By Chris Keenan on June 22, 2017
Marketing is a major part of the success of any business, including pest control companies. Without the smallest bit of marketing, which can come in many forms, the likelihood of people knowing your pest control operations are in business is much smaller.
Now, if you have a storefront, people can see it and realize you are there, but some smaller companies do not have a central office and therefore need a bit more help on the marketing front.
Older style marketing such as paper pamphlets, billboards, money mailers and placemat ads are still a thing, but digital marketing now plays a huge roll as many are grabbing their cell phones the moment they need a pest controller to come to their home quickly. How can a local pest control business accomplish this with ease? Below are some of the major marketing tools being used in 2017 as a way to attract new customers and retain existing ones.
What happens when a homeowner walks into their kitchen and finds a mouse? First, they probably panic and because we are in the modern age, they usually grab their phone. While they might check out at home type remedies first, most times they then look up “pest control near me” type keywords.
You want to ensure you have Call Only campaigns set up. The difference is that these ads will only come up if someone is on a mobile device (which does account for a majority of web searches these days) and it also allows for them to simply hit a button and call you without having to weed through a website for your number.
Some companies do not know about this option or don’t care to pursue it, but having call only, especially in a market that requires quick responses and action, can definitely give you a one-up on the local pest control competition.
We have stated website optimization at different times on our blog and there is a reason for it. You simply cannot succeed in organic or even paid marketing with an optimized website.
What does this mean? Well, it means you want a website filled with keywords that could place you on Google Search. A simple quick look at Google Keyword Planer can help you ensure the best keywords make it onto your page.
Optimized websites also mean having alt tags for pictures you may use for each pest–because Google can’t read the photo, but can read an alt tag, which simply describes the photo if it cannot load on someone’s phone or computer.
Other ways beyond the actual content of the page are jumping into every page, blog, etc. and creating an informative meta description. Meta tags have fallen down the list of ways to optimize a website but still bear some importance.
These are just a few ideas a pest control business can take into account when thinking of how to optimize their website.
Another subject we have touched on is local optimization which can help smaller pest control companies be seen by those searching for them. Ways you can accomplish this are by creating a website focused on locations you service.
You can create pages that include keywords regarding your location such as “Los Angeles Pest Control” or even get even more micro and create instances of stating towns and cities within your locale. Also, having a local number instead of a 1-800 can help Google place you within a certain area and allow your ads to pop up when people search for local pest controllers.
Beyond this, creating a Google My Business account can let you add all the information you can about your pest control operations including address (if you have a physical location), phone number, hours, etc. This also helps Google’s algorithms ensure your ads are being seen by those most likely to use your services in the area.
Needless to say, smaller pest control businesses want to be seen by those around them, as placing alongside bigger corporate pest control companies can be tough.
What used to be something companies would place in the farthest corner to award the most attentive customers now should be at the forefront of what you do.
Coupons entice people, regardless of what is being offered, and if you have completed the above steps to optimize for your local customers, you should seal the deal by offering something that they can easily access.
Having a coupon stated in your marketing (both online and offline) and making it easy to find on your website is key. This shows you are willing to help your customers save a bit of money, either on a pest control plan or their first service to ensure you are a good match for each other.
Also, having the coupon stated on multiple pages or sections of your website can also offer a greater return-on-investment for giving them a little break in payment.
While there are many other marketing tactics your pest control company can do or with the help of a marketing firm, these are the current big name items you can work on to ensure your local pest control operations are known in your service area.
Chris Keenan WeGetLeads.com
Chris Keenan is President of WeGetLeads.com, a search marketing and lead generation provider. He has over 10 years experience marketing and consulting for local businesses.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wegetleads/