The coronavirus pandemic has forced businesses to rethink their business strategies due to the abrupt shift in customer demand and behaviour. Home service companies are not exempt.
Home services like plumbing may be essential to everyday life, but it doesn’t mean the industry is resistant to the economic impacts of the health crisis. This is why it’s urgent for plumbing specialists to up their online marketing efforts in this critical time.
Below are some fundamental online marketing strategies to protect your business from the impacts of Covid-19.
Assess the situation.
You won’t be able to determine targeted solutions without identifying the problem first. Before jumping the gun, evaluate the situation of your business in terms of the following:
Pin down the problem. Assess which specific part of your business is experiencing a slowdown or which jobs are not receiving enough calls. Are you receiving cancellation calls for installation or maintenance services? Are leads becoming few and far in between? Is there a drop off in your organic or paid leads? Once you pinpoint the problem, you can create a hypothesis for it and explore possible solutions.
Know where your customers are at present. With the lockdown measures in place, people now have plenty of free time in their schedules. The majority of them are also spending more time on social media, either to entertain themselves, read the news, or connect with their loved ones. Take advantage of this trend to reach potential customersand be more active on social media. If you are out of strategies how to market, you can always ask experts; there are offers for social media services.
Focus your budget on in-demand services.
You don’t need to cut off your marketing budget to minimize spending. Direct your paid search advertising budget on the services with the highest need.
Remember that you still need to be visible online, ready to respond to your customers’ needs. Even while quarantined, there will always be someone in your area who will need plumber Bolton to fix their clogged drains or broken septic system.
Learn how search trends are evolving so you can adjust your spending. Pour your budget into the keywords that are most likely to yield new jobs for your business. Also, research on the trending services in your area.
Invest in boosting awareness of your brand.
Considering people are spending more time online during these times, it’s an excellent opportunity to draw the attention of the people in your location to your business.
These days, people linger on platforms like Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram more often. Create ads to capture people from these sites. Share relevant and helpful content to attract potential customers. Take the time to raise awareness on your company and your services.
Build trust among your audience.
Everyone at this point is concerned for their health and wellbeing. Reassure your audience and existing customers that safety and cleanliness are your business’ priority. Your marketing messages should convey to them that you observe the highest standard of sanitation to protect your team and customers’ welfare.
Ensure that your team is wearing complete personal protective equipment when going on the field. Inform your customers about the measures you have in place to reduce infection risk. You can create blog posts or video messages out to get your message across.
Connect with your community.
Being involved in your community shows your customers that you care about your collective safety. A great way to establish your presence in your community is to join and be active in plumbing-related forums. Find out what plumbing issues or concerns people are talking about. Give them substantial answers.
As you do so, remember to introduce yourself and your company so they know that they’re hearing from an expert in the field. You can also provide links to specific articles from your website that delve deeper into the topic at hand.
If you’re new to the industry, seek the assistance of a marketing agency that specializes in SEO in Hamilton or digital marketing tailored for plumbing companies. For instance, there are offers a wide range of digital marketing services especially for Canadian plumbers.
The advantage of hiring a marketing specialist in your niche is that they know the ins and outs of your industry. They also take time to study the psychology and behaviour of your target customers. You can expect professional advice based on the current trends of your business.
Retailers could find themselves facing a New Year spending squeeze as public confidence in the state of the economy took a nosedive, show recent industry data.
According to BRC-Opinium data released today (23), consumer expectations over the next three months of their personal financial situation remained at -3 in December, the same as in November.
Confidence in state of the economy worsened to -27 in December, down from -19 in November. Confidence on personal spending on retail also fell while confidence in personal spending overall dropped to +11 in December, down from +17 in November.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said,“Public confidence in the state of the economy took a nosedive, falling 8pts to -27.
"This created a widening gap between expectations of the economy and of people’s own finances, which remained unchanged. Perceptions were heavily skewed by age, with 18 to 35 year olds considerably more upbeat than older generations on both questions.
