In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for businesses to thrive. For plumbers and heating engineers, digital marketing can be a game-changer in reaching potential customers and growing their business.
This complete internet marketing guide will take you through the essential steps and strategies to effectively enhance your digital marketing efforts. From optimising your website for search engines and local searches to leveraging social media, paid advertising, lead magnets, email marketing, and measuring your results with tools like Google Analytics and Search Console, this guide will equip you with the knowledge and tactics needed to succeed in the competitive world of digital marketing for plumbing and heating businesses.
How to get found by your potential customers
There are many digital marketing strategies that you can employ to get found by new potential customers.
Marketing your plumbing business isn’t easy. You need to know where to start and how to differentiate between the digital marketing tactics available so you can grow successfully. First, let’s look at some of the digital marketing strategies you can use.
- Your website
- Content marketing through your blog, and videos on YouTube can be time-consuming over time, the extra effort pays off
- Local SEO is another digital marketing tactic that will help grow your plumbing business by getting it listed higher in the organic search rankings
- Social media channels like Facebook and Instagram
- Lead magnets are digital marketing tools that you can use to get the email addresses of potential customers
- Pay-per-click advertising on Google Adwords will help bring new leads into your business through cost-effective PPC campaigns. We’ll discuss this digital marketing tactic further below!
Let’s go through each of these items in detail.
The Beginning of Your Online Marketing Strategy: Plumbing Websites
Creating an effective website for your plumbing business is critical to success. Everything else you create online will point back to it. Many Plumbers don’t believe they need a website, but when done well, it acts like a 24/7 advert for your business, getting leads for you at any time of day.
In this section, we will walk you through the steps you need to take to ensure that your website effectively markets your plumbing services. You can also read our article about the best websites we have found for plumbers to help you with inspiration!
1. Plan your website before you start building it. This means deciding on the structure, navigation and layout of your website.
When creating your site structure, you should think about what you want to include on your website, the below is the minimum we would recommend when creating a new website:
- Homepage
- Services page(s) (Add sub-service pages for boiler installation, boiler repairs, bathroom installation etc)
- About Us page
- Areas we cover
- Contact page
2. Include important information about your business or your service on each page. When creating your pages, include important information such as the title, meta description, and keywords. This will help your website rank higher in search engine results.
3. Use a professional web design template designed for plumbing businesses. This will give your website an instant professional look.
4. Make sure your website is responsive and fast so that it loads quickly (It needs to be less than 3 seconds and is a Google search ranking factor) and looks good on all devices, from desktop computers to smartphones and tablets.
5. Use high-quality photos and videos of your work to showcase your skills and services.
6. Write clear and compelling service descriptions. Your service descriptions should include:
- What your company does, and how can it help the customer
- How do you provide good value for money
- Your location and the locations you cover (this is important because most people use Google Maps to find local businesses)
- Links to your Social media
- A call to action, with a simple line of text and an obvious button for people to click on in order to contact you. For example “Contact us today” or “Get in touch”. Make this button stand out so it is easy for visitors to spot. This will help drive the user to act.
- Your contact details, including your phone number and email address.
- Keep the website fresh by adding new content regularly – at least once a month, if not more often – or hire us to do it for you!
Additional features you should consider having on your website are :
- Testimonials from happy customers.
- A photo gallery of some before and after shots to convince people you really can do what your website says. Showcase the best images on your homepage for maximum impact!
- An online booking or quote system allows visitors to easily ask for a service without having to pick up the phone. The additional benefit is that potential customers can do this at any time of day or night.
- A blog or news section to keep your website fresh and interesting.
- A chat widget so that potential customers can contact you directly from the website.
At Lion Spirit Media, we create lead-generating websites for plumbers that follow all of the best practices outlined above. We offer a free consultation and can create your website, including writing the copy; we would need some images, your logo and information about the services you wish to promote.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Local SEO for Plumbing and Heating Companies
SEO is the process of optimising your website in order to rank higher for certain keywords in search engine results to drive traffic to your website. This means that when people search on Google or Bing for specific searches, your site will appear at the top of their search results and they can click through to it.
SEO makes sense when you have a small advertising budget and would like to attract more customers through other, non-paid methods, such as organic search rankings.
At Lion Spirit Media, we have an SEO package that will help grow the organic search performance of plumbing businesses of any size, starting at £150+VAT per month.
You can check your SEO performance by using our free SEO audit tool.
Why your Plumbing and Heating Business needs SEO
SEO is free as long as you have the time, and we have written an extensive SEO guide for plumbers here to help you get started!
It helps build brand awareness by increasing the chances of your website appearing on Google or Bing for specific searches related to what you do (i.e Plumbers in London)
It can help drive more traffic to your site, which means more potential customers
You are not paying per click or impression, so you only pay for results.
