How on earth can I make my small general contracting (home improvement) business be more visible and grow?

Question

I live in an affluent county and have many great references. However business is really slow. Other contractors are feeling the pinch too and are bidding pretty low. I do bathroom remodeling, wood floors, painting, drywall, etc. I do have a website, but honestly no one has ever called from it. Any concrete suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

Answer 1

We had magnetic signs made for our vehicles (personal and work) and we had yard signs made for the jobs we were doing "Another professional job done by ....".  We also enlisted our friends and family to get the word out.  In the past, we have tried newspaper ads, but we seem to always to get the "looky-lou's" (people who really have no intention of doing any work) and that just wastes our time.  Also, we sponsor little league and a few other events that gets our name out there.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

You could make pamphlets with before and after pictures of the jobs you have done and get them out there.  One of the keys is to have a logo or slogan that is always in front of people, repetition does sell.  Advertise in a community newspaper with your logo and photos.

Ask for referrals from satisfied customers. Also ask them if they would be willing to write a testimonial that you would include in your pamphlet.

Answer 3

For our business we put up fliers and made a few calls to friends and family. Word of mouth is the best thing. A website works too but sometimes it is not the best "attraction getter". Believe it or not we both have a myspace and we used our friends to get the word out.

Answer 4

Local newspaper advertisement, local radio or tv ads, signs on your vehicle, signs place at the location where you are currently working, billboard ads.  I could go on, but I think that you get the picture.