay in touch with fast and quick forms of communication. And you can easily show off your latest and greatest building projects with photo and video posts. They’ll remind your clients why they should hire you again and again for their home improvement projects.
Your digital presence is also a great way to remind your clients that you offer contractor financing for all their home improvement projects. And there are some more simple digital marketing tips that can help your contracting business thrive, so you can keep more and more clients.
Seasonal Promotions
You can also use the changing seasons of the year to your advantage when you’re looking to create lifelong customers. As a general contractor, you’ve likely got a plethora of marketable skills that you could use to bring in repeat clients throughout the year. Consider offering seasonal promotions as the seasons change, so that your clients have a reason to use your services over and over.
For example, in the winter time you could offer snow plowing services or decoration installations to prior clients. These customers have already hired you once, so they know your work ethic and your skill sets. Capitalize on that, and bring in more repeat clients through each of the seasons. This is an advantage to you and to your customers.
Incentives
You can also consider ways that you can incentivize your clients to use your services. When you’re looking to build your client list, you want to get as much visibility as possible while giving people a reason to look into your business. Consider how you can offer incentives for people to hire you.
Could you offer a loyalty program for repeat customers? Have you considered offering discounts for clients who share your information or to those clients who pay ahead? These are all ways that both you and your clients can benefit. Your clients get the discounts and perks they love while you get the business and cashflow you need. And remember, the happier your clients are, the more likely they are to talk about your work and encourage their friends to become lifelong customers as well.
Utilize Your Time Wisely
Finally, it’s important to utilize your time wisely when you’re trying to bring in lifelong customers. Not only is time management great for your business, it’s also great for your customers. We’re talking specifically about how you utilize your off-season.
The off-season is a great time to check in with your past clients and see if there’s any interest in hiring you for a repeat project. You can reach out through your email marketing campaigns or even schedule in-person meetings depending on the relationship you have.
You can also work on those small details while you’ve got some slower days in your off-season. It’s a great time to update your website. Make sure your clients have all the pertinent information they may need to hire you again. You can also make sure that your social media accounts are active and engaging with all of your clients.
Strategic Partnerships
And don’t forget to use your off-season to finally partner with HFS Financial to offer the best contractor financing for your customers, if you haven’t already. Offering contractor financing is one of the best ways to ensure that you create lifelong customers, because they never have to worry about getting the financing they need for all of their home improvement projects.
Creating lifelong customers for general contractors is all about strategy. Keep your clients informed, intrigued, and financed, so you can keep your cashflow coming in. HFS Financial has extensive experience in the home improvement financing industry, so you and your clients will be in good hands with us. Simply install the 60-second loan application widget on your website, and your customers can get the financing options they need in no time. With HFS Financial, “You Dream It, We Finance It.”