Moving companies play a vital role in the economy and thousands of households rely on them each day to get them from one place to the next.
But for an industry that is always on the go, it can sometimes feel like feast or famine from one month to the next due to seasonality and a variety of other factors.
Having a steady stream of leads and inquiries is the best way to fill out your work calendar and keep your crew busy even in off-season months.
In this blog post & video (see below) I want to talk about the 10 things we’re doing this year to get an edge on the competition and generate more leads for moving companies specifically.
Marketing effectively means focusing on the actual Ads inside of Google as well as each step the visitor takes once they land on your website.
So let’s get started and first dive into Google’s Dashboard with our Top 10 Recommendations and then we’ll take a closer look at what we’re doing once a visitor lands on your site.
#1- Google Lead Form Extensions
A new feature recently added is the new Google ‘Lead Form’ Extension that can appear just below your paid search ad.
This Lead Extension is primarily for mobile searches and allows a user to request more information from you without having to click the ad and visit your website.
With just a couple clicks, a user can pre-populate this lead form with their name, email and other info that get’s sent to you automatically.
The easier we make it for someone to discover your business and request more information, the better conversion rates your campaign will have leading to a better overall performance.
#2- Google Local Extension
Next is using the Google Local Extension in your ad and linking it with your Google My Business profile.
Google My Business has become more prominant over the last couple years and is a tremendous resource to your business and the best part is… it’s free!
Visitors will want to do their own research and compare you along side your competition and Google My Business is a great place for them to find additional information about you.
Google My Business is a great place for them to learn more about your company including customer reviews, team photos, showing you are licensed, bonded, insured and more.
#3- Set Up Experiments in Your Google Ads Campaign
Number 3 is setting up experiments in your campaigns.
Getting an edge over your competition isn’t done all at once but rather incrementally and by making small improvements to get continually better results.
The best way to do this is by testing and the best way to test is adding in experiments to your campaign and letting them run for 30 or 40 days to find the best performers.
An example of an experiment would be comparing between two bidding strategies. For example a manual bidding strategy vs a maximize conversions bidding strategy.
After just a month or so, you will be able to see which one is the winner.
#4- Re-Targeting Audiences
The 4th strategy is to utilize your own Customer Lists, Website Visitors and Audiences for Re-Targeting Campaigns.
These are the little ads that follow you around the internet after visiting a site and can be really powerful especially when combined with a special offer.
Re-targeting campaigns continually work behind the scenes and reinforce your brand.
#5- Geo-Targeting for Local and Other Key Regions
For number 5, make sure you are targeting the geographic regions not only from around your local market, but also in other regions that may be moving to your area.
This is done in the settings section when you set up your campaign but can be adjusted and tested over time. Better yet, create a separate campaign to track this targeted market specifically and that way the performance can be measured independently of your main target market.
So now let’s take a look what we’re doing for our clients this year to boost conversion rates once they’ve hit your landing page.
#6- Building Custom Landing Pages Designed to Convert
Number 6 is creating Custom Landing Pages designed to convert.
Rather than sending traffic direct to your website which may seem overwhelming to a visitor, we design pages that easily guide them with a clear call-to-action to take the next step.
Not sure if a custom landing page will convert better than your website? This is where those Experiments mentioned before come in handy.
Simply set up an experiement for 1 month and send half the traffic to your website and the other half to the landing page and the data will speak for itself.
#7- Create Multi-Step Lead Form
For number 7 we’re building off of number 6 and adding a Multi-Step Lead Form on our Custom Landing Pages to create higher engagement.
Some examples include: Are your planning your move locally or long-distance?
Do you need help with packing or do you have storage needs?
No one wants to just become a “lead”, but by adding in a series of questions before the big ask for contact details makes it more personalized to their needs.
Using multi-step lead forms has shown in some cases 60% higher conversion rates based on our data.
#8- Track Performance in Google Spreadsheets
Number 8- Track everything in a Google Spreadsheet from sales to adspend to clicks, number of leads, etc.
If a lead decides to move forward and hire your company to help with their move, record that total invoiced amount on a main spreadsheet that tracks performance month-by-month.
Click the show notes in the video for our video called ‘How to Make Sure Your Google Ad Campaigns are Economically Viable‘.
Here I will show you our own spreadsheet and how we keep track of everything.
This will give you the confidence needed to know each campaign is profitable and worth continuing or maybe some that are underperforming and need to be paused or adjusted.
#9- Add a Live Chat Feature to Your Website
Number 9 is often over-looked which is adding a chat feature on your landing page.
Ever have friends that prefer texting over phone calls? Same is true for your moving visitors. Some just prefer to reach out through live chat rather than filling out a lead form.
In some cases, we would get 40% of all leads through our live chat.
#10- Perfect Your Follow Up Strategy and Personalize It
Lastly, for number 10 is the big one- Have a solid follow up plan that is personalized and automated.
When a new lead comes in, try to respond to it in 5 minutes or less.
This short period is when it is top-of-mind for people and when they tend to be available and willing to discuss their needs.
People are going to be getting other quotes so speed and ease will be appreciated and remembered as they make a decision on which moving company to choose.
Conclusion
I hope you found all of these recommendations helpful on smart marketing techniques to grow your moving company with paid search. The tools available at our disposal today are so powerful and effective that it is worth the time, effort and money especially once you start to see the results coming in.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us (chat of course) or drop us a message below.
Thanks and bye for now!