Too Busy to Market Your Deck Company? You’re Doing It Wrong

Chances are you didn’t start a deck company because you have a passion for marketing, accounting, payroll, or advertising budgets. Most likely you wanted to create amazing things that you were proud of and that others could enjoy.

And right now, with people spending more time at home, you probably have plenty of opportunities to do what you love. In fact, you probably have more work than you know how to handle. It’s a great feeling, but it might leave you complacent and neglecting important business functions, which can backfire in the future.

Now is the perfect time to start a marketing plan, and building your business up can be just as satisfying as building a deck. Even if you feel like you don’t have the time, even if you just want the phone to stop ringing, getting effective deck company marketing strategies in place now will help future-proof your business and prepare you for the lean times ahead.

It’s undeniably important to focus on your customers, and we know that’s all you’re doing right now, but it’s worth it to continue or even ramp up your marketing now in order to take a bigger piece of the pie. Here’s why:

10 Reasons to Keep Marketing Even When You’re Busy

It’s necessary to keep up with the competition.
SEO takes time. The earlier you start, the better.
There’s no better way to build better business relationships.
It will help you recruit the best talent.
The more calls you get, the pickier you can be about projects.
Free yourself from the fickle world of referrals.
Planning for the future pays.
Preserve the momentum you already have.
Market while you have the funds.
Increase sales.

Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of marketing your deck company, even if business is booming right now. And, make sure to read: Why Digital Marketing Doesn’t Work

1. Keep Up with the Competition

You may not be putting much effort into your marketing strategy, but you can rest assured that your competitors are. For deck builders, your target market isn’t infinite. You’re limited to homeowners in your area. That means if your competitors are using marketing to get more business, that’s real business you’re losing. Don’t let your competition get ahead of you.

2. You Have to Start Early to Reach the Top—of Search Engine Results, That Is

Some marketing strategies, like search engine optimization, take time to produce results—often up to a full year. If you wait too long to get started, you’ll spend a lot of time catching up instead of leading the market, which can be incredibly costly in the future.

Around 90% of consumers have looked online for a local business in the last year, and more than a third hit a search engine daily to do so. If you aren’t making sure your deck company appears in those searches—or at least the ones relevant to your business—you’re missing out on a massive chunk of the market. Just setting up your Google My Business page and calling it a day won’t cut it forever in today’s competitive market.

3. Build Business Relationships

Digital marketing builds relationships with customers, but it also helps build connections with local businesses. As you develop your brand as an industry leader in your area, you’ll get more attention from suppliers and other local businesses.

It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that can improve your reputation in the community while also getting you more work and exposure. It may even lead to reduced costs. If you can take control of enough market share in your area, suppliers are more likely to offer you the best possible pricing to ensure you partner with them rather than their competition—they are running a business just like you!

4. Brand Building Helps with Recruitment

By developing your brand as a reputable, high-quality deck builder, you can attract new employees more easily. Brand perception plays a large role in whether people apply for jobs, and it can even help with employee retention.

“If you’re looking to hire high-quality talent, having a strong brand personality that candidates admire can make the task much simpler.” – April Edwards, Owner of Deck Builder Marketers.

Companies with strong brand recognition see 50% more applicants and are able to fill open positions in half the time. Why? 75% of applicants consider a company’s reputation before applying—and they aren’t just more likely to apply to brands that stand out either. They are also more likely to stick around. Good marketing can reduce employee turnover by as much as 28%.

SIDENOTE: What is marketing? Some people get confused with marketing vs advertising. Advertising is a subset of marketing that you pay for. Marketing, in general, is getting your brand in front of your potential customers and communicating the value of your offering to them.

5. Benefit from the Option to be Picky

The more potential projects you have on the table, the pickier you can be about which ones you pick up. Whether that means focusing on high-dollar gigs or just avoiding jobs that sound like they’d be a bigger hassle to complete, it gives you more control over your decking company. You’ll have the option to turn down work without worry about how your business will stay above water.

