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The best businesses are responsive to customer questions.  It’s important if you want to keep customers, because it’s frustrating to ask a simple question and wait days for an answer when you’re in a hurry.  But even if it takes a business a while to answer, they might keep the customer – if their answer matters.

The most frustrating businesses to deal with are the ones whose answers don’t matter at all.  Consider cable companies, who are legendary for their bad service.  You call with a problem.  After answering a half dozen questions asked by a robot and waiting for a few minutes, you tell the service rep why you’re calling.  The rep identifies a solution, and tells you a technician will be by between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm the next day to fix the problem.

But based on previous experience, their answer almost doesn’t matter.

If the rep shows up tomorrow at all, it may or not be between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm.  There’s a good chance that the actual problem won’t be the one that the person on the phone thought it was, so the solution will be wrong. The technician may not have the equipment to fix whatever the problem turns out to be.  With many cable companies, you can’t even rely on knowing what the monthly bill will be – it seems to change every month.  It’s no surprise that people are leaving cable services in droves.  Who needs that in their lives?

There’s so much in life right now that’s unreliable.  People really value reliability, and they’re looking for signs that businesses they hire can deliver it.

The thing about reliability is that you can’t just state it – you have to demonstrate it.  If a painting contractor tells a customer what type of paint they use, or says that they have free estimates, customers will take it as fact.  But if you want them to think you’re reliable, you’ve got to give them proof.

Here are three things that help to demonstrate reliability.

Have a Process, and Use It

When customers call, it’s important to listen to their needs and answer their specific questions.  But it’s also valuable to tell them your process for each job – how you go about business.  How do you determine prices?  When can you provide a firm date for their job?  When workers arrive, what will they be wearing?  How will they take care of the furniture in the room before painting?

There’s a reason that customers like to hear about a process.  Businesses that consistently use processes are less likely to be making decisions on the fly.   That means that when you tell a customer how something will be done, that’s how it will be done – not because you have a perfect memory, but because that’s how things are always done.

Use the Information You’re Given

Have you ever called a company that asked you to input your account number into their automated phone system, and then routed you to a customer service rep who asked for your account number in the first sentence?  It’s annoying!

If a customer bothers to give you details, make sure you don’t ask for them again.  In fact, mention that they’ve already told you about that detail when you would ask about it normally.  It’s a great way to demonstrate that you’re actually listening to your customers when they’re talking to you.  Once they know you’re listening to them, they’ll worry much less about your follow-through.

Be Personable

The customer will decide how important they are to you in the first ten seconds of the phone call.  This is problematic for many painting contractors, because they’re forced to take sales calls while on the job.  If they sound distracted on the phone, it might be because they’re on a ladder with a paint brush in the other hand.

But if a painting contractor seems too busy to give a potential customer their full attention during the first phone call, the potential customer will instinctively worry that their job will never get the complete attention it needs.  And while it’s not great to sound desperate when you’re on the phone with a potential customer, it’s also bad to sound like you’re not really interested in their business.

If you can’t give the person your full attention, it’s best to let the call go to voicemail and call them back a few minutes later.  Don’t let too much time elapse, though – if several other painting contractors call them back before you do, they might decide they’ve got enough painters quoting the job already by the time you get back to them.

To learn how ProPainter Websites can help your business gain more online leads, call us at 919-424-6121 or email us at Team_PPW@ProPainterWebsites.com.

Ten years ago, everyone talked about how important a website was for your business.  These days, it’s all about your “web presence.”  But what’s the difference?

It’s not just a term that marketers invented so they could charge more for their services.  That might have been smart on the part of the marketers, but they’re definitely not the ones responsible for making you manage more than just your website.  It all comes down to a few giant corporations controlling so much of the internet.

Ten years ago, when you wanted to learn more about a business, you’d type in their web address or search for them on Google.  Either way, you’d land at the same place – the business’s website.  On a website, the business is in complete control of their own message. They can put the best possible face on their business by making customers comfortable with their reliability, integrity and experience.

Today, many (if not most) customers who look for a painting contractor online still land on their website before calling them.  But they don’t get there until they’ve already narrowed down their search to two or three options.  Google and/or Facebook usually control what potential customers see up to that point, so the painting contractors that give Google and Facebook what they want will be the ones that earn business online.

The Google Search

If a potential customer goes to Google for help, they’re probably not going to type in your business’s name.  Most likely they’ll type in a phrase like “house painters” or “painting contractor” or even “house painters near me.” Ten years ago when somebody searched using one of those phrases, Google would have provided links to two or three painting contractors who paid to advertise with them at the top of the search engine results page followed by a list of websites of painting contractors located near the customer.

Things have changed quite a bit in those 10 years and the Local Pack now plays a significant role in how people search for local businesses.

