Get more clients for a building business or construction company

Current predictions show that over the next few years, home builders and construction companies should expect to get a lot busier. Pledges to increase home building and targets to improve existing homes will invariably lead to more building work for people in the sector.

In July 2024, the newly elected UK government announced that it was planning to enable 1.5 million new homes to be built in the next few years.*

This growing demand on services will therefore put skilled builders and construction workers at a premium. The important thing will be to successfully tap into that rise in demand.

In this article, we highlight the key ways to bring in customers.

• Sales activity
• Marketing activity

Are you looking to get more clients for your building business or construction company? Then keep reading for some inspiration!

Lead generation for builders and construction companies

To get you started, you’ll need to think about the sales activity you’re currently doing. This is where your lead generation strategies come into play.

There are two main types of business leads you’ll want to focus on, namely:

• General sales leads
• Sales qualified leads

There are a number of different tactics to generate sales leads. Not everything will work in every area, so decide what works best for your trade business.

Trying to reach as many people as possible sounds like a great idea, but remember that leads can be a bit hit and miss. Don’t be disappointed if a potential job doesn’t work out. You could spend time and effort pursuing a lead and at the end of the day still have little to show for it.

However, remember that with home renovations, it can be a length process, and if someone has had a good experience of your building firm, they’re likely to come to you straight away next time.

Promoting your building firm or construction company

Marketing can cover a whole area of marketing activity. Obviously not everything will work for your building firm, so try out different techniques to see what works best for you.

It is often thought that the more marketing you carry out, the more leads you will get. While that is true to a degree, it is more important to reach the right audiences, not the largest ones.

Our handy free marketing guide can help you put some structure into your marketing. Why not download your copy today?

Reaching out with social media

Many trade businesses think that social media in all of its forms is either confusing or inessential. However, it has been shown time and time again that finding potential customers where they are already means you can reach out directly to people.

Using word-of-mouth and referrals

Quite a few marketing activities will end up costing you money and time. However, using your existing customers to reach new ones can be a totally free process.

A person to person recommendation will always carry more weight than seeing an advert.

After all, what’s more persuasive than one customer singing your praises to their friends, family or neighbours?

Trying out business promotions

Your construction firm can also get clients through business promotions. These can be highly effective for small businesses working locally.

You can use promotions to target certain geographic areas.

For example, this could be through leaving promotional material with customers or leaving temporary signs up in an area following a job.

Why unbeatable customer experiences can help

At the end of the day, as a company specialising in either building work or construction, what you need is customers. Without a steady flow of leads and customers, you won’t have the income that you need.

When you provide excellent customer service, it helps build relationships. It doesn’t need to take a huge effort to get them right.

Having a good reputation among customers and online is a shown way to build trust. Great customer experiences tend towards repeat business and making advocates.

How more business helps you build towards growth

On top of your promotional campaigns, there are other ways to help you get more clients for your building company. For example, many people will check with a trade association such as the Federation of Master Builders before settling on a tradesperson.

Not convinced about how successful you’d be when finding more construction work for yourself? Why not come on board with Checkatrade?

Our fixed term membership plans give you an easier way to help manage marketing spend for a set volume of leads. On top of that, our members can also enjoy:

• Dedicated membership advice team
• Work guarantee up to £1,000 (T&Cs apply)
• Exclusive offers and discounts
• Up to 20% off Public Liability Insurance
• Reduced cost of business essentials such as materials, tools and workwear

Our fixed term membership plans give you an easier way to help manage marketing spend for a set volume of leads.

With over 1.3 million job searches for building work in 2024 on the Checkatrade website**, there are already potential customers looking for services like yours. Why not get the membership ball rolling today and see how we can help you?

Key takeaways

• Ambitious housebuilding targets will mean rising demand for builders and construction companies
• It is good to build a steady flow of sales leads to bring in more jobs
• Developing a strong marketing strategy helps you target the right people
• Building strong customer relationships leads to loyalty, repeat work and referrals

* Figures quoted by the Guardian Newspaper (Article dated July 2024)
** Internal search data for users of the Checkatrade.com website in 2024