That can also help you avoid negative reviews. We’ve all had that customer where you can tell they are going to be hard to please from the first phone call. Some might call them “Karens,” but we call them dangerous to your reputation. Not surprisingly, 92% of consumers state a bad review makes them less likely to use a business. While how you react to negative reviews can soften their blow, the best option is to avoid them altogether, and having the freedom to choose your customers can go a long way in that regard.

6. Avoid the Need to Rely on Referrals

Have you ever heard the saying, don’t put all your eggs in one basket? We know you have. While overused, this adage holds true in the business market. If referrals are your company’s lifeblood, what happens when they dry up? What happens if one disgruntled customer tries to torch your local reputation?

You need a backup plan, and a well-put-together marketing plan offers just that. Embracing digital marketing and SEO could increase your deck project leads by upwards of 400% and ensure that you aren’t overly reliant on referrals in the process. It’s ideal to take a comprehensive approach that integrates a range of marketing avenues, both offline and online.

7. Prepare for the Future

Sure, times may be good now, but how long will that last? While you can prepare for lean years financially, it’s better to have a steady income stream. Historically, companies that have kept advertising consistently have fared better when the market dropped, and those who stopped marketing suffered the consequences.

After the Great Depression in 1920, Post cereal company dramatically reduced its marketing efforts, but its top competitor, Kellogg, doubled theirs. Kellogg went on to rule as an industry leader for decades after that.

In the 1990 recession, fast-food giant McDonald’s slashed their advertising budget. Taco Bell and Pizza Hut jumped on the opportunity and saw their revenue grow by 40% and 60%, respectively, while the golden arches fell 28%.

In short: a good marketing plan ensures more predictable business health regardless of the state of the market.

8. Preserve Your Momentum

Many business owners understand the initial importance of marketing, and they start strong, but then, as leads start rolling in, they get busy or decide marketing is too expensive and stop moving forward with their efforts. Marketing is an uphill battle. If you drop the ball or stop pushing, it’s going to roll back down the hill.

By continuing to market your deck-building company even when your calendar is full, you can keep your momentum going and reach the top. After all, you’ve worked hard to establish your decking company, and clearly, it’s paying off. Why stop now?

9. Market While You Have the Funds

You may have a better cash flow during your busy season. Investing those funds wisely will help your brand stay top of mind later when you need it most. You also don’t want to have to scramble and be forced to invest more in advertising when it’s too late and more costly.

10. Easier & More Sales

Imagine how many customers will only want to work with you if you keep up and even surpass your competition by promoting your business all the time? You could be the #1 deck builder in your area with customers that will wait a long time to work with you because they already know, like and trust your brand.

Getting your dream deck built is not cheap to say the least. Affluent customers that only want the best will wait to get the best. If your brand has been front and center the whole time, you will be top of mind. Get better customers, better projects and even increase your average sale price by being more selective with people lined up only for you.

Too Busy and Need Some Help Marketing Your Deck Building Company?

Working with a pro will help you be more proactive instead of reactive with your business. Get rolling building a scalable business. Don’t wait until you need marketing to start. It’ll be too late!

Deck Builder Marketers is a leading digital marketing agency that understands the needs and market of the deck building industry. We have the staff and time to provide more personalized attention along with expert advice and services.

We believe in developing a collaborative relationship, keeping you informed without overwhelming you with complex jargon. Instead, our team focuses on producing tangible results thanks to our strategic thinking and custom-made marketing plans.

Even better, we offer all that without keeping you tied to the phone consulting with our experts or watching long-drawn-out marketing presentations. We stick to the meat-and-potatoes in our communications and will go above and beyond to make the marketing process as hassle-free as possible for you.

At this point, you may be thinking, “Well, Deck Builder Marketers talks a big game. I wonder if they can back it up.” If you want to see what makes us special, take advantage of a FREE, custom marketing plan. We look forward to building a lasting relationship that takes your business to the next level so you can profit for years to come.