Small Business (Contractor) Checklist and Tips to Get More Sales

If you are an independent contractor or a small business (one or two man show), you hopefully are on the web. Recent statistics show that 87% of all small business or contractor work is found on the internet, but the problem is only a small percentage of contractors have a website. Most contractors depend only on Facebook and the Yellow pages (internet). Without a website, you decrease trust, and when a client calls, they have little information on what your business is about and it is harder to make the sale. Also, a lot of people will not call you, but they will fill out the contact form on your website. The small business contractors that we are talking about here include: Below is a good checklist and tips to getting noticed on the internet:

1. Get a website! – A small investment can potentially save thousands in Google ads.
2. Test the market with your business branding. In some markets, a personal brand may perform better than a company brand (using your name instead of a company name).
3. Facebook Page – You need a Facebook page, and anyone can build one.
4. Yelp Page – Create a Yelp page and get some reviews (warning-Yelp screens reviews close, so your best efforts for reviews is with Google).
5. Make sure all business info (address, phone) is consistent on the web.
6. Info Express – Get a free listing.
7. Google Reviews – Mentioned earlier, they are a must. Always encourage your clients to write a review on Google.
8. Set up a Google Plus page – Setting up a nice Google Plus page and posting news and information can help your business perform better.
9. Get into Google Business Listings.
10. Don’t spend too much time on Facebook or other social media. For a small business, it can be a time killer.
11. If you are using Angie’s list, Home Advisor, or Thumbtack, get people to review there as well!
12. Post your services on Craigslist! (Do we need to mention this?).
13. Don’t get into political or moral debates on your company page! Nothing ever good comes from debates on your business pages, and you automatically alienate part of your customer base. If someone is doing bad behavior that you don’t like, it sure is ok to block them though.
14. Get listed with any local directory possible.
15. If you have the money, join a business association, and they will link to your website (see #1). You can get a lot of bang for the buck from the Millard Business Association for example. They charge $150 for the entire year.
16. Keep your content fresh on social media. Nothing is worse than potential clients seeing a page that has not been updated in 6 months.
17. Always get an email address from your customers. Send them emails about news and encourage referrals.
18. Remember your ABC’s (Always be selling) with your business (not personal, or you will look like a spammy jerk).
19. Don’t promote your Facebook business page on your personal Facebook page a lot, but you can share interesting things about your work.
20. Get on Linkedin! In some business areas, Linkedin can be a goldmine! If your business fits with marketing to owners or managers, be sure to place links from your website (see #1) on your Linkedin page.
21. If you have the money, donate to something. Even a small donation can make your contractor business look better from a potential customer point of view.
22. Be careful of web marketing companies. I think it goes without saying that most are a ripoff.
23. If you have the time, blog on your website (see #1). Blogging is not that hard. Just take a work project and write a few words about it (at least 150 words) or dictate to some that are helping you. Add a picture of the work site and you have a blog post. Takes like five minutes to complete.
24. It is best if you know your audience and who you are marketing to (your best potential customers, right?). Know the gender, age, and income so if you are running ads or posting on social media like Facebook, you will get more bang for the buck.
25. Post a lot of pictures or videos on your social media. Pictures are easy to do and quick advertising.
26. Get listed on Merchant Circle! It is a handy place to be found!
27. Did I mention getting a website? You can buy it from us or someone else, but get one!

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