- About
- What We Do
-
-
-
Marketing Services
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
THE LEADER IN HOME SERVICES MARKETING Let’s Talk
-
-
-
-
- Who We Work With
-
-
-
Industries
Partnering With Local Businesses In the Trades
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
THE LEADER IN HOME SERVICES MARKETING Let’s Talk
-
-
-
- Case Studies
- Blog
- Resources
- Contact
Directory Sites for Remodelers
Are Directory Sites & Pay Per Lead Services Worth the Investment?
We’ve told you time and again that your website is a 24/7 online sales rep. But that doesn’t mean you should only market your remodeling company on your website. (Believe us, if you’re only using your website to generate new customers, your competition is stealing prospective clients right out from under your nose!) Think about it—when a user Googles “remodeling company” and their service area, they are shown the top ten organic rankings. Of these listings, some might bring the user to a company’s direct website, while others will bring the searcher to an online directory site.
As these sites have become more popular, they’ve begun to dominate the organic results. So, what does this mean for your remodeling company? Put simply, you’re going to have to invest in both your website AND additional directory sites to stay relevant—and visible. But where should you begin?
Increase Visibility with Local Directories
Any reputable SEO company will tell you that the most affordable and effective lead generation strategies take time to develop. (You can’t build a user friendly website and SEO optimized content overnight.) These strategies require time—and patience—and when you’re a growing company, you may feel like you don’t have the time to wait for these methods to produce quality leads.
Should You Invest in Local Directory Sites?
We get it. You may find yourself tempted by directory sites like Angie’s List, Yelp, Houzz, or pay per lead services such as HomeAdvisor (because as we saw above, they all rank well in the organic search results!). There’s nothing wrong with trying out directory sites or testing a pay per lead service, but it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into.
It’s true that getting listed in targeted high-traffic directories can deliver short-term leads, but whether or not the effort is worth it depends on your execution. What does this mean? By shifting your all of your focus to local directory sites, you’re reducing the effort put into maintaining the most important lead generation asset of all—your company’s website. (Which is why you need to invest in both assets!)
If you’re considering investing time (and money) in directory sites, you should be asking the following questions:
- How much traffic does this site receive (and how much of it is relevant to my business)?
- How many of my competitors are using this site (and are they doing it well)?
- How many sales will I need to get from this site to recoup my investment?
- Is the user experience offered by the site going to help or hurt my business?
- How is the directory getting its traffic?
Once you’ve decided you’re interested in marketing your remodeling company on local directories, you need to decide which sites will work best for your remodeling business.
Which Online Directories Benefit Remodelers?
Houzz
As a remodeling company, you understand that the industry is extremely visual. What does this mean for your business and its online presence? You need to showcase the projects you’ve completed—and Houzz is an excellent way to do just that. Houzz has millions of users who are in the “home design” mindset. If you aren’t engaging these prospective customers, you’re missing a massive opportunity.
How can you use Houzz to enhance your online presence?
- Answer Houzz users’ questions
- Add projects
- Engage prospective clients
- Create an appealing profile
- Generate reviews from satisfied clients
Houzz is an easy way to get your name out there and have your work seen by potential customers. Believe me when I tell you that Houzz can bring your business numerous qualified leads if you market yourself the right way.
Angie’s List
When it comes to your online presence, you need to be willing to put in the work if you expect to get results in return. With that said, Angie’s List is a helpful platform to display your remodeling company. So, what exactly is Angie’s List? It is essentially a customer reviews based search engine for paying members. A homeowner pays a yearly fee to be a member and have access to the site where they can browse business profiles and search for home service providers. Members can also read in depth reviews of service providers that were written by other members.
Unlike homeowners, a business does not have to pay to get listed on Angie’s List. We recommend having your remodeling company listed on Angie’s List and from there you can decide if investing in Angie’s List marketing is the right option for you. To rank well and improve visibility of your remodeling company on Angie’s List, you will need to:
- Maintain an optimized profile
- Generate a lot of (positive) reviews
- Receive an “A rating”
- Offer special offers and discounts
Yelp
People like pictures. They also like reviews. Don’t believe me? Look at any social media profile and you can see that it’s true. Because of this notion, Yelp is a useful platform to get yourself seen by prospective clients because it combines both photos and reviews. Keep in mind that there is more to having a listing than simply creating a Yelp profile. You will need to optimize your Yelp profile to ensure it 1) stands out from the competitors 2) ranks wells, and 3) generates leads (because what’s the point of having a business profile if there’s no return on investment?).
Next time a homeowner in your area turns to Yelp to find a local remodeling company, you want to be the first choice they see. Do that by:
- Completely filling out your profile
- Encouraging customers to write reviews
- Responding to both positive AND negative reviews
- Promoting special offers or deals
HomeAdvisor
HomeAdvisor does exactly what the name sounds like—it advises homeowners on home service professionals that are recommended in their area. So, when a user turns to HomeAdvisor for a remodeling company, if you are one of their home service professionals your company will show up. It’s as easy as that—and users find it to be a reputable source.
If you’re thinking about investing in HomeAdvisor, we have a few tips that will help you rank better than your local remodeling competitors:
- Completely fill your profile, including service area, services offered, credentials, brands used, etc.
- Showcase HomeAdvisor “achievements” on your profile
- Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews
- Offer special offers and coupons
- Enable online scheduling for homeowners to easily book appointments
Local Directory Optimization for Remodelers
What exactly does SEO optimization for online directories involve? Apart from the tips mentioned above, it needs constant monitoring—which is why the team at Blue Corona lives by the phrase track, test, tweak, repeat.
Let’s face it, you have a remodeling company to run. Let us focus on your online marketing so you can do what you do best. Contact us today!
About The Author: Blue Corona's Editorial Staff is determined to help you increase your leads and sales, optimize your marketing costs, and differentiate your brand by passing on our tribal knowledge. The team vigilantly stays on top of the latest in digital marketing, bringing you the top insights with expert commentary. Want to see something on our blog you haven't seen yet? Shoot us an email and our marketing team will get to work.
View more blogs by Blue Corona
The information on this website is for informational purposes only; it is deemed accurate but not guaranteed. It does not constitute professional advice. All information is subject to change at any time without notice. Contact us for complete details.
Ready to increase your online presence today with digital marketing?