It takes many skills to build a house and few actually know all the pieces. It is the same with online marketers. Keeping up with it all let alone mastering all those skills is impossible.
I've spent hundreds of hours trying to keep up with it all. So instead here is my secret to never miss something huge.
The trick is to follow the thought leaders that stay up reading and analyzing everything instead of you doing it.
The 5 recent Google My Business Listings updates are:
Message - Receive SMS live chats from customers right from your maps listing. - How to
Scheduler or Menu Link - Include a link to your online calendar/scheduler. Or restaurants can link right to their menu. - How to
Questions - It's like a Q/A page but on your Google listing and you have to wait for customers to ask questions. - How to
Posts - It's basically twitter because you can't say much (meant for small updates like talking about the latest sale this Saturday). - How to
Free Website - This is a horrible idea but it's better than no website. I discuss this and other website builders here.
Here is what it looks like on a mobile device.
Most of these changes only show on mobile for now.
If you are going to use a calendar appointment service may I recommend Calendly.com because it is awesome and syncs with your Google Calendar.
Be sure to be measuring the success of your Google listing. Here is a screen shot of the overall metrics they show at first glance. Dig a bit deeper and you can see calls, messages, visits to your site... But be sure to store this data somewhere as they only keep it for 30 days.
The short answer is no you don't need a website, that thing that costs a ton, sucks money every few years on a new redesign and needs a programmer to maintain.
I'm going to show you how to despite not having a website you can really amplify leads. I'll show you 6 ways service professionals are killing it right now without a website including getting reviews (the new referral).
Healthy Distribution of Business
What you need is to know what is working in your business and truly bringing in the sales. Then where where to go next for more.
Because without the numbers you can’t possibly know where you are, let alone where you’re going. With the numbers, your business will take on a totally new meaning.
Your ultimate goal as a business owner if to get more sales and, therefore, more sales and profit. If you work backwards from that goal you will find mile markers or leverage points that help you achieve your goal on every marketing campaign.
Source Neil Cummings
This is what is called a KPI (Key Performance Indicator). KPI Think of it as sort of a measuring system to to compare by.
Asking each customer how they heard about you is good but typically impossible to track throughout the day. We'll discuss how to track things automatically.
A website is typically the easiest way to implement measuring systems. However you can do many without a website as well.
I like to track customer phone calls with CallRail.com. You can pick a different phone number for each of your marketing campaigns and you will always know if that nickle-ad is generating any calls automatically. Same goes for the Facebook ad or post card you mailed out.
Source Animated Heaven
Both Google and Facebook allow you to have a free business listing. Chances are they have already made a listing for your business.
Google search for roofing brings up listings
Google and Facebook have recently added a free chat feature that you can use through email, possibly text. Claiming and updating your listings will give you greater control and insight into those customers views and contacts.
These directory listings will make it so that when someone searches for your kind of business and especially your business name, they can find you.
Google search for Doug's Repair
Often these listings can't outrank a proper website but it is better than nothing. These pages also provide a home for reviews so that when people find you, they can see ratings on past customer experience.
Most service professionals we work with get the majority of their business through referrals and repeat buyers. This has been and always will be the best source of ready to buy leads. At the very leads asking each customer for a review via the feedback funnel means they are referring you to the entire internet and not just their small circle of friends.
Googles recent update allows 1 bad review to show up in Google search results (including maps). Now is the time to get some good reviews ASAP.
Google shows 1 bad review
You have never needed a website to store and keep handy past customers contact information, make sure that you have a way to contact past customers and vice versa. An email can be worth its weight in gold.
You could still get emails gathered and stored in Hubspots Free CRM (Customer Relationship Management System). Having an electronic database of your past customers is going to make it a whole lot easier to scale or sell your business in the future.
You could even start an email newsletter using Mailchimps free for 2,000 subscribers plan. Email is cheaper to send out then letters and easier to share and get a referral.
Drag and drop easy
If you have a complicated product like my parents in law fancy security systems, you can create an automated email that teaches new customers how to use all the bells and whistles. You better believe that increases customer loyalty.
If you don't have a website, then you have to do lots offline advertising:
Remember those call tracking numbers come in handy. If you want to try having a different number for 1 of your marketing campaigns then you could try the free Google Voice. Get 1 local number for free and forward it to your existing number. Login online and see which calls were through the tracking number.
Keep paying for the marketing that gets those calls.
We once met a business owner that got the highest returns on marketing we had ever seen just from penny-ads and good street side placement of his product and a phone number. You can keep yourself busy without a website. When you go to sell the business having a system in place will be more valuable than a website.
Don't forget to assign a different CallRail tracking numbers to each effort/campaign. No need to keep spending money on something that doesn't get results in the first 6 months.
The is no reason you couldn't even hand out different brochures or business cards to be handed out by your strategic partners. You could even make it a game to see who gets you more business and gets a stake dinner in return.
You can also have events and coupons to draw in customers. Separate details and offers will lead you back to the winning marketing campaign/source.
Now you may be thinking to yourself, "But I do have a website!" when you only have a single page site. The difference between a 1 page site vs. a whole site is that 1 page can't answer all the questions customers may have each of your product offerings. A good site needs to have 6 or more pages with a very detailed page of each product/service.
Bonus points if your website is optimized for search engines by a reputable local company.
If you have a website these marketing methods will go further. However you can still do a version of each of these without a website. Because you can point people to something you own and control in all of your marketing.
If you ask me, I'd say that yes! You really should have a optimized website. Websites really amplify / support good marketing as well as bring in new business. I hope this was helpful to you and your business!
P.S. Websites can track what got more web form fill outs. We like to look in Google Analytics for SEO, Social Media and Google PPC web form leads. Don't forget that, whichever way you choose to track your KPI, you should ask how your customers heard of you but as a secondary source for the truth.
For contractors, posting something relevant weekly on Facebook or sending a customer newsletter, is the last thing on their list.
However if you think ranking number 1 is enough on its own, you're mistaken. People are checking out your reviews and are often on your social media.
They were finding him in the Yellow Pages and then looking his company up online.
– Christian – Plumber via plumberseo.net
To avoid an empty graveyard effect, post regularly on your social media accounts. Using a company like emphatic.co may be the only way to automate social media intelligently. At 40 posts a month for $99, it is a good option.
Keeping top of mind is powerful. There is a new company that makes it easy to do just that. Tidings will take your Facebook posts and turn them into a beautiful newsletter for just $39 $19 a month (Update: you can get just 1 email news letter a month for the lower price now).
Since these are intelligent human beings, you can outline things like about carpentry and home improvement. But more than that you can give them a list of local sites/businesses to post and engage with. It is slick and the first few posts are completely free to try.
Combine these two powerful tools and you have a powerful social and former client outreach program for less than $120 per month. I dare you to find any part time person or agency for that.
This shouldn't replace posting those great before and after shots. Rather, with a few of your own posts plus theirs, you have hit a gold mine of value.
If you thought these resources were helpful check out our free getting reviews course or get a list of what your customers want you to blog about.
Update: MailChimp has started to allow even free accounts to use automation. This means you can schedule out series of emails such as how to use that fancy new security system we installed for example. If you want to do email marketing yourself look at MailChimp.
