Market Your Contractor Business Online For Free [Step-By-Step Guide]

Marketing your business online for free is not complicated, time-consuming, or difficult. But, it does require a plan.

Your time is valuable, so you need to focus on the parts of an online presence that will drive the most value for your business.

To create the best representation possible of your business online. Follow this step-by-step guide to revamp your online presence and increase sales.

Step 1 - Update Your Website With Key Information

As a contractor, your website must continually be updated with critical information about your business.

The first step to marketing your business online is to ensure you have a website with all the information that a customer might need to decide about using your company. This doesn't mean that you need a complicated website. The simple contractor website template from Mighty Sites will work great if you don't have a website.

However, you need to audit your website and ensure it has all the basic facts about your business. Include information about your background and experience, how to contact you, where you do business and how to follow you on social media. You may be amazed at what's missing when you look at your website.

Consumers research businesses online before deciding whom to hire, be sure that your look professional and provide essential information to potential customers before moving on to the next step.

Website Information Checklist for Contractors:

Your company's address
A brief description of what you do, whom you do it for, and what you offer
An overview of your services and how much they cost
Any testimonials or client case studies that you want to showcase
Your logo and colors
A list of services offered
Background/About Us Section
Contact Details Including phone number and email address
Latest Updates About Your Business
Any certifications, memberships, or accreditations that your business holds
List of any specialties that you might have in the industry (i.e., waterproofing specialists)
Links to Your Social Media Sites

If your website includes this information, you are in an excellent place to move on to the next step.

If not, update your website to include this information and move on to step 2.

Step 2 - Manage Your Google Business Profile

As a contractor, you should update your Google Business Profile with as much information as possible about your business. This will help you get more clients and more leads.

You may be wondering why this is important, so let me explain.

Google Business Profile is Google's local search directory which helps people find local businesses like yours. You can claim your business on Google Business Profile and add additional information about your business, such as an address, phone number, website, hours of operation, and more.

You can also add photos of your business location and reviews from customers who have visited your business. This helps people find you on Google Maps or when they search for businesses similar to yours.

The more information you add to your profile, the better it will rank in local search results. Lots of reviews and information show that there are people who recommend your company or products/services. The more positive reviews you have from customers who have interacted with you directly (either by visiting or calling), the better it looks for potential customers when they search for companies like yours locally on Google Maps or Google Search!

Step 3 - Choose A Few Social Media Platforms to Focus On

Social media is an excellent way for contractors to market their business. It's free and doesn't take much time to set up.

Choose a few social media platforms for your contractor business. Consider using Facebook and Instagram and keeping up to date with relevant content related to your business.

If you're a contractor, you probably already know the importance of social media.

Social media can be a great way to build relationships with potential clients. Suppose you're running an HVAC contractor business, for example. In that case, you could use Facebook and Instagram to share videos or photos of new products from manufacturers such as Lennox or Carrier.

If you're not sure where to start, here are some tips for getting your business up and running on social media:

Choose a few platforms that work best for your business. Consider using Facebook and Instagram and keeping up to date with relevant content related to your business. You might also want to explore Twitter or LinkedIn if those platforms are more relevant to your industry.

Make sure all employees are familiar with how your company uses social media. Make sure they understand how it works and what type of content is appropriate for each platform. Then, engage them to help you post when they come up with good ideas.

The platform that you choose must be appealing to your target audience. For example, if most of your customers are teenagers and young adults, then Instagram would be a better choice than Facebook because it has more users who fit into this category.

Once you've chosen your platforms and set them up, developing a strategy for engaging with potential customers is time. We'll discuss what to post in step 7.

Step 4 - Clean Up Online Directories

What are online local business directories?

Online local business directories are websites where users can find small businesses in their area. Some are free to use, while others charge a monthly fee. Some even offer a mix of both, with a free option and a premium version.

How do they work for contractors?

Many local business directories have a simple design and easy-to-use interface, making them very intuitive and user-friendly. When your potential customers first land on their website, they will be asked for their location (either by city or zip code), so they can show you the businesses in your area only. Once they enter this information, they will see all the companies that fit your criteria listed on the screen. You can sort this list by location, ratings, or distance from where you're located at the moment.

Consumers can search for specific keywords related to what service they want - e.g., "contractors." This way, you'll probably find more than one company that offers services similar to what you need.

Once a consumer finds a business that looks like it could meet your needs, click on its name and get more details about them (address, phone number...)

Online business directories are essential for contractor businesses. Make sure you claim all your listings and update the information like name, address, and phone number to be accurate.

