The best ways to get plumbing leads in 2023 - Housecall Pro
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The best ways to get plumbing leads in 2023

Two things every homeowner needs: The right plumbing inside their home and reliable plumbing services to keep everything functioning. Whether it’s making sure that the toilet is working or saving money on the cost of water, the plumbing industry plays a crucial role in the lives of millions of Americans. And with a booming housing market, the plumbing industry is growing at a rate far faster than other home services industries.

So how do you set yourself apart from the competition? With a little hard work, dedication, and good old-fashioned business know-how, you can pull in plenty of plumbing leads this year. Here are some of our favorite tips to keep the plumbing leads flowing in.

Everything you need to know about plumbing lead generation

You might be thinking, If the plumbing industry is growing, then why is it so difficult to grow my business through lead generation? Maybe you’ve been a staple business in the community for years, but the phone doesn’t ring off the hook the way it used to. Sure, you’re able to keep your business running smoothly, but growing it to levels that can bring quality to the community and provide for your loved ones—that’s what you’ve been gunning for.

The problem all comes down to how your plumbing company has been generating leads. And if we had to guess, we bet you probably aren’t taking full advantage of plumbing service software to improve your marketing efforts either. Hint: You should be. 

Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in this business for years, the lead generation landscape has changed. Only the plumbing businesses that can adapt and use the best lead generation strategies will grow their business. It’s time to discover the best tricks, tips, and strategies to help get more plumbing jobs and generate high-quality leads.

The best ways to get plumbing leads

Generating quality plumbing leads that keep the phone ringing and the inbox full are simple. Take a look at our list of lead generating strategies and find a few that you can work into your business.

Elevate SEO to market your plumbing services

A cornerstone of successful businesses in the digital age, SEO (search engine optimization) is number one on our list for a good reason. Most of today’s searching and shopping is done online. In fact, 81% of consumers do research online before making their purchase.1 If your SEO ranks low, no one will be able to find you (and you don’t want that).

You can increase your SEO by:

  • Keyword targeting for organic searches (most important)
  • Making sure your site loads quickly
  • Designing your site for mobile

Make sure your site is chock full of keywords that your potential customer will use in their search. These are terms like:

  • “Plumbing”
  • “Plumbing near me”
  • “Broken toilet”

Build an email list

If you don’t have an email list and an email service provider to help broadcast free promotional material to your customer base, you’re losing out on thousands of dollars. In fact, email marketing yields an ROI (return on investment) of $44 for every $1 spent.2 

Building an email list isn’t hard, you’ve probably been collecting emails for a while already. Think about it, on any project order or invoice, you already have a section asking for their email. To build out your list, send an email asking your customer to confirm their email for your new list. From there, you can send out industry related material, including:

  • Seasonal deals
  • Cost saving tips
  • New and innovative technology
  • Educational and DIY material

If you can, send your base free information every so often. You may not see the dollars right away, however, what you’re doing is building trust. And when a customer trusts you, they’re more likely to open up their wallet.

Build a conversion-based website

You probably have a plumbing website. That’s great. But do you have a conversion-based plumbing website? Maybe not.

A conversion-based website is specifically designed to keep potential customers on the site and offer them value to convert them into paying customers. So what does that look like exactly?

  • Start a plumbing blog (this will help your SEO rank by offering trustworthy content to your potential customers)
  • Use videos on your site and make sure you syndicate them with YouTube and other social media sites
  • Link to other sites of authority in the plumbing industry
  • Make sure the design of your site is fast and easy to navigate
  • Your site should have a clear CTA (call to action) informing the site visitor what steps they should take
  • You should have multiple opt-in forms that help your customer join your email list

Use positive testimonials to build a trusted base

In order to build long-term growth with your business, you need a customer base that trusts you over the competition. When you build trust, you’ll have customers coming to you over and over. You can use reviews from your customers to help build your new customer base. After all, over half of all shoppers use reviews to help influence their purchase.3

Here’s how to use that to your advantage. Using your email list, you can send past customers follow-up emails requesting a review or testimonial. From there, you can showcase that testimonial content on your site for potential customers to see.

Use digital marketing to generate plumbing leads

Consider using paid marketing channels such as PPC (pay-per-click) to run Google, Bing, and even Yahoo ads to target online leads. Be sure to research what search queries your potential customers are searching for online to send those target audiences over to your site quickly.  

Online directories and lead generation platforms

Lead generation platforms like Yelp, Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, and more are commonly used to list your business and be seen by more potential customers looking for plumbing services. Some plumbing business owners recommend these platforms, but some have a strong opinion against them too. It’s important to do your research to see where you land on the topic. 

Set up a customer referral program

88% of consumers mostly trust recommendations from people they know, like friends and family.4 So a surefire way to boost your lead generation is to get your current (and past) happy customers to do the referring for you. Set up a referral program that gets new customers in the door by offering deals to the people who have already done business with you. 

Asking for a referral doesn’t have to be awkward. You can do it by:

  • Asking for referrals through social media
  • Asking via follow-up email material
  • Asking in person with a business card and other promotional material
  • Giving a presentation to the local hardware store and ask for them to use you as a referral if customers need plumbing work

Deliver top-notch customer service

If you want to land positive customer reviews and referrals, a lot of it falls on you to create an amazing customer experience. When you make every customer feel like they’re your only customer, they’ll remember you for that. Sometimes getting customer service right can feel like hitting a moving target, but it’s worth the effort. 

And keep in mind that it’s the little things that add up to a great experience. Things like remembering a customer’s name, letting an answering service take their calls at all hours, and reassuring them that if the job isn’t done right, you’ll send out another tech free of charge all add up to the making of a memorable customer experience. 

Create a roadmap for your success

Running a plumbing business takes planning, strategy, and hard work. Running a successful plumbing business takes all of that—and more. But you can do it! All you need is a plan. Put these tips for plumbing leads to use, map your out revenue goals, and figure out how fast you can grow. Take the time to learn how many new customers and employees you need to bring on in order to scale your business. 

It will take some grit and good old-fashioned hard work, but soon you’ll have new leads hammering the phone lines and blasting your email inbox. 

Remember, your business is built on new leads—but trust sustains your business overall. When you offer an experience that goes beyond a customer’s expectations, you build trust. Which gives your customers a reason to believe in your company. From there, you’ve created an automated marketing machine, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a successful and long-lasting plumbing business in the community. 

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Housecall Pro
Solutions for your business Whether you need to improve dispatching, reduce paperwork, increase workforce or grow revenue, we have a solution.

Housecall Pro

Solutions for your business Whether you need to improve dispatching, reduce paperwork, increase workforce or grow revenue, we have a solution.