Getting your Contracting Business on the Internet

The construction business is one of the fastest growing industries once again, thanks to increase housing demand and lender activity. In today’s changing technological world, it is important for contractors to roll with these changes. While it’s still important to be on local directories such as Chamber of Commerce, Yellow Pages, and local newspapers, the Internet has proven itself time and time again for being a powerful marketing force.  Therefore, getting your contracting business on the Internet makes a lot of sense. There are many levels of Internet presence that you can go for. A full-blown website can be costly to develop unless you have the time and expertise do it on your own. There are many online companies that offer a more templated experience that is user-friendly and rather easy to get up and running. On the other end of the Internet spectrum, there are online directories on which you simply provide your company’s name and contact information.

At the very least, given the popularity of the Internet, there are some things that you should seriously consider for your company’s online presence:

Get on Google

During last year, Google averaged over 5.7 billion searches per day. That’s a lot. It’s clear, if people want to find out something, they “Google” it. Yes, it’s a verb now. Whether you choose to make a website, use social media, or just include yourself on an online directory, it is vital that you put your company on Google’s map. Or, more literally Google Maps.

By putting your company on Google Maps, people will instantly be able to find your business location as well as links to your website, reviews and more. Keep in mind you will need to have a Google account to claim your company. Google verifies all of its local business listings. When filling in your company’s information, you want to do the most that you can to ensure your business is displayed next to the map during a search. To do so, you need to consider search engine optimization (SEO). Basically, those are the keywords that are under the hood so that search engines can better steer traffic towards your company. They play a huge role in your company’s rankings during a search. The better your SEO, the better your chances are of having your company’s name next to the map when search results are displayed.

The following is a brief list of things that can increase your search rankings:

• List your company on any relevant online business directory that you can. Things such as Chamber of Commerce, local business directories, dealer locators, Yahoo, Bing, and other search directories.
• Try to incorporate keywords into your company’s name. For example, a business name such as “Johnson & Sons Plumbing and Heating” will be more effective for SEO then simply “Johnson & Sons”. This one’s fairly obvious, though it is sometimes overlooked.
• Establish a presence with social media. At the very least, a Facebook page with photo galleries and customer interaction. If you have a website, then place links that can direct traffic to your main page.
• Encourage customers to place reviews for your company on Google. An increased number of customer reviews will increase your ranking as well.
• Include your company’s complete address on your webpage or social media. Try to avoid just having a PO Box. A physical address works best.