ELECTRICIAN MARKETING TIPS

10 Tips To Help Electricians Book More Customers

As an electrician, you have to keep honing your skills and learning new techniques regularly. While the fundamentals remain the same, there are always new tricks to acquire and cool gadgets to incorporate into your projects, making for sleek jobs and happy customers.


But, even with all these improvements, do you sometimes feel that you reached a plateau? After all these years, it seems your customer database is not getting any thicker, and it's becoming increasingly harder to attract new clients. Plus, now more than ever, it's harder to keep customers loyal - especially Millennials.


Since the high quality of your projects remains the same (if not even better), then what's going on?


We can name a couple of reasons.


One, over the past few years, the market has become a wild and aggressive turf, packed with fierce competitors - both veterans and newcomers.


Two, long gone are the days of word-of-mouth. Currently, about 97% of people search for local businesses near them online. Oh, and about 88% of these leads either call or visit within 24 hours!


What we're saying is this. If you want your company to not only survive but also thrive in this digital era, you need to know how to market and promote yourself online.


For that purpose, we designed a comprehensive, down-to-earth, and tangible 10-step guide to learn all the essential electrician marketing tips.


The Ultimate 10-Step Guide To Generate More Leads.

1. Develop a Conversion-Based Website


In case you still don't own a website, you should know that more than 30% of consumers won't even consider doing business with a company without one.


In case you do, here are some other relevant stats:

  • Outdated info on your website will make more than 50% of consumers consider doing business with another company.
  • If you do have a website, but it's not mobile-friendly, then 39% of people will quickly disengage.
  • If your website doesn't load in three seconds or less, 53% of potential customers will go back to their search engines and look for other alternatives.
  • 82% of people won't browse your website unless you have established a secured connection (HTTPS).
  • About 75% of people will draw full conclusions regarding your company based on their first impressions upon visiting your website. If they had a mediocre experience, there's an 88% chance they will never come back.


These numbers look very intimidating, but they're here for a reason.


Maybe you even have a well-designed website that meets all these requirements, but is it a conversion-based website? What is the difference?

 

The main distinction between those two options is that a conversion-based website will aim for the highest possible ratio of visitors to prospects who will later call your office or schedule visits. To optimize conversion, you can follow these steps:

  • Analyze how your visitors are interacting with your website. Non-friendly UX, poor design, and a lack of engagement tools usually make for low conversion rates.
  • Showcase those CTAs! Call-to-Action buttons must be evident and visible, and they should pop up on the screen at the right moments.
  • Reorganize and simplify your site's navigation.
  • Mobile-friendly is the only way to go.
  • Conversion should be fast and straightforward, not too personal or irrelevant. If signing up for your newsletter or scheduling a tech visit gets too complicated, people will disengage.


Don't worry if some of these terms feel unfamiliar to you. That's why we're here. To help you navigate through this marketing process as smoothly as possible while you keep focusing on the vital aspects of your company.

2. Optimize Your Website for Search Engines (SEO)


Search Engine Optimization is one of the most relevant and well-established conversion tools available for businesses. Not only must your company be excellent, but people must also know you're there.


While having a conversion-based design has the primary goal of generating more leads after they landed on your website, SEO is all about preparing your website's content (both organic and non-organic) to become relevant in local search queries.


In other words, a working SEO (combined with Google My Business) lets all search engines know what your website is about, what you do. So, when people type:


"electricians near me" or,

"electricians [NAME_OF_THE_CITY]"


Your company should appear among the top results with an optimized NAP (name, address, and phone number).

 

Your content needs to answer all the questions people are asking about that subject matter. You need to know the exact phrasing they're using (called keywords) and turn that into an engaging blog post (or video) that leaves the visitor with a sense of satisfaction - with their questions answered, now they're ready to engage.


