Starting your own business is exciting but also has its own hurdles. A contracting business is one of the most lucrative. This doesn’t mean that after you have set up the business everything else will fall in place. You will need to vigorously promote your company in order to achieve your financial goals. In this article, we will talk about ways to market your general contracting business in Singapore.
You may do well running the daily operations of the company and yet suck at promotion. With enough dedication, anyone can learn to promote their business and increase the number of clients.
Conduct a market analysis
When you start promoting your business to prospective clients, you will realize that all your competitors are doing the same. Some even better than you. Before developing a marketing plan, you need to understand the market.
Look at how other contracting businesses are performing. Is there something that successful contractors are doing that you aren’t? Where can you find your target audience? Which marketing techniques would be more appropriate? Once you answer such questions, it will be easier to reach out to and convert potential clients.
Your strength lies in your uniqueness
It is difficult to make it in a world where there are so many contractors. As an entrepreneur, you have to figure out a way to out-perform most of them. Being unique will give you an advantage. First, have a unique selling point which is basically a service that none of your competitors offer.
With this in mind, let’s now look at some tips to market your general contracting business in Singapore.
Advertise in your local area
When you are just starting out, it is advisable to focus on the local area first. Chances are there are plenty of opportunities in your community. You can start by getting your business in the local newspapers and magazines. There is still a large number of people who read local publications.
Picking a niche at this stage is vital because there are probably several contractors in your area. The local radio stations can also help you advertise your business to the target audience. You shouldn’t underestimate the power of flyers and brochures. Drop them in businesses and organizations. All this is to ensure you establish a local presence.
Pick a niche
Niching down is one of the best things you can do for your general contracting business. Some areas you can focus on include residential property, institutions and commercial property. When you have a niche, you can easily come up with ways to get above the small number of competitors.
With a unique selling point, you will soon gain a reputation as an expert in that niche. This makes it easy to market your business and attract more clients.
Set up a website
We live in a digital world. There are millions of internet users in Singapore. What can you do to make sure your business reaches them? Start by building a website for your general contracting business. There is a large number of people who look up contractors online so it’s vital to have a website. Your website should contain all your contact details so that potential clients can easily reach you.
The site should be simple and visually appealing. You don’t want a site that gives a bad impression. Post any recent projects on it for potential clients to see what you can do. The site also needs to be responsive.
Increase clients online through search engine optimization (SEO)
Building a website for your business isn’t enough. Many other contractors are doing the same. You have to employ SEO techniques to improve your site’s rankings on search engines. Start by making sure your site functions well in mobile devices since most Singaporeans access the internet using their mobile phones/tablets.
Ensure that content in the site is fresh to improve visibility online. The loading time is also crucial. When a site loads faster, it means visitors will spend more time in it and could turn into potential clients. There are certain keywords internet users are likely to type as they look for contractors. Make sure you use them throughout your content.
Pay Per Click advertising
Aside from SEO, you can use search engine marketing (SEM) to promote your site on search engines. You basically pay search engines to advertise your business. One starts by identifying keywords which internet users are likely to use when looking for contractors. You only pay when a visitor clicks on the link to your site. This is a great way to boost traffic to your website.
Use signage on the construction site
As you market our company on social media, remember that there are other good offline techniques. One is the use of signage at a construction site. The advantage of using this strategy is the fact that you get free advertising till the project is completed. You could land a couple of clients through this method.
Strengthen your brand
If you look around you, you’ll notice that there a few general contracting business that dominate. One of the reasons why they are at the top is their strong brands. The first step is to create a simple and memorable logo for your business.
Secondly, offer the best services to your clients. Look at what your competitors are doing and strive to do more than them. This way, you will build your reputation as the ideal general contracting company.
Place your business in directories
Chances are many Singaporean will look a general contracting company online. In some cases their searches won’t lead them to general contracting companies. They may land in directories such as Angie’s List and Yelp.
To increase chances of potential customers finding you, get your business listed in these directories. If you are stating out, a few directories will do. Creating a profile on industry specific directories is also vital.
Grow your business using social networks
A significant number of internet users are active on at least one social media platform. For this reason, establishing a social media presence is absolutely necessary. Some platforms you can use to promote your business include Twitter, Instagram, Google+ and Facebook. After creating a social media handle, post content regularly and engage the followers.
Each platform is unique for instance, Instagram focuses on visuals. You can post photos of a project you did or one you are working on now. These platforms also allow you to advertise. Facebook, or instance, allows one to create targeted ads, meaning you reach out to a group that’s likely to use your services.
Networking
Networking is also one of the most effective methods of growing your business. You can start by attending fairs and exhibitions. Set up a booth and promote your business at these events. Every time you attend, you will probably land new clients.
You can also network with other entrepreneurs who are in related industries. When you have built a relationship with them, they can direct some clients to you.
The strategies we have discussed in this post will help you land more clients and grow your business. You just need to do your due diligence and craft a working marketing plan. As you conduct online marketing, you may need help with SEM and SEO techniques. Seek the services of MediaOne, an agency in Singapore that specializes in internet marketing.
