Plumbing is one of those on-demand services that consumers don't really research until something goes wrong. However, the second a toilet starts leaking or a pipe starts making funny noises, they take immediate action. A study reported in Search Engine Land shows that more consumers are responding affirmatively to ads on their mobile devices and that more consumers are searching local business listings when they're on the go. Plumbers are in a particularly strong position to take advantage of this behavior, and there are some concrete ways to get consumers to call you before your competitors.
Updated and Consistent Directory Listings
Directory listings for businesses are, by their very nature, quite plain. Consumers simply want the information they searched for, and directory services are more than happy to provide them with business names, addresses and phone numbers without much surrounding content. While consumers may think all directory services are the same, business owners know better. Some index automatically from websites, some rely on businesses to submit changes, and some even crowdsource updates and are dependent on users to make changes (review websites are notorious for this). Because the ways that they update differ so much, it is crucial that local plumbers partner with a local business listings management service to ensure accuracy and consistency across the board.
More Than Just Contact Information
The next task is to make these listings stand out. Again, this is where a listings management service comes in handy. These marketing professionals can help businesses use their directory listings to promote deals and even site-specific specials. In a business where there are usually several local competitors, this is crucial to helping you stand out among the crowd. Though some services charge a fee for upgrading a simple listing, marketers often have good relationships with their directory providers and can streamline the process.
Not Just a Box to Check
Keeping your directory listings updated may sound like a menial task to be performed every six months or so, but staying on top of your online directory presence is actually an ongoing project that requires more attention. As information about your business changes (hours, prices, specials, etc.), it is important that directory listings get updated instantly. If customers search for you and find incorrect or outdated information on your listing, it can push them to a competitor in no time. It can be a lot for small plumbing companies to keep up with, but listings management professionals can ensure that directory listings are always kept up to date with the latest information. Cox Media Group Local Solutions' local listings management solution can help ensure your full and complete listing is accurate and updated on directories across the Web, and they can also promote deals, specials, or holiday hours for you on these directories.
Plumbing is one of those industries where consumers don't typically have a lot of time to plan or research before making a call and setting up an appointment, which is why having prominent and updated local business listings is so important. If you aren't taking the time to ensure your plumbing business' online directory listings are being maintained, you could be losing out on some valuable business.