Google Analytics is a great way of tracking the performance of your website and understanding what works well (i.e pages with high bounce rates) as well as areas that need improvement
When starting in SEO you will create a unique set of keywords that you can target on your website to help it rank higher in search results. When carrying out this research it is important to find specific terms that potential customers would be looking for, using the long-tail approach. This means that rather than targeting very broad searches like “plumber” or “heating engineer”, you create a list of more specific terms that people might use to search for your services. For example, “emergency plumber london” or “boiler repairs guildford”. Not only is the long tail approach shown to have higher conversion rates than broad keywords, but it also makes you stand out from other plumbing companies because people are less likely to find you using very generic terms.
Local SEO is a very specific type of SEO with the aim to increase your ranking on Google Maps and show up in local search results. Local SEO is important as people are more likely to click through if they live nearby, or it could be a good idea for those that want to drive traffic from surrounding areas (i.e London).
Google Business Profile
A Google business profile (Formally Google My Business) is how you get your business found on Google maps. It gives customers the ability to find detailed information about your business, including contact information, hours of operation, photos, videos, reviews, and more.
For a local plumbing business, a Google business profile is essential for appearing in local search engine results, making it easier for customers to find your services. It also allows customers to leave reviews, providing valuable feedback about the business and helping to build trust and credibility.
Furthermore, a business profile allows your potential customers to get in touch with your plumbing business quickly and easily, as well as providing them with up-to-date information about the business. Finally, it gives the business an opportunity to engage with customers, respond to reviews, and increase visibility online.
Lion Spirit Media can help you with all aspects of SEO to get your website in front of more customers and drive traffic that converts into sales. We work closely with our clients, offering a personalised service every step of the way including monthly reporting on how their websites are performing to provide insights as well as creating content to further enhance the success of their website.
Social Media Marketing for Plumbers and Heating Engineers
Social media is one of the best ways to reach your target audience and helps to increase brand awareness. It’s also a great way for you to engage with potential customers, whether that means responding by asking questions or starting discussions about things they may be interested in (i.e local news, industry changes etc.)
You can use Social Media Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn to help get your company in front of more people.
When creating social media accounts, it is important that they are tailored to what you do and who you want to target. For example, if you specialise in bathroom installations only, then perhaps the best way for you would be Facebook and Instagram, as both platforms’ users respond well to visual content.
Paid per click Adverts (PPC) for Plumbers and Heating Engineers
Paid ads are a great way to target specific audiences and promote your website. You can use Facebook, Instagram or Google Ads that only show up to people who have certain interests or characteristics (i.e location, age group etc.).
Google Ads are the most popular option for businesses in the Plumbing and Heating Industry as you can very specifically the keywords, target audience and locations that show up in search results. The CPC (cost-per-click) model allows you to only pay if someone clicks on your ad, which is great because then it doesn’t cost anything unless there’s genuine interest in your services (as long as they are targeted correctly). Google Ads are also a great way of giving a brand new website a boost, as it takes a while (it can take more than 6 weeks) for new websites to start ranking in Google organically, Pay-per-click Ads get your website to the top of Google much more quickly (almost instantly they just need to be approved).
Facebook and Instagram Ads also work well for this industry as, again, you can very specifically target your audience and show up in their newsfeeds, however, as this is more based on audience personas, it is not as targetted as someone searching specifically for your service.
Paid advertising is an effective way of driving traffic and converting those visitors into leads immediately (often within 24 hours). It does, however, require some effort to set up and often requires constant maintenance to ensure that the best return from your spending is achieved.
Lion Spirit Media can help set up paid ads campaigns to make sure they run smoothly and provide traffic that is targeted at the right people who are interested in your services.
Lead Magnets for Plumbing and Heating Businesses
One of the most popular ways to turn a lead into a customer is by providing them with an incentive in exchange for their contact details. This can be done by offering free information, guides or resources that are relevant to your industry and intended audience.
These posts should not be too long as you only want people to read them if they have shown an interest in your company, so they should be more of an introduction to what you do.
It’s also important that the content is relevant and informative as this will encourage people to read it and then provide their contact details at the end where applicable (this could for example, require filling out a form or providing some information on how best to get hold of them).
For example, if you are a heating engineer, offering guides on how to maintain your boiler or save money on energy bills would be something that people may appreciate and then provide their contact details in exchange for it.
Lion Spirit Media have designed lead magnets for Plumbing and heating businesses across the UK, so get in touch today!
Email Marketing for Plumbing and Heating Businesses
Email marketing is still the most successful way of marketing to your customers. You could set up automatic service reminders and discounts at quieter times of the year or just remind your customers of the services that you offer. Furthermore, Marketing automation means that leads can be generated while you are at work.
Measuring the results of your digital marketing
In the world of digital marketing, measuring the results is crucial to understanding the effectiveness of your campaigns and making data-driven decisions. For plumbers looking to optimise their online presence and attract more customers, it is essential to have a clear understanding of how your digital marketing efforts are performing.
Fortunately, there are several powerful tools and techniques available to help measure and analyse these results. In this article, we will explore three key aspects of measuring digital marketing results for plumbers: Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and SEO reporting.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a comprehensive web analytics tool that provides valuable insights into website traffic, user behaviour, and conversion rates. By implementing a tracking code on your plumbing website, you can gain access to a wealth of data that can help you understand how potential customers are finding and interacting with your site.
