How to sell my services online to reach more customers

Make the most out of your website, search engines, social media and lead providers – new business opportunities are but a few clicks away!

As a local business, you want to appear in search results in your area and pop up in potential customers' social media feeds. Because let's face it: if no one knows about your business, how can they buy your services? Here are some tips to help you get noticed online.

Make the most out of your website

A website is one of the most basic, but also powerful, tools in your marketing mix. If you don’t have one, you are at a clear disadvantage in relation to your competitors, as the majority of consumers search for products and services online. Setting up a website is very easy nowadays and there are dozens of services with countless templates to get you started.

Make sure your basic elements (about, services, references, contact information) are organized in a user-friendly, easy-to-find manner. If a potential customer doesn't find what they are looking for or experiences difficulties using your page (not mobile optimized, for example), they will quickly move on to the next alternative – your competitor. If you offer several kinds of services, such as decorative interior painting as well as exterior jobs, it is a good idea to divide these into service categories. You can then and give examples of what these service categories entail. High-quality reference pictures are an essential part of the website: they tell potential customers a lot about the painter and their attitude to work – are they clean, well-organized, professional etc. When you have suitable site, ask your client if you can take pictures (perhaps even before and after shots) for your website: they will go a long way in convincing potentials customers of your expertise. In addition to having your services, reference pictures and contact info, your page should tell potential customers your story: who you are and what you offer. This creates a personal touch and gives them a reason to interact with your page. A strong value proposition helps you stand out from the crowd and define your unique selling points to use when marketing your services.

Boost your page to stand out

When you have your elements and template lined up, it is important to focus on the content and the right keywords. SEO (search engine optimization) will help your page show up in search engines, when potential customers are looking for someone to paint their roof or remodel their living room. Using the right keywords, title tags and sitemap structure can make a big difference. You can learn to do SEO yourself or hire an expert to perfect your page.

Advertise locally through Google, Facebook and Instagram

Google Ads will help you rise to the top of the search results much faster than SEO alone, and getting ahead in this ranking will naturally drive more traffic to your page. Google Ads lets you target searches based on geography, which helps reach potential customers near you.

Also Facebook and Instagram allows you to target your ads in various ways, including to audiences that have recently moved to the area or are interested in home renovations and decor etc. Advertising on social media and Google is often much more cost effective than putting out print ads in newspapers, for example. So set up a Google Ads / Facebook advertising account and start promoting your business.

Use customer referrals

If you provide excellent service and quality, customers will gladly recommend you and spread the word online. Facebook groups are a common platform for exchanging experiences about construction and renovation projects, and Facebook Business pages and Google My Business pages offer valuable peer reviews and ratings for potential customers looking to hire a painter. Word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful marketing channels available and praise from a happy customer will go a long way. Make sure to do a great job and ask for referrals – satisfied customers are often glad to leave a positive rating or comment on your business page, which in turn makes it easier for new customers to trust that you'll do a great job for them too.

Try lead provider services

Lead providers are companies that generate leads for a specific industry (painting, renovation, carpentry etc.) by bringing together customers and service providers. A potential customer usually submits a request for estimates on a certain project (painting the exterior of a house, building a terrace for the summer cottage) by filling out a form on the lead providers website. The lead provider then gives you the contact information of the potential customer so you can bid on the project.

If the lead quality is good, a lead provider may be a great addition to your sales tactics. Make sure to track the return on investment with each lead-provider to see which ones work the best for you.

We hope these tips help you gain visibility with prospective clients and grow your business. There are various step-by-step guides online – if you invest some time on this during off season, you'll be all set in the spring!