A few months ago my colleague David Roddy wrote a very informed, popular article on how and where to find field service customers.  This content seemed particularly relevant for HomeAdvisor service pros, especially the section on digital profiles, so I’m summarizing it for you here.

There’s a good chance that the main reason you’ve come to HomeAdvisor is to get more customers.  We recommend HomeAdvisor to our mHelpDesk field service software customers all the time (and we’re fortunate to already have many great customers in common).  Online marketplaces such as HomeAdvisor provide a direct link to customers who are ready to move forward with a service on their home, making them ideal for a service professional who wants to keep their job pipeline full.

There are other ways to ensure you’re doing everything you can to find great customers, including improving your digital presence.  So be sure to consider these tactics when you’re looking to improve the quality of your customers and grow your business:

Get your “digital face” looking its best

The way most people discover new businesses has changed. Instead of learning about local plumbers or electricians from advertising or word-of-mouth, more people are turning to search engines (like Google, Yahoo or Bing) or online directories (like HomeAdvisor).

Put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Imagine you’re sitting in your living room, browsing the internet for the perfect company to build your dream bathroom. If you’re like 80% of the world, the first thing you do is search for reviews of local contractors. After you find a company that sounds like it’s reputable and a good fit, you check their website to learn more about them.

So, if your business doesn’t have a website already it’s time to get one.  There are so many tools out there that can help you build a website, but more than half of small businesses don’t have one. Stand out from the competition by having the best digital presence in your industry and area.

If you don’t know where to start, there are easy, inexpensive tools that can help:

• Find a good website name: We suggest you start with a good web address (or URL); something easy for your employees and customers to say and spell. You want them to remember the website address so they can type it into their internet browser easily or share it with friends.  There are some good resources to help you identify and buy URLs, like GoDaddy and NameMesh.
• Make a logo: If you don’t already have a logo, getting one can really add credibility and instant recognition to your business.  Believe it or not, there are many free logo generators that can help you create a great logo. Canva is user-friendly if you or someone on your team would like to take a stab at creating something yourself.  Or find a professional designer to handcraft a logo for you; services like Envato and Logoworks are very reasonable.
• Build a website: Now that you’ve gotten your URL and logo in order, you can use them as the foundation of a great website. If you’re devoted to building an incredible website with all the bells and whistles, you probably want to seek out a design firm. However, if you’re not quite ready to commit to spending that much money, do-it-yourself website builders are a solid, inexpensive option.  No coding experience is required, and most have templates designed specifically for different types of service businesses.  There is an abundance of options, including Wix, Squarespace, Webs and WordPress.

With all of these resources at your fingertips, your business’s new website and new customers are just a few clicks away.

If you want to learn more about getting customers through digital tactics, please read the whole original article (The Top 3 Ways to Find More Customers) on the mHelpDesk blog.

Author: Rochelle Sanchirico, VP of marketing for mHelpDesk