The following is a list of top online business directories:

Yelp - A social networking site where users can post reviews about local businesses, including contractors. It's a good idea to make sure your company has a profile on Yelp so that customers can post reviews about your services. You can also use Yelp to find new customers by targeting ads at people near your location who have previously reviewed similar companies.
Angie's List - This website reviews home improvement specialists in your area and other types of contractors such as electricians and plumbers. The website also lets users post ratings and reviews on contractors' workmanship, professionalism, and customer service skills.
Thumbtack - Thumbtack helps consumers find local professionals who will provide them with services such as yard work or home repair projects at an affordable price. The site also offers ratings from previous customers so you can see what others have said about each business listed before choosing one for yourself.

Here is a list of the most important online directories. Ensure your Business Name, Address and Phone number are accurate and consistent on as many as possible.

Step 5 - Build Your Online Reputation

Online reviews can make or break a business. You may miss out on valuable business if you're in the construction industry and don't have any online reviews.

Reviews are critical because they help potential customers learn about your brand and trust that you're a legitimate business. People want to know they're dealing with a reliable company before hiring them.

Online reviews can also help generate leads by turning customers into referrals. When someone leaves positive feedback about your company, their friends and family will likely see the review and check out your website for more information.

To grow your contractor business and gain more clients, here are some ways to get started with online reviews:

Build up your social media presence. Social media is one of the most popular ways for people to share their thoughts online, so it makes sense for contractors to use these platforms too! Start building up your Facebook page or Twitter feed by sharing pictures of projects you've completed, interesting articles related to construction or home improvement topics, and valuable tips related to DIY projects around the house (like how to fix leaky faucets). Make sure you're sharing content regularly so people will keep coming back!

Ask for feedback from clients after every job.

Ask people for feedback, and don't be afraid to tell them how valuable online reviews are for your business.

Please provide them with direct links to your Facebook page and Google Business Profile to make it easy for them to leave an online review about your business. Another easy way to do this is by putting links to your online review pages in your email signature. This makes it easy for customers to find your email, click the links and leave you an online review.

The critical component is making sure to ask. You can even offer something pleasant or beneficial in return for your customer taking the time to leave you an online review.

Step 6 - Make Videos On Your Phone

Video marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach potential customers for your contractor business. Video is one of the most popular formats for content marketing, with over 90% of marketers using video in their marketing strategies.

Video is essential because it's more personal than text, gives you a chance to show off your work, and helps you connect with your customers on a deeper level.

If you're a contractor, video is the best way to promote yourself. As a contractor, you can make different videos on your phone. Start a Youtube channel and upload videos to social media. It is a great way to engage your audience, market your business online for free and build credibility in your industry.

The key is to be authentic and genuine in your videos. People want to see real people doing real things! Your friends and family can help with this too!

Here are some video marketng ideas for your contractor business:

Showcase local businesses & products that you like or use in your projects
Do a walkthrough of an entire project from start to finish
Interview someone who works at one of the companies that supply you with materials or products
Document how you do something specific on every job (e.g., how to hang drywall)

Your creativity is your only limit. There are great ways to promote your contractor business online using videos. Think about common questions you get asked, or show off your work!

Online videos reach many people, so the more videos you make, the more you are marketing your contractor business online for free!

Step 7 - Share Quality Content Online Consistently

Promoting your contractor business on Facebook is an excellent way for you to reach out to more potential clients. If you want to make the most out of your Facebook page, then here are some tips for promoting your contractor business on Facebook:

Share links from your website or blog on your wall. This will help get more people interested in what you have to offer.
Ask questions that will get people talking about their experiences with contractors, and then post those answers on your wall. This will give people something to comment on, and it allows you to build trust with them and learn more about what they're looking for when finding a good contractor for the job.
Post photos and videos of completed jobs or projects that you've worked on in the past. People love seeing how others have benefited from your services, so this will get some interest going!
Post photos of work in progress or things you're currently working on – people love seeing this because it gives them an idea of how much work goes into completing a project like theirs!
Offer discounts for first-time customers only – this will help build loyalty among new clients who come
Post regularly. It's good to vary the types of posts that you post, but try not to go more than a few days without posting something new.
Use images. People are more likely to engage with posts that include photos or videos.
Share other people's content. This will help you build relationships with other businesses and organizations in your area that might be able to refer work your way.
Hashtag relevant terms in your posts so they'll appear in search results for those terms when people look at their timelines or search for them on Facebook.
Respond to people's comments and questions as quickly as possible. You want to make sure they feel heard and valued, so they don't feel like they're talking into a void.
Create contests or games that encourage users to engage with each other to win prizes or discounts on services or products offered by your company (or other vendors). Make sure these contests are fun but also get people talking about your business — may be even about things that have nothing to do with it!

Most important is to post often, engage with people on your page and stay relevant to your business. Each post will help you reach more potential customers and provide additional free online marketing for your contractor business.

Conclusion

Many contractor marketing ideas and advice are already available on the web. It can be challenging to decide which strategies perform well or if they are practical for your construction business.

Below is our quick guide to some of the best ways to optimize your online presence for your contractor business for free!

Follow this guide, and your online presence will help adequately market your business online without breaking the bank!

Best of luck!