On-Page SEO Optimization requires a bit of digging, but here are some easy and gradual steps you can take to optimize your content and kickstart the process:

  • Title Tag: this is what visitors see on Google before they click and enter your website. Your title tag should reflect your brand using powerful keywords to remain relevant in searches.
  • Meta Description: it's a short and objective description of your website that appears right below the title tag. It should be relevant and contain less than 155 characters - otherwise, Google will trim it.
  • Headlines: unlike title tags that convey big ideas, headlines tell people what they can expect inside an article. Use power words here to show you're an expert and attract people to read your full article.
  • Header (H1-H6) Tags: these tags are headings and subheadings within your article serving two purposes. First, provide rich keywords for search engines. Second, smoothly break down the information to provide an enjoyable read to your visitors.
  • Alt Tags: they are short text descriptions for images, hugely overlooked, but with three vital purposes. One, screen readers will read these tags out loud for visually-impaired visitors. Two, if for any reason an image doesn't load, its alt tag will be there instead. Three, they serve for image indexing, making you more relevant in search engines.


Other SEO Optimization tips include:

  • HTTPS: people don't stay long on unsecured connections - not even 20% of them do. Make sure your website gets this secure protocol to protect your visitors' privacy and data.
  • Quick-Loading Time: if your website doesn't fully load in three seconds (or less), more than half your visitors will leave. For every extra second it takes, you lose an additional 12% conversion rate.

3. Set-Up (and Optimize) Your Google My Business Listing


Google has quite a few tools to help you promote your business, and most of them are free. Google My Business allows you to have an online presence both in Google search queries and in Google Maps, which is relevant because 64% of people have used GMB to get contact information on local businesses.

 

When looking up local companies, 88% of people will try to find it on Google Maps. If they cannot find it, there's a high chance they'll disengage and look for other options.


After setting things up, there are a few steps you need to take to optimize your GMB listing.


  • #1 - NAP:updated information on your company's name, full address (findable on Google Maps), and phone numbers.
  • #2 - URL:a working hyperlink that leads to your website.
  • #3 - Business Details: including working hours, business category, the kind of work you do, and a detailed (yet concise) business description. Tell people who you are, and please feel free to put some flavor in here. New customers are much more attracted to brands with relatable personalities than to generic listings.
  • #4 - Images: not only do people love to see listings with lots of images, but Google will also rank you better if you regularly upload pictures.
  • #5 - Interaction:coming in two forms, reviews and Q&As. Replying to all reviews is a must, both positive and negative - it shows you're engaged and committed to your customers. Q&As are an excellent way to attract new customers to your business by clarifying common doubts and minor issues.

4. Request Customer Feedback and Reviews


Customers today are slightly more likely to leave feedback and reviews than in the past, and potential clients will resonate with these reviews much more honestly than they will with your other marketing efforts.

 

The reason behind it is simple. People trust other people more than they trust companies - to the point that 88% of people will trust online reviews as much as a close personal recommendation from a friend.

 

There are several options, but the most important one, by far, is GMB (because a healthy review flow will help you rank much better). However, NextDoor, HomeAdvisor, Yelp, and Facebook (along with other social media platforms) are just as important.


If you feel like you're not getting enough reviews organically, try these following tips:

 

  • Ask for feedback immediately after finishing a project, no later than the morning after. People are still freshly satisfied with your services and are much more likely to leave a detailed and positive review during this time window.
  • Try to reach more than 50 recent reviews. Not only will this place your business on Google's local pack (first page results), but it will also boost your rank by more than 50%.
  • Facilitate the review process. Think of Uber. Right after finishing a trip, you receive a phone notification with a simple review process. Likewise, your customers should receive a link with easy review steps that should take no more than a few minutes to finish.
  • Reply to all reviews! A positive feedback reply should include things like how you enjoyed running that project and how you're looking forward to working with them again. On negative reviews, all you need to do is clear out the air without sounding arrogant or controversial. People react better to humble companies willing to acknowledge they're evolving based on customer feedback. Talking back or, even worse, not talking at all won't do your company any good.

5. Document and Display Your Projects


Not everyone is familiar with the technical wording in electrical projects. A robust and well-documented portfolio will give you the upper-hand against your competitors by showing people the type of work you do, what tools and materials you use, how the area was before you began, and how it ended up after completion of your project.


