As a hardwood flooring professional, you’ve built your reputation on craftsmanship, attention to detail, and, for many, a healthy reliance on word-of-mouth marketing. For decades, the referral model worked perfectly – happy customers would tell their friends, family, and neighbors about the beautiful floors you installed, leading to your next project.
However, as younger generations – specifically Millennials and Gen Z – enter the housing market, the landscape of lead generation is shifting. These tech-savvy homeowners are more likely to research, vet, and select their contractors online than through personal recommendations alone. For them, your digital presence is as important as the quality of your work.
So, how can hardwood flooring installers like you adapt to this changing environment without abandoning the tried-and-true power of word-of-mouth? The answer lies in digital marketing. With a strong online presence, you can reach the next generation of homeowners and position your business in a new age. Here are three essential steps you should take to make sure you’re showing up where it matters most.
Invest in a World-Class Website
Your website is the digital equivalent of a showroom. It’s often the first place a potential customer will go to learn about your business, and just like the floors you install, it needs to be flawless.
A world-class website does more than just showcase your portfolio – it serves as a 24/7 salesperson for your business. It’s the platform where potential customers will assess your craftsmanship, learn about your services, and ultimately decide whether to contact you for their project. So, what makes a website stand out?
Clean and Professional Design: Your site should be easy to navigate, visually appealing, and mobile-friendly. Millennials and Gen Z spend a significant amount of time researching on their phones, so your site needs to look great and work well on all devices.
Portfolio of Your Work: High-quality images of your completed projects are essential. Potential customers want to see your craftsmanship in action, and a strong portfolio will help them visualize what their floors could look like.
Easy Contact Options: Make it simple for prospects to get in touch with you. Prominently display your phone number, email address, and an easy-to-use contact form. If you’re up for it, offering online booking for consultations can give you a competitive edge and streamline your sales process.
Optimize Your Website for SEO
Having a great website is only the first step – you need to ensure that your potential customers can find it. That’s where search engine optimization (SEO) comes into play. SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results, making it easier for people to discover your business when they search for services like hardwood floor installation.
Studies show that 75 percent of users never scroll past the first page of search results. So, if your website doesn’t rank well on Google, you’re missing out on a large pool of potential leads.
Here are some key ways to improve your SEO:
Keyword Research: Identify the terms and phrases your potential customers are searching for, like “hardwood floor installation near me” or “best hardwood flooring contractor.” Use these keywords throughout your website – on your homepage, service pages, and blog posts.
Content is King: Regularly updating your website with valuable content, such as blog posts or project spotlights, can boost your SEO. Search engines love fresh content, and providing useful information to homeowners about flooring trends, maintenance tips, or installation processes will establish you as an expert in your field.
Local SEO: Since most of your business is local, focus on optimizing your site for local searches. Make sure your Google My Business profile is up to date and that your business information (name, address, and phone number) is consistent across all platforms.
Leverage Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
While SEO is critical for organic traffic, search engine marketing (SEM) allows you to get in front of potential customers through paid advertisements. SEM, often in the form
of Google Ads, is a way to bid for top spots in search engine results, ensuring that your business shows up when homeowners in your area search for flooring installation services.
SEM can directly target your ideal audience – those actively looking for hardwood flooring services in your region. With paid search ads, you can bid on the specific keywords that relate to your business and show up at the top of the search results, even above organically ranked sites.
Highly Targeted: You can choose to display ads only to people within your service area, further maximizing your marketing dollars.
Instant Visibility: Unlike SEO, which can take time to show results, SEM provides an immediate presence at the top of search results.
Budget Control: You can set a budget for how much you’re willing to spend on ads, making it a flexible and scalable option depending on your goals.
It’s important to note that word-of-mouth marketing is still incredibly valuable, and it always will be a powerful tool for contractors in the hardwood flooring industry. Think of your digital marketing strategy as a way to extend the reach of your word-of-mouth marketing. If a homeowner hears about you from a friend, they’ll still look you up online.
The world is changing, and so is the way homeowners find and select contractors. By building a world-class website, optimizing your online presence with SEO, and taking advantage of SEM, you can ensure that your business stays competitive and captures the attention of the next generation of homeowners.
Tyler Powell is the founder of AllWell Agency, a digital marketing agency that offers solutions tailored specifically for hardwood flooring installers. If you’re ready to take the first step toward improving your digital marketing strategy, visit allwellagency.com or email tyler@allwellagency.com.
