Custom Home Builder Marketing Tips
Home Builders marketing strategies!
Marketing on the Internet is the smartest and most efficient way to reach people who want custom-built homes. Think about it: They start their searches online, and they go there to research any questions they have about the home-building process. Potential customers judge you by your online presence. If your website is unimpressive, your social media feeds appear neglected, and no one has left online reviews, you don’t stand a chance of winning potential customers’ business.
It’s worth the time, the effort, and the money to invest in a custom home builder marketing plan. Set yourself apart from the competition and follow these smart marketing tips to reach people in your area looking to build custom homes. If you’d like to speak with one of our Internet marketing experts, you can reach us at 888-601-5359.
What is digital marketing?
Most people know what digital marketing is. It’s any type of advertising or outreach used to promote a product or event. In the past, marketing was limited to traditional media channels such as newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and word of mouth. However, the increasing popularity of the Internet introduced a new type of marketing.
Internet marketing is any sort of advertising or promotion used to draw attention to a company, an event, or a product. It goes well beyond traditional marketing, and there are many facets of a web marketing campaign. These include search engine optimization, email marketing, blog writing, etc.
Search engine optimization, also called SEO, is the basis of many home builders’ online marketing campaigns. SEO is any tactic you implement to increase your company’s rank in search results. After all, searching the Internet is at the start of most people’s journey to getting a custom-built house. They search Google and type in what they are looking for, along with the location of where they want it—such as “custom home builder Harrisburg.”
The idea behind SEO is that the higher your company appears in the search results, the more likely it is that the potential customer will click on your site. Very few people take the time to scroll through pages of results, so if your company ranks low in the search results, there’s less chance of people visiting your website.
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Why use an online marketing campaign for your custom home building business?
You should consider creating an Internet marketing campaign for one simple reason: it gets results.
There are many forms of online marketing to pick from, but they will all funnel new clients your way. It’s the best way to market your services and ensure that you reach many people. Internet marketing is a surefire way to connect with people who are searching for custom home builders in your area.
Custom home builders can take advantage of many forms of Internet marketing. Here are examples of the most popular formats.
Email marketing
Email marketing invites would-be customers to receive a regular update from your company. The update could include:
- Upcoming open house dates
- Information about new custom feature options, such as cabinetry or floors
- Ideas for how to keep closing costs down
Anything that is both relevant to your customers’ concerns and helpful to them is great fodder for an email newsletter. There are programs available to help you produce these newsletters, or you can hire an SEO company to produce your email newsletter.
It’s important to remember that while your email newsletter is a promotional tool, it should not be all about your company. You want to engage your customers by providing them with practical, applicable information. If you only seem interested in pushing your latest sale, readers will stop opening the newsletter and eventually unsubscribe.
Social media
Social media isn’t just for checking in with old friends or family. It can be a valuable part of a custom home builder’s marketing plan. It’s a great way for your company to find and connect with people looking for home building services.
Twitter is best for publishing links to resources for prospective buyers. You might post links to blog posts or sites that have valuable information about the home building process.
Facebook can help you keep your followers up-to-date on upcoming events you may be hosting or deadlines that are approaching. You can also shoot and share videos of a home construction build your company is working on.
Instagram has also become a valuable tool for custom home builders. This photo-focused site allows you to share pictures of your latest home builds, which potential customers can browse and see what you have to offer.
Active social media accounts can also boost your SEO efforts.
SEO
SEO is perhaps the most important part of Internet marketing, because it can deliver the biggest ROI for your business.
Internet searches are how many people find information these days. They may have once looked for this information in the Yellow Pages, but now they search via a search engine like Google. When browsing Google’s search results, the person conducting the search usually clicks on the first few listings to find what they need.
The aim of search engine optimization is to get your home building company into those top ranks. You can optimize your website to deliver better search engine rankings, such as:
- Including words or phrases, called keywords, that people search for most frequently
- Posting frequently updated content
- Adding a blog to the website
- Improving the user experience, so people stay on your site for a significant period of time
SEO is not a perfect science. The best practices for SEO are always changing as Google and other search engines update their algorithms and switch what they value most in a site. It can be a full-time job staying on top of these changes, which is why many custom home builders hire SEO companies to optimize their websites.
SEO also includes work completed outside your site to build links. Google loves it when other sites link to yours, and views you as an authority as a result.
Online reviews
Online reviews on sites such as Yelp have become extremely important. They are the 21st century equivalent of word of mouth. Positive customer reviews can help convince someone to hire your company for their home build.
One of the smartest marketing tips for custom home builders is to ask satisfied customers to log on to these review sites and leave positive feedback. This will build your reputation, and it will benefit your SEO efforts. Search engines love to reward companies that get positive reviews and mentions online.
Need help creating a custom home builder marketing plan?
We hope these custom home builder marketing tips will help your company start reaching potential customers online. If you’re looking for a partner to help you meet your goals, look no further than WebFX! Our experienced team has helped companies like yours improve their websites, increase search engine traffic, and generate more online leads.
If you’re interested in seeing how well SEO and other online marketing tools can work for your company, contact our team online today for a no-obligation quote. Or give us a call at 888-601-5359! We look forward to hearing from you!