"The public’s spending intentions – both in retail and beyond – dropped 6pts, with expectations of spending in nearly every retail category falling. If these expectations are realised, retailers could find themselves facing a New Year spending squeeze just as they unveil their January sales.
“The weak spending intentions could pave the way for a challenging year for retailers, who face being buffeted by low consumer demand and £7bn of new costs from the Budget set to hit the industry in 2025."
Dickinson added that with sales growth unable to keep pace, retailers will have no choice but to raise prices or cut costs – closing stores and freezing recruitment.
"To mitigate the impact this will have on growth, Government must ensure that its proposed business rates reform does not result in any shops paying higher rates than they already do," she said.
With Christmas spirit in full swing, convenience retailers across the UK are stepping up to spread joy, warmth, and a sense of togetherness within their communities.
From heartwarming events to dazzling decorations, convenience stores are going beyond their daily operations to create magical moments for customers.
Asian Trader reports on some of the most delightful initiatives, showcasing how independent retailers continue to be the beacons of holiday cheer in the communities.
One such magical event unfolded at the One Stop Carlton Convenience store in Salford, where retailer Priyesh Vekaria hosted the enchanting Santa’s Supercar Sleigh Event.
Vekaria wrote, "It was a day filled with joy, laughter, and the unmistakable magic of Christmas. From the wonder in children’s eyes as they met Santa to the heartfelt connections shared among neighbors, this event was a beautiful reminder of what makes the holiday season so special."
"This event wasn’t just about spreading holiday cheer; it was about celebrating the connections that bring us closer as a community. It reminded us that when we come together with kindness and collaboration, we create something truly magical."
Meanwhile, over at the One Stop Mount Nod store, retailer Aman Uppal went above and beyond to immerse the store in festive spirit.
Lavish decorations transformed the space into a winter wonderland, captivating customers and elevating their holiday experience.
Coca-Cola Christmas activations added an extra sparkle, with the iconic Coca-Cola truck displayed inside and a stunning LED screen outside the store bringing the magic to life.
Elsewhere in Powys, Wales, independent retailer Trudy Davies is filled with Christmas spirit as her store, Woosnam and Davies News, has a host of things to offer as giveaway this festive season from Santa hats to bird seeds packets.
In her signature style, Davies also drove "Made With Llani Love" Christmas-special campaign for festive times by encouraging locals to donate wool while members from the community knit blankets, hats, mitts, booties to be donated to a charity and local hospital.
In Telford, independent retailer Julie Kaur is proving to be a real-life Santa for her community.
Her store Premier Jules has been hosting a Christmas fair, in collaboration with local council and schools, for past two years.
Now in its third year, the event has become a cherished tradition, bringing people together and spreading the festive spirit far and wide.
Westerhope convenience store
Up in Edinburgh, Sophie Williams of Premier Broadway Convenience Store believes in involving the community around this festive times.
This year, she organised a school choir to perform outside her store, filling the air with joyful carols.
To enhance the celebrations, she handed out mince pies and chocolates, spreading sweetness and cheer.
Meanwhile in Newcastle Upon Tyne, independent retailer Sheraz Awan, owner of Sheraz’s Westerhope convenience store, is making sure that no one in the community goes without supplies.
Awan runs food donation campaigns throughout the year, completely funded by the store.
He has geared up the campaign around festive times to give bread packets as giveaway to those in need. The store will remain open on Christmas as well while Awan is hoping to giveaway about "1000 items of food" this year.
He wrote, "Remember, Christmas is upon us. Not everyone will have food on the table with loving family surrounding them."
Awan is also calling on suppliers and wholesalers to help and contribute in this cause.
Bestway Group is turning to a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) to exit about 35 vacant shops which previously traded as Bargain Booze and Wine Rack off-licences, stated recent reports.
According to Sky News, Bestway Group has informed landlords about plans for a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) for its Bestway Retail arm as it wanted to exit dozens of leases tied to shops which lie vacant within its retail estate.
Reports stated that about 35 shops which were not currently trading would be compromised in full under the plan. Roughly 10 further sites would seek rent reductions from landlords.