When a person searches using Google today, those ads are still at the top of search results – and most people still scroll right past them.  Before the list of traditional search results, however, there is a small group of painting contractors, along with their location on a map and their contact information.  This is called the Local Pack and the information shown here comes from these painting contractors’ Google My Business profiles. If you don’t have a Google My Business profile, you aren’t going to show up here.  This is why your Google My Business profile is a major part of your web presence if you want to earn customers via the internet. Nearly 33% of all clicks from searches are on the Local Pack!

Google chooses which businesses show up in this section based on hundreds of factors.  But three major ones are (1) Google’s confidence that they provide painting services, (2) whether the business has great online reviews and (3) how close the business is to the person searching for a painting contractor.  At the end of this section, there’s a link to see more painting contractors, but only some people click on it – others will just visit the website of the contractors on the first page or call them directly.

Google’s not likely to place a business with poor reviews in the Local Pack – but even if they do, it’s not likely to help the painting contractor very much.   The average review rating is posted right next to the business’s name, along with how many Google Reviews they’ve earned.  Some customers won’t even read the actual reviews to see if they’re legitimate – they’ll just look at the average score.  Other customers will read the reviews, but only for the painting contractors that have a high average score.  This is why it’s important to have great reviews – another major part of your web presence.

The Facebook Request

Around 190 million US and Canadian citizens visit Facebook each day – just more than 50% of the population.  Those users are on Facebook for around an hour a day.  Facebook controls an enormous percentage of the time that people are online.  That’s why Facebook is also an important part of your web presence.

Importantly, you need to engage with people on Facebook in a way they enjoy, or you won’t find many people paying attention to you.  Less than 20% of all posts should directly promote your business or its services.  Be personable.  Post pictures of jobs you’ve completed that might inspire others to have their homes repainted.  Offer tips on how to select a painting contractor, how to select paint or how to complete a small job successfully.  If you’re able to connect with community members and they find value in the content you post on Facebook, they’re far more likely to think of you when they’ve got a painting job.

Other Parts of a Web Presence

Some companies will try to tell you that a web presence has hundreds of parts – that everywhere your business is listed online is a part of your web presence that needs to be managed.  That’s not really true.  Google handles trillions of searches per year.  Facebook has half of the United States using its site daily.  As a small business owner, those are the places where you should focus your time, along with your own website.  If you miss that handful of people who actually use Superpages or Foursquare or Manta, you’re still going to be just fine.  You’ll never get your money back focusing on those places.

But without Google or Facebook’s help, it’s hard to get people to your website in 2020.  And that’s why your presence on their platforms – including location details, reviews and content is a critical piece of your business’s success.

To learn how ProPainter Websites can help your business build a great website and a great web presence, call us at 919-424-6121 or email us at Team_PPW@ProPainterWebsites.com.

Utilizing Facebook as a powerful tool for showcasing projects and presenting essential information to potential customers is crucial for painting contractors. However, with just five or six seconds to capture a potential customer’s interest, it’s essential to make your Facebook profile as effective as possible. After reviewing over 100 painting contractor Facebook accounts, we’ve gathered three valuable tips to enhance your profile to make Facebook the key to how to get painting jobs.

Showcase High-Quality Photos Regularly

One of the most crucial steps for painting contractors on Facebook is to consistently post high-quality photos that highlight their work. When potential customers are in search of a reliable contractor, they seek evidence of completed projects similar to their requirements. By sharing a diverse array of high-quality photos depicting the “before,” “during,” and “after” stages of jobs, you provide a clear picture of your team’s capabilities. Remember, well-presented and clean images reflect professionalism and help build trust with potential customers. Take our client, Motti Painting Solutions for a great example!

Implement Automated Messenger Responses

Creating automated messenger responses is the second essential aspect for painting contractors on Facebook. These responses can address frequently asked questions, saving you time and providing immediate information to potential customers. As soon as visitors land on your Facebook page, they are greeted with these automated messages, which offer quick answers to their queries. If you find yourself repetitively responding to the same questions from prospects, set up an automated messenger reply to streamline the process.

Complete Your About Tab Thoroughly

The last tip is closely related to the second one. It’s vital to fill out your Facebook profile’s About tab comprehensively. By displaying your contact information prominently, you make it effortless for potential customers to reach out to you. Simplifying their path to contact you demonstrates your commitment to excellent customer service. After providing the necessary basic details, consider incorporating relevant keywords that describe the areas you serve and your specialties. This will boost your search potential and attract clients searching for painting services in your specific niche.

While there are numerous tips available for optimizing your Facebook profile, don’t feel overwhelmed. Focus on implementing a few key strategies at a time. Even small changes can lead to significant progress in connecting with potential customers and growing your business.

In conclusion, by regularly posting high-quality project photos, setting up automated messenger responses, and thoroughly filling out your About tab, you’ll enhance your Facebook profile’s effectiveness as a painting contractor. Embrace these tips and watch as your online presence attracts more customers and boosts your business success.

See how Painter Websites can take your business to the next level!