The marketing consultancy StructureM believes there are seven building blocks to a successful contractor’s marketing plan: A core marketing message, your website, search engine optimization, your company’s reputation, its social media work, its digital advertising, and the way it reports and analyzes results. That sounds logical, but how do you know you’re doing well in any of those categories?
To that end, Broken Arrow, Okla.-based StructureM provides a rating service in which it scores remodeling firms based on how well they do in those areas. Earlier this year, StructureM rated 181 different home improvement firms that use James Hardie products. Here’s a sampling of what StructureM regards as good performance in each area, and how the top 40 of those 181 contracting firms scored. To take the test yourself, click here.
Message
“Successful contractors position themselves as a trusted guide (not a hero),” StructureM says, “with a clear, concise, and consistent message that keeps the focus on the customer’s goals and successes.” This means that, among other things, you should aim to focus on the problem you help customers solve and explain your process for doing so.
Total possible points: 20. Benchmark group’s average score: 15.7
Website
Your website should almost instantly communicate what you do, look professional (including on a mobile device), be easy to manage, get updated regularly, and feature clear and prominent calls to action.
Total possible points: 25. Benchmark group’s average score: 22.5
Search Engine Optimization
Using the right terms helps assure that people will see your website quickly when they conduct searches. If you’re a siding contractor, you’ll know that if your company’s name shows up on the first Google results page when you look for “siding contractor.” Your website also should consistently provide contact information and use web coding basics like title tags and keywords.
Total possible points: 20. Benchmark group’s average score: 15.3
Reputation
“A simple online search should show that you have created positive experiences for many other customers,” StructureM says. This means, for instance, you should have at least five Google reviews with an average rating of 4 or higher, at least a 10:1 ratio of positive to negative reviews, and a record for responding to reviews—even negative ones.
Total possible points: 20. Benchmark group’s average score: 15.4
Social Media
Is your Facebook profile up to date, and do you write posts at least two to three times per week? What signs do you get that people are engaging with you via likes, comments, or shares?
Total possible points: 20. Benchmark group’s average score: 16.8
Digital Advertising
Your business should advertise and actively manage a digital ad campaign most of the year. Do you?
Total possible points: 5. Benchmark group’s average score: 2.8
Total possible points: 110
Benchmark group’s score: 88.5
All of these elements can be assessed by an outsider. StructureM’s scorecard also includes questions on internal issues, such as whether you’ve set a cost per acquisition and know your average cost per lead, that can be worth up to 30 more points, raising the total possible to 140.
By that total count, a score over 115 is excellent, while one below 85 suggests room for improvement.