Most people are painfully visual, and they will only be ready to pull the trigger once you present them with visual stimuli - proof of what you're saying is, in fact, authentic.


Under a specific segment on your website, create and showcase your portfolio. It's important to share details of what the client wanted, the approach you used, and before and after pictures - and if you can quote positive remarks at the bottom, that's just cherry on top.

6. Showcase Your Expertise


Your website cannot be purely commercial because people grow tired of that very easily. You should dedicate part of your content to highlight your expertise in the field. Publish regular blog posts demystifying difficult subjects, like the variations in different types of electrical connections and their impact on your devices.


Include some educational texts, like what to do in case of a blackout. Or even a YouTube series on various DIY, step-by-step guides on simple projects, like installing new electrical plugs on the wall.


By helping your customers (current and potential), you're showing them exactly why they should trust you and what makes you unique in the field. Help them save a few bucks today, and they will most definitely come back for new and larger projects.

7. Target Potential Customers (Including New Homeowners)


Part of transitioning from an electrician who only works with his current customers to an entrepreneur on the constant lookout for new leads requires a state-of-mind switch - scouting, anticipating, and taking action.

 

Since you're not going to sit back and relax while waiting for new customers to come knocking at your door, you must take the streets and grab those chances yourself. Every new project, building plans, urbanization outlines, planned neighborhoods, and new houses sold in the market are excellent opportunities to expand your business.


Immediately after young couples have bought their first homes, that's the perfect moment to approach them with your tailormade portfolio showcasing projects for new homeowners. And don't forget to include your brand-new, mobile-friendly website since most of these homebuyers are under the age of 35.

8. Partner Up With Local Businesses


This step is highly strategical because the more commercial alliances you make, the more you stand to profit. A quick example is partnering up with a local real estate agency. By offering them extremely competitive fees, not only do you get a steady job income, but you also ensure you'll be the electrician of choice whenever their realtors sell a new property and recommend a trusty contractor.

 

Additionally, you can partner up with other contractors in many different fields. Let's suppose a new potential customer just finished a plumbing project in their house, and they're quite happy with it. You have a commercial alliance with them, and now you're being recommended. Because the job they did was excellent, that client is much more likely to trust him than before, meaning you get the same level of trust by association.


Choose your partners wisely and only negotiate that which you can deliver, and you'll see your numbers soaring in no time.

9. Use Yard Signs, Door Knobs, and Other Forms of Conventional Marketing


The market is varied, but marketing should be inclusive. Not everyone responds so well to these digital incentives. Some people still like to rock it old-school - firm handshakes, visible billboards, yard signs, doorknob hangers, radio commercials, magazine ads, you name it.


Conventional marketing is far from dead, and if you want to get optimal results, your marketing plan should include different approaches for people from all market segments. In the end, the more people see and hear about you, the longer they will remember you.

10. Create a Referral Program with Rewards and Benefits


Now more than ever, people can't seem to make decisions on their own anymore. About 82% of Americans will ask for recommendations from their family and friends before buying a product or service. Also, more than 28% of Millennials (remember those new homeowners?) won't even consider your company if their peers don't have positive feedback to share.


Only 30% of businesses have a formalized program, but you can easily consolidate one into your company by designing rewards and benefits for current customers. Cash incentives (vouchers and discounts) work excellently, but non-cash rewards (such as souvenirs and other goodies) work just as well - and in some cases, even better.


Referral programs catch rapidly like wildfire, so it's easy to lose track of progress. Fortunately, you can incorporate it within your website, making it one less thing to worry about in this guide.


Understandably, taking care of all these steps while still running a business might seem a bit overwhelming, particularly if you're not too fond of technology and digital platforms - that's perfectly normal. There are other aspects of your trade that will usually require your undivided focus and attention, like the technical craft in itself.


However, here's a quick reminder. By following these steps, you will establish reliable fidelity-based relationships with your current customers, generate more leads, have a robust digital presence, and become an authority business throughout all search engines.


Let us take it from here. On your end, all you need to do is take care of the things that made your company grow in the first place: high-quality projects, close attention to detail, proven experience, and excellent interpersonal skills.