How to Build Trust Online for the Construction Industry image

How to Build Trust Online for the Construction Industry

Table of Contents

Construction Marketing Strategies

Businesses in the construction industry are often slated for a lack of professionalism aren’t they? You must have heard stories about house builders, timber kit companies,  jobbing builders, roofers, joiners and suppliers not turning up when they promised, disappearing off a job, not supplying the materials needed on time or just doing a bad job.

Not all organisations in the construction industry are like that are they?

But how do you prove that you are the house builder, timber kit supplier,  tradesperson or the builder’s merchant to be trusted?

Yes,  word of mouth certainly helps with this but that method alone has a limited audience in these days of digital marketing.

I am going to outline a strategy the construction industry uses to build trust online to gain more customers.

Before and After Pictures of Construction Projects

Take photographs before you start a project and when you complete your job.

Even take photos at the planning stage when you have your autocad or 3D app open designing and planning for a new development or ordering in timber.

I know that when you finish your part of a larger project the whole job may not be complete.

It would be good if you could return to the project to take some photos when the site is less like a building site and more like a place suitable for living or working in. It could be worth returning as it gives you more valuable marketing assets to use on your website and in your social media accounts.

Case Studies from your Best Construction Jobs

Case studies in the construction industry are “pure gold” marketing material.

You can start off by explaining a bit about who your client is and what challenges they faced.

Then explain why your client came to you to help them.

Now explain what it is that you did for them – remember to speak in a language that they will understand and focus on the benefits your company brings to the table.

And then wax lyrical about the results – and of course you can intersperse your case study with your before and after photographs.

Regulatory Bodies

You will need  to have evidence that your organisation complies with the relevant rules and regulations for your specific industry.

If I’m looking for a gas engineer to install central heating on a new development I will want to see that they are registered with Gas Safe. On your website you can do this by showing the Gas Safe logo, registration number and a link to the certificate itself possibly.

If I am looking for a new timber supplier for a large self build project I will be looking to see if the wood is environmentally sourced and if they are accredited for timber chain of custody by PEFC for instance. You can have all of this on your website.

If you are an architect you will almost likely need to show that you are complying with The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Code of Conduct or with ARB.

The construction industry is heavily regulated.

Buyers will research online for suppliers and trades people who have evidence that they comply with regulations – you can prove this on your website.

It’s not that hard is it to tick that box.

Testimonials

If case studies are marketing gold then testimonials or recommendations collected by a trusted source are at a  platinum level when it comes to looking at marketing assets.

When I say trusted sources I mean platforms like Google Reviews, Facebook, LinkedIn or Trust Pilot.

Yes, there can be fake reviews put up on these platforms and of course people use these tools to make complaints but in general they are considered more reliable than you getting someone to scribble something on a scrap of paper.

I collect reviews online and then copy them onto my website.

And I get permission to use names in my contract.

Don’t forget to ask for very short video recommendations that you can record on your phone at the end of a project.

Then just pop them onto your YouTube page and share them onto social media and embed them onto your website.

Regular Updates

Creating a website and then never adding any new content to it is the worst thing that you can do!

This isn’t just from an SEO perspective.

We are all trying to build trust with prospective customers and part of that journey means that the person looks at your website more than once.

And as you probably know it can be quite awhile from the first point of contact with a person to them signing on the dotted line.

So, help them learn more about your company by showing them a new page or new blog post/news article each time they see your website.

New content on your website actually proves that you are active in your industry, you have current clients and have nothing to hide.

Your next customer will research online for your services. You might like to read about the buyer’s journey now to how customers find your services or products today.

Marketing for the construction industry isn’t easy I know.

But from your everyday work activities you have the evidence to build trust with your next customer.

Does your online presence present you as a reliable and trustworthy organisation?

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3 Responses

    1. Thanks Jo. Yes the Q & A is very useful…in lots of formats isn’t it. Aiming to repurpose some of my posts at videos soon

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