birdwatching okay: Construction marketing through the long sales cycle

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Construction marketing through the long sales cycle | Gorilla 76

Web marketing resources and ideas for B2B companies

by Joe Sullivan

When a business hires a contractor, it?s not exactly like heading to the mall for a new pair of shoes. It?s a really big decision with a long sales cycle. And it?s a decision that often involves a lot of people, a lot of politics, a lot of money and therefore a lot of research.

New prospects come from many places ? referrals, lists, trade show introductions, advertisements, Google searches. However they find you, they still need to qualify you. What?s your reputation? What similar work have you completed for other clients? Can you meet their budget requirements? So while a buyer of construction services researches, evaluates their options and narrows down their decision to a handful of potential contractors, what can you be doing to influence their buying decision?

You can qualify your business and educate your buyer with resources designed just for them. And there is no better avenue for this content marketing approach than your company?s website.

Help your prospect research

Whether they find you on your own or through referral, prospective customers in the research stage need to qualify your business. They want to learn about you and believe that you?re potentially a good fit before they go any further. Descriptive website pages about your services as well as articles (blog posts) that demonstrate your philosophy and expertise are the perfect formula to capture their interest for the first time.

Help your prospect evaluate

After you?ve earned their attention and have established some baseline trust in your ability to serve them, they?ll require more in-depth information to further qualify you. Case studies are a great solution ? and by case studies, I don?t mean project profiles with a picture, square footage and job location. I mean descriptive overviews of your client?s problem, how you solved it and what results you delivered. Did you come in under budget? Ahead of time? What hurdles did you overcome along the way? And what did your client have to say about working with you? This is what evaluators want to learn. White papers and more technical, detailed blog posts will also help move you onto their short list.

Help your prospect make a buying decision

Sometimes it comes down to low bid. We get it. But our work with construction industry businesses (particularly those targeting the private sector) has shown us that something needs to set you apart. What can you offer that helps shift a buyer?s focus to you? If your business provides free consultations, site visits, audits or other conversation-starting services, it?s a no-brainer to represent these entry-point offers on your website. Detail them on pages equipped with lead-capure opportunities and ask your prospect to inquire.