The CVA is being overseen by PricewaterhouseCoopers, stated Sky News citing a source.
Bestway's retail arm is said to comprise about 200 stores, largely operating under the Bargain Booze and Wine Rack brands.
Bestway also comprises operations in food wholesaling, the Well pharmacy chain, cement, real estate and United Bank, one of Pakistan's biggest lenders.
Meanwhile, Bestway Retail continues to strengthen its business. Most recently, it bolstered its senior leadership team with three new senior hires in the form of Nick Russell, Steve Moore and Rodney Tucker.
Russell, who previously worked for Costcutter until 2021, is now leading the independent Best-one and Costcutter estates. Moore, who also previously worked for Costcutter, will lead the Midlands and South Wales team from January 2025 as regional controller for Costcutter and Best-one.
Tucker has also rejoined the organisation in the new business and acquisitions team where he will drive the recruitment of new business in the Southwest and South Wales territories.
Sugro UK, member-owned buying and marketing group with over 90 members and a combined turnover of over £2.5 billion, has further enhanced its membership offering by giving wholesalers within the group an opportunity to source and save on essential equipment items for their business needs.
Under the new partnership, Sugro members will now have access to their own dedicated account manager at Partington Engineering Limited Ltd who will guide them through a range of solutions to save time and money on moving and storing goods.
Yulia Petitt, Sugro’s Head of Commercial and Marketing, said, “Our members, along with everyone else, are impacted by the rising costs. We are constantly striving to find new ways of supporting our members so I have no doubt that they will benefit from our latest partnership with Partington Engineering Ltd.”
Sue Hubber, Sugro Business Development Manager, added, “Partington Engineering are one of the premier manufacturers of materials handling equipment. They are a major supplier of trolleys across a variety of business sectors.
"Their extensive range of high quality equipment will enable Sugro members and their customers to replenish and add to their essential everyday equipment (trolleys, steps, and cages) from a competitive UK Source."
Darren Powles, Business Development Manager at Partington Engineering Ltd, added, "We are delighted to be working alongside Sugro and look forward to supplying high quality handling materials to its members.
:Manufactured here in the UK, our products are British built and made to last.
"Our Motto is 'Quality Merchandise Deserves Careful Handling' and every product we manufacture is done with this in mind."
Retail trade union Usdaw today (23) called on the shopping public to show respect for shop workers, stating that the busy pre-Christmas shopping period leaves retail workers exhausted and in need of a proper break.
Paddy Lillis – Usdaw General Secretary says, “By the time retail workers get to Christmas Eve, they will have been through a very busy run-up to Christmas. Our members tell us that incidents of verbal abuse are much worse in December and through to the New Year, when shops are busy, customers are stressed and things can boil over.
"That is why we asked customers to ‘keep your cool’ and respect shop workers, to make the Christmas shopping experience better for everyone.
“It is shocking that seven in ten of our members working in retail stores are suffering abuse from customers, with far too many experiencing threats and violence. Over half of shop workers have faced incidents triggered by customers being frustrated with stock shortages, lack of staff or problems with self-service checkouts.
"All of these issues are largely outside the control of the staff who are bearing the brunt of shoppers’ anger.
“Too many retail workers do not get a decent break over the Christmas and New Year period. They arrive home shattered and have to spend time on Christmas Day getting ready for work the next day, which is why 97 per cent want shops to shut on Boxing Day.
"98 per cent of our Scottish members want stores to close on New Year’s Day. While Usdaw has successfully secured the closure of large stores on Christmas Day, the rest of the holiday season is pretty much normal trading days for many.
“For those retailers who do open, we have negotiated national agreements for shops to be staffed with genuine volunteers only, and our workplace reps are supporting members to help make sure that happens at store level.
"We also send our appreciation to those workers behind the shopfront who have to work on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, not least in distribution, food and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
“Our message to customers is have a great Christmas and a happy New Year. Please appreciate all those who have to work over the festive period. If you must shop on Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, please treat the staff with respect and understand they would most likely rather have the time off.”