Navigating the Attention Economy
Everyone wants a piece of your time and attention more desperately than ever. Even parts of life that never needed that kind of foothold want in on the action. Consider the ludicrous range of subscription services and the ever-increasing density of emails we all receive daily. Every product or service wants that vital crumb of attention for a possible conversion.
No matter which part of the industry you represent, sales, marketing, manufacturing, or installation, you know the value of customer engagement. Just ask any email marketer what a reasonable clickthrough rate is for your typical email. Around 3% is fantastic, and that is a relatively tiny number.
Of course, our industry works on a slightly different scale, with potentially lengthy sales cycles, projects costing tens of thousands, and a range of clients, from single homeowners to property development teams. Any successful close goes a long way, keeping your doors open and providing another opportunity to excel and create a positive reference for future customers. Pardon the tangent here, but your work truly begins after closing a client. When you deliver on a successful project, you may never get any business from this specific customer again, but their finished roof and review carry immense weight. Google reviews and positive word-of-mouth are crucial, but beautiful project pictures help too.
I cannot stress enough the importance of developing a clear and unified web presence in the cutthroat information market. We’re still learning this personally, as we revamp several of our sites and online efforts. If you’re new to the building materials market, take this opportunity to get it right the first time. And don’t feel any shame about hiring an outside team for web or digital content. You might have seen everything there is to see on a roof, but this calls for specific expertise. Stay involved throughout, and a good consultant/team will make sure you’re up to speed and making decisions throughout the process. The ultimate goal should be to create an effective, understandable web/digital presence that you can maintain and be proud of.
Even if you feel comfortable with your current web presence, give it a review. Make it a monthly habit to go over things with your team if you don’t already. Keep things up to date, too. It’s easy to remember to update price sheets and keep churning out social media posts, but don’t forget to refresh your marketing materials with current, correct information. Nothing like telling a customer you don’t offer the color they wanted so badly anymore.
I’ll leave you with this challenge: think of the commercials that stuck with you, the sites you had no trouble navigating, and the sites you didn’t last five seconds on. What caught your eye? What drove you away? What kept you interested? Apply these lessons to your business, and don’t be afraid to experiment.
Todd Miller has spent his entire career in the metal building products manufacturing industry. He is president of Isaiah Industries, an organization recognized as one of the world’s leading metal roofing manufacturers. Todd is currently Vice President of the MRA (Metal Roofing Association) and a Past Chair of MCA (Metal Construction Association). Through his website, he strives to raise the bar on standards and practices to provide property owners with the best possible products for successful roofing projects.
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