With Google Analytics, plumbers can track metrics such as the number of visitors, pages viewed, time spent on the site, and even the specific actions taken – such as submitting a contact form or calling for a service request. Armed with this information, you can identify which marketing channels are driving the most valuable traffic, which pages on your website are most engaging, and where visitors might be dropping off in the conversion process. This data can guide you in making informed decisions to optimize your website and marketing strategies for better results.
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is another indispensable tool for plumbers looking to improve their online visibility. It allows you to monitor and analyse your website’s presence in Google search results, ensuring that your site is being properly indexed and optimised for search engine performance.
With Google Search Console, you can track valuable data such as the number of impressions (how many times your website appeared in search results), clicks (how many times users clicked on your website), and average position (where your website ranks in search results for specific keywords). By analysing this data, you can identify keywords that are driving traffic to your plumbing website, optimise your content to target relevant keywords and monitor the effectiveness of your SEO efforts over time.
SEO Reporting
In addition to the insights provided by Google Analytics and Google Search Console, SEO reporting is essential for plumbers to evaluate the progress of their digital marketing campaigns. SEO reporting involves tracking and analysing various metrics, such as keyword rankings, organic traffic, backlink profiles, and on-page optimisation. It can be a great way of getting a summary of the above two metrics and provide you with the ability to easily see what to do next.
By regularly monitoring these metrics, plumbers can identify trends, spot areas for improvement, and evaluate the effectiveness of their SEO strategies. For example, if you notice a decline in organic traffic, it may indicate a need to adjust your keyword targeting or improve your website’s technical performance.
By staying on top of your SEO, you can continuously optimise your digital marketing efforts, ensuring that you are driving more qualified leads to your plumbing business.
Monthly SEO reporting is included in all of our SEO packages, or you can set it up to happen automatically each month on our DIY SEO platform. Or you could use a service like rank tracker.
Our recommended best online marketing strategy for plumbers
Our recommended most effective method for digital marketing for plumbers begins with building an effective website and Google business profile. This foundation is crucial to establish a strong online presence.
By optimising the website with relevant keywords and content, as well as incorporating a user-friendly design, potential customers will have a positive experience when visiting the site.
Additionally, creating a Google business profile ensures that your business appears in local search results. To start generating local leads, we suggest utilising local SEO techniques such as optimising for location-specific keywords, acquiring local backlinks from directories, and encouraging customer reviews.
Complementing these efforts, pay-per-click (PPC) Google ads can be employed to target potential customers in specific areas and drive immediate traffic to the website. Over time, as the website gains authority and ranks higher organically, the number of leads from organic search results will naturally increase. This comprehensive approach will maximise the effectiveness of digital marketing for plumbers, generating both immediate and long-term results.
Doing the above really helps to kickstart a plumbing business and ensure you have enough leads coming to your business in the long term. The good news is that we specialise in marketing for plumbers at Lion Spirit Media. Get in touch with us today to get started.
Frequently asked questions
How do plumbers find clients?
Plumbers typically find new clients through one of the below methods:
- Online platforms such as websites, social media, and online directories.
- Utilising search engine optimization (SEO) to improve online visibility and rank higher in search results.
- Using Paid online ads so potential customers find them directly from Google
- Partnering with local businesses or contractors for referrals.
- Advertising in local newspapers, magazines, or on the radio.
- Networking with real estate agents, property managers, and other professionals in related industries.
- Offering promotions, discounts, or special deals to attract new clients.
- Participating in community events, home shows, or trade fairs to showcase their services.
- Provide excellent service and maintain a positive reputation to encourage repeat business and word-of-mouth referrals.
Do Facebook ads work for plumbers?
Yes, Facebook ads can be effective for plumbers. By targeting specific demographics and geographic areas, plumbers can reach potential customers who may be in need of their services.
However, it would not be the starting point for a campaign at Lion Spirit Media, we would always recommend Search ads initially and only when we have maximised your leads from this route would we recommend using any kind of Social Media advertising. This is because it is far easier to get a lead from someone that is actually looking for your service and therefor we find that you achieve better returns starting with Search Ads.
How do I advertise myself as a plumber?
We have answered this question in depth in our article about advertising strategies for plumbers
Conclusion
The Internet is a powerful tool for reaching out to new customers and making sales.
A website and social media accounts are great for advertising and getting your message out. Paid ads on the other hand can drive traffic and instantly convert that audience into new sales or enquiries.
We know Plumbers are busy, and the techniques we have described above are time-consuming! So why not continue doing what you do best and have us handle what we specialise in! Lion Spirit Media has a wealth of experience in helping Plumbing & Heating businesses gain more leads and customers through digital marketing so get in touch today for a free consultation.
We can help with your Web design and Website Content, Paid Ads on Google & Facebook/Instagram, or a monthly marketing package that covers SEO and PPC to generate more leads from your target customers!
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