THE INFLUENCE OF THE ONLINE WORLD ON TRADESMAN

One of the most effective ways to promote your business is online. We are all heavily reliant on search engines such as Google, Binge, etc, for answers to our queries. Rhino Trade Insurance looks at what impact the internet can have on businesses. 

We are currently living in a 'Digital World' where many of us have instant access to the internet. In 2019 almost 87% of UK households had access to the internet and 70% of people ​used a 4G mobile service to get online (Ofcom Report, 2019).

The internet is fast evolving and companies are always finding new ways to reach newer and bigger audiences. It is important for tradesman to also evolve with these trends as you will expose yourself to a variety of new ideas that can help your business expand.

For many of us, when we look for a service, we prefer for our service provider to have the correct skills and experience to carry out the job for us. The only way this is possible is if we know about them. Trust and building a good reputation is key.

HOW TRADESMAN CAN GROW THEIR BUSINESS BY USING ONLINE FACILITIES:  

Create a logo for your brand 

Creating a logo can be important to your business. It helps customers recognise your brand and the more your logo is seen, the more you will come to mind. The logo can then also be used on your social media profiles, documentation, print ads and merchandise or clothes for example when carrying out a job you may have a t-shirt with your logo. This helps build brand recognition.

Photographs

By taking photos of your work, you can showcase what you have created but also portray the skills you have. This allows the lead to see the type of work you can carry out.  If you do decide to create a company website, uploading pictures could divert more traffic.

Customer feedback and reviews

Like word of mouth, customer reviews and feedback are very important when you are looking for a service. Reviews not only influence the leads decision but can also improve the credibility of your brand. Through reviews, you can gain trust of the customer and encourage more people to use your company.

Have a website created or be listed in an online directory

A traditional method of your business being found was through a directly such as yellow pages. Unfortunately, yellow pages and most other print-based directories have come to an end and more attention has gone to online directories for instance, Yell were helping businesses to be found on its online directory by 2020.

With more people using the internet to browse it is important that you establish your brand online. A website can give potential customers a guide to what they need to know about your service and what you have to offer. It also shows credibility, a chance for you to exhibit your talent and spread the word about your company. Most people searching will immediately look for a website.

If a website isn’t for you, and you’re looking for alternative way to advertise yourself online, try an online directory or a trades person specific search tool such as our partners HomePro, HonestTraders and FairTrades. Reviews can also be added to these pages.

Manage administration through an online system

How you handle the administration of your business is a big part of your success and to keep your business running. You may have a lot of information recorded on paper including finances but as we all make mistakes, it is super easy to accidentally misplace a piece of paper which could be of importance. We don’t have much control using this method.

There are several customer management systems you can use online which are affordable and beneficial, where you can not only manage and track all information on your clients and leads. You can track things such as sales stage, prospect progress, payment information and so on. This allows you not only to track things in an orderly manner but also saves you time and hassle.