Without a doubt, the coronavirus has introduced a great deal of uncertainty into our lives. with the pandemic spiking in a majority of states and many them with ICUs filled to capacity, it may be difficult to focus on what lies ahead for your contracting business. Not only do we have no idea how many people will eventually be infected, but there is no telling how long it will last. Although we may have to plan for a future that includes the coronavirus, that doesn’t mean that your home improvement or remodeling business cannot thrive in our new normal.
Businesses Quick to Address Covid-19
At this point, the pandemic has been with us long enough that many companies have shifted their advertising to address Covid-19 and how they are protecting their workers and consumers. After bars and restaurants shut down just before St. Patrick’s Day, Guinness Brewery quickly put together an ad enjoining people to celebrate the spirit of the holiday by lifting one another just as they would a glass.
Maybe it should come as no surprise that Cottonelle, one of the world’s largest producers of toilet paper, reached out to consumers to stem the wave of pandemic panic buying which led to massive toilet paper shortages in stores. Their video aimed to discourage this type of behavior by urging people to stock up on generosity instead of toilet paper.
Instead of taking a break from marketing during the crisis, these companies changed their messaging. Contractors and remodelers would do well to follow in their footsteps.
Online Presence May Be More Important Nowadays
Having an online presence may be even more important than before with social distancing guidelines and lockdowns keeping so many people at home. While many businesses are understandably panicking right now, the last thing you want to do is reduce your marketing budget and risk eliminating important sources of revenue that will keep your business running during an economic slowdown.
For example, anyone planning a home improvement will have to rely much more heavily on internet search for the right contractor instead of word of mouth or in person visits. In other words, people will have no choice but to do their research via the internet and social media if they want to remodel their kitchen.
Nevertheless, this adjustment in consumer behavior also translates into more opportunities for interior home remodelers to expand their business. With things like video streaming increasing across the U.S., it’s become clear that there is a captive audience online that a savvy contractor can tap into for more leads and a greater return on investment.
Take Advantage of Less Competition
Because many of your competitors may be cutting back their marketing efforts, this is the perfect time to grab a larger share of the market. Eventually, coronavirus infections will tail off or at least be kept to a manageable number that allows for a return to work. When it does, people will be anxious to complete that master bathroom renovation they’ve been planning for the past year. The key is to keep marketing to your target audience, so that you will be one of the first contractors people call when they are ready to repaint their home’s interior.
Step Up Your Content
Now is also a good time to improve the content on your site. By adding information that might be helpful to homeowners, you provide value while expanding your market. You could create a series of videos that explain things like how you can give your kitchen a whole new look by refinishing the cabinets.
It would also be wise to create a blog post or banner announcement on your site detailing how you are responding to the coronavirus pandemic. and what measures you are taking to ensure the health and well-being of your clients. It is important for people to know that you will be ready to help them with their improvement project when the virus finally subsides.
Conclusion
The main thing exterior contractors need to focus on in the time of Covid-19 is to keep doing what is right for their business, even if it seems counterintuitive. While marketing costs money, it might be better to change direction instead of cutting back right now. If you take advantage of the extra time people are spending online, you are much more likely to increase your leads and your revenue as restrictions ease and people restart their long-planned exterior home renovations projects.
