An excellent online reputation is a powerful marketing tool for each business. These days, most construction clients begin their search online. Star ratings and reviews from reliable sites, including Google maps and Yelp, help clients with quick research and fast, informed decision-making. Considering how competitive the construction industry is, companies in the construction industry need to integrate reputation management into their marketing strategies.
An excellent online reputation helps construction companies to expand their client base, resulting in business growth and success. A construction company that provides its services online should be keen on improving and managing its online reputation. This article discusses tips for improving online reputation for your construction business.
Gather customer reviews and testimonials
Most clients will look at reviews and testimonials before committing to a specific contractor. This is why you should gather customer reviews and testimonials from your customers. Find ways to convince your clients to share their experiences about working with your construction company. To persuade your customers to leave positive reviews, ensure excellent customer care, and deliver quality projects.
While customers may understand the importance of reviews, they may not want to go through the hassle where the process involved is long. Investing in business reputation management software can help you to get more reviews by making it easy for customers to leave reviews, easily collect constructive feedback, and view real-time insights . Additionally, you can promote reviewing via Google My Business listing by adding a google review link in your customer messages by the end of the construction project.
Create a great construction business website
A good website and a great online marketing strategy are vital to landing new customers and improving your business. It lets you describe what you can offer your clients while showcasing your portfolio. Your construction business can benefit from a solid online presence, so make your site look professional to avoid losing out to the competition.
When prospective clients search for businesses like yours online, they’ll be directed to your website, increasing site traffic and conversion rates. Make your website navigable, appealing, and cohesive. You can partner with an experienced, reliable web designer for a great construction business website.
Consider construction blogging
While you may have an excellent website, adding a blog takes it to the next level. Your blog allows you to talk about the different projects you’ve done while going in-depth about your approaches and how you’ve improved your skills since you began. You can blog about the kind of construction you do or home improvement. This allows you to showcase your expertise and abilities. You can even include DIY projects where you give tips on various home improvement projects and pick the right tools for various tasks, establishing your website as a credible information source.
Providing valuable content that your readers want helps you gain a loyal following that you can easily convert into customers. Updating your blog with relevant, informative, and exciting home improvement content can increase your contract leads.
Leverage social media
Being proactive on your Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook profiles enables you to improve your social media performance for an increased online reputation. Consider answering all the questions directed to your timeline, DMs, or comment section. Engage your followers, post photos and videos of your construction projects, and then ask for feedback.
This will help you create positive engagement, contributing to your online reputation. Running competitions and quizzes on your social media pages for giveaways can help improve your construction business’s image. Consider highlighting a Corporate Social Responsibility activity your construction business engages in to boost your reputation.
Learn how to handle negative reviews
While getting negative reviews may be disheartening, it’s inevitable. This is because it’s humanly impossible to please everybody. However, how you deal with negative reviews can make or break your online reputation. Respond to negative feedback promptly and be polite. Handle part of the issue publicly to ensure a visible response and offer to find a solution for whatever the problem is.
Upon solving the issue and confirming that the client is satisfied, ask for a review update. Letting them know that reviews and customer satisfaction are essential for your business might help. Note that negative reviews reduce your overall rating, so work on getting more positive feedback from your clients.
Manage your online reputation
Online reputation management helps your construction business maintain a positive image by sharing positive perceptions and managing negative reviews. Online reputation management involves monitoring, addressing, analyzing, and shaping customer and leads’ impressions about your construction business. You must track and react to brand mentions across multiple digital touchpoints, including social media platforms, websites, videos, and press coverage.
How you handle your negative feedback is essential in maintaining brand image because it relates to project quality and customer service. Managing your online reputation effectively helps you build credibility and trust, giving customers more confidence to do business with you.
Launch link building campaigns
While building high-quality links is a part of SEO, it’s essential for boosting your online reputation. High-quality linking isn’t just linking to authoritative sites. The content around it matters too. Authority sites that describe your content as quality advice help improve your online reputation. When your content is considered high-value, websites will link to it naturally, strengthening your reputation as a niche authority.
Create content that readers want for entertainment or information value. Readers and publishers will naturally share it with their followers and friends or link to it as a citation. Writing content addressing your niche’s obscure or forgotten aspects can improve your online authority and reputation. Being intentional with your backlinking strategies protects and builds your brand’s reputation.
Endnote
Excellent online reputation builds your brand image, boosts sales, increases visibility, and builds trust and credibility. Use these tips to improve your construction business reputation.