Fall marks the beginning of the slower season for many contractors. The period between Mid November and into March yields far fewer consumers looking to remodel, move or deep clean. People are focused on gearing up for the holidays and preparing for the new year ahead.
There are several mistakes that contractors frequently make during these lean times. You might be tempted to cut way back on your marketing budget, lay off and lay low to avoid any unnecessary expenses. Savvy contractors utilize these slower winter months to build their business and prepare for the busy season ahead. They work to keep revenue channels open. Taking steps now will poise your business for exponential growth your prime season begins.
#1: Cut Way Back on Marketing
It might seem necessary to drastically cut your marketing budget as winter approaches. However, when your cue of booked jobs drops, this is an excellent time to review your marketing strategy and trim out the efforts that aren’t yielding results. There are plenty of opportunities there to gain some leads, win new jobs, and keep your team on the payroll. Here are some ways to improve and refine your marketing efforts:
- If you are losing money on print (mailers, brochures, etc.), it may be time to pause or halt that marketing channel.
- If you are paying more for leads that you are making in jobs, it may be time to find a new lead company. There are lead generation businesses that produce better results than others. Now is a great time to evaluate the results that were achieved in 2023. What is your close rate? What is your lead conversion rate?
- Google Ads is an excellent option for increasing lead volume during the winter. The team at 99 Calls is still seeing a 15 – 20% conversion rate on Google Ads campaigns. Google Ads marketing allows contractors to target specific services in selected areas so that you can get more done with a smaller budget.
- Try LSA. Google Guaranteed has expanded its reach in terms of locations and industries served. If you’re not sure if LSA is offered for your industry, check with one of our team members.
- Run a database reactivation campaign and stay top of mind with former customers.
#2: Cut Way Back on Labor
Because there is a general shortage of skilled and highly motivated laborers in the workforce, if you are lucky enough to have them on your crew, now is not the time to lay them off. Here are some strategies to keep them going:
- Do what you can to keep those smaller jobs coming in, even if at lower profit margins to keep your valued workers gainfully employed. During the busy months, you can afford to cherry-pick, but during the lean months, expand your options and take what you can, as long as it’s profitable.
- We all prefer winning big jobs and jobs that provide recurring business. However, smaller gigs can keep your favorite employees on the payroll and often lead to larger, more valuable jobs in the future.
- Keeping employees busy during the winter months building trust and loyalty. See step #1 above for ideas on generating more leads during the winter. Be willing to book smaller jobs and one-off jobs to keep your calendar full and your people working.
#3: Take it Easy and Just Chill for the Winter
As tempting as it may be to take a long winter nap, consider work you can do now that will go a long way toward keeping you super busy for the rest of the year. Yes, take that well-earned vacation but then get going on some of the suggestions below:
- Take a look at your SEO efforts. Are you promoting the services that you offer in the winter months now? It takes time for new content to get indexed and start ranking on Google. Now is the time to promote the services you want to offer in March, April and May.
- Beef up your website and online listings with new photos.
- Contact former happy customers and send them a link to your Google Business Profile. Take the time now to get more 5-star reviews.
- Contact current customers and offer a discount when they book winter services.
- Plan your 2024 budget. What are your goals for the new year in terms of growth, revenue, advertising?
- Take time in the slower weeks ahead to review what’s working, what isn’t and see where you can trim the fat.
- Take some of your summer profits and invest them in some solid targeted online marketing. Remember, smart online marketing is an investment, not an expense!
- Once you’ve got these things in place, take a quick break – you’ll be recharged and ready to reap the rewards of your efforts!
If the thought of laser-focusing your marketing dollars and finding low-cost, high-value leads seems out of reach at the moment, consider trying the bundle program with 99 Calls. For a $349 price tag, you’ll get set up on both SEO marketing, which will grow over time, and a Google Ads or Google Guaranteed campaign that can start working for you immediately. Database reactivation campaigns are another low cost/high return marketing strategy that you can do now to get more business.