The electrical servicing industry is set to grow massively over the next ten years. Driven by the demand for renewable energy and advances in technology, the opportunities for electrical contracting businesses are enormous.
With more work available, businesses can grow, but it will also mean more competition.
So how do you grow your electrical business? It isn’t as simple as hiring more service electricians. From marketing strategies to growing your customer base, there are lots of things you can do to ensure future business growth.
Three ways to grow your electrical business
1. Effective marketing
One of the most effective ways to grow your electrical business is by boosting your marketing. More people discovering your company and knowing what you offer will grow your customer base. Focus on having a good website is incredibly important. It should be easy to use, clearly say what you do and where you work, and have clear next steps. ‘Book an estimate’ or ‘call for a quote’ are good calls to action that make it easy for customers to know what to do next.
Working on SEO for local search is also really important. Most people looking for an electrical business will first look online. Increasingly people also include their location or ‘near me’ in their search. As well as your website, make sure your Google My Business page is updated so it can appear when people search for ‘electricians near me’.
When you do advertising, make sure you can really maximize your return. If your advert has a phone number in it, make sure you answer. Otherwise the person will move on and your marketing money has gone to waste. This can be where an electrical answering service comes in, making your business available 24/7.
Lots of businesses also use social media as well to show who they are and the great work they are doing. When you have social platforms, remember people can message you through these channels. Connecting your Facebook to Live Chat is a great way of ensuring every message is replied to, without having to have lots of apps always open.
2. Offer outstanding customer service
To help you grow your electrical business, great customer service is essential. Word of mouth is one of the biggest sources of new business electrical contractors can have. When a customer gets great service they tell their friends about your company.
To build brand loyalty, ensure you’re following up after a project to hear their feedback about your service. A simple email or phone call a few days after a project ends will remind customers that you’re focused on delivering good results.
Reviews are everywhere today. When you’ve got a happy customer, ask them if they could leave you a review. Most people don’t know much about what an electrician does, but they will value the opinions of other customers to see if your business is trustworthy. Asking happy customers to leave a review will help future customers.
3. Have happy employees
It costs much less to retain your electricians than it does to hire new staff. Workers that are loyal to your company are more likely to stay for longer. How does this help you grow your electrical business? Not only does it mean you spend less time on hiring, but having established members of your team means they can build relationships with your customers. When a customer trusts your business, they are much more likely to use your services again in the future.
Build team loyalty by fostering a friendly work culture. Ensure you’re available to help with your team’s concerns and make time for meetings to keep them up to date with the business. Work-life balance is increasingly important to most employees, and having an answering service helps by ensuring only emergency calls come through to on-call team members.
Having happy employees makes growing a business easier. And it’s not always just about paying them more!
When you do need to bring in new electricians, make sure you make the job description clear. Being upfront about what the job is and the kind of person you are looking for will make it easier to get the right electrician for your business.
Growing a business is a hard job, but immensely satisfying. Talk to us today about how AnswerForce can help you build your business.
How do people do everything?
How do business owners do it all? You already have so many jobs to do, so how do you focus on making the most of growth opportunities? That’s where services like AnswerForce come in. Our professional receptionists have experience working with electrical businesses to answer calls and chats, schedule estimates, and manage after hours emergencies.