Get Water Damage Leads
A typical residential water damage job pays out about $4000 with a profit margin of 50% or higher – leaving plenty of room in the budget to invest in marketing and growth.
As most of you know, there are plenty of water damage jobs that are much larger. As such, companies are battling fiercely for these extremely valuable water damage leads.
In this guide, we are going to cover common sources of water damage leads and what you can do to build your lead generation system.
Before we jump in, it is important to keep in mind that one method may not be the best for every contractor. For example, if you are starting a new restoration company and need leads as fast as possible, a pay-per-call model could be a good place to start. If you are more established and looking to increase lead volume while reducing the average cost per lead, SEO, although slower is by far the most effective tactic.
Ready to take charge and generate your own water damage leads? Water Damage SEO can help you build a powerful, lasting online presence that will produce consistent, quality leads for your company. If you are looking for an agency to partner with, check out our Restoration SEO Services.
Pay Per Lead/Phone Call Lead Generation Company
One method for generating new leads is working with lead generation companies. You pay a certain amount per generated lead while the company does the legwork for you. There are a few factors to take note of when considering working with these agencies.
Non-exclusive vs exclusive water damage leads
Non-exclusive leads refer to those that are considered shared leads, or people looking at multiple companies to fulfill their needs. An exclusive lead refers to a customer who is only viewing your brand as an option.
Typically, paying for non-exclusive water damage restoration leads is cheaper because they are more common and less likely to result in a conversion than exclusive water damage leads.
Popular water damage pay-per-call options
When pursuing water damage leads, you will have to decide whether you want to work with a lead generation system that is specific to the niche or lead generation services that are broader in scope.
Specialized services in your niche may be able to generate quality water damage leads, while other lead generation companies could have a greater reach. After all, a fire damage restoration company has a different target audience than you do.
Three of the most popular companies are Service Direct, 33 Mile Radius, and ConXpros. These services generate exclusive leads, using a pay-per-lead business model.
Typical pricing model/price per call
Most pricing models for a lead generation company are on a pay-per-lead basis. Depending on the format of the lead, it could be pay-per-call or pay-per-appointment scheduled.
In a highly competitive market like water damage restoration, you could see a price range of $300-$600 per call. The more phone calls that are generated to your business, the higher the cost.
Some lead generation services will offer a retainer option with a flat monthly fee to generate consistent leads for your business.
Working with an agency that can do the heavy lifting of generating water damage restoration leads could be a great investment of your capital. Just be sure to ask how are leads qualified for billable vs. non-billable status. This can save you a lot of money on bad leads.
Google PPC Campaigns
Pay-per-click advertising on Google is another effective method for water damage lead generation.
When someone sees the ad, clicking on it will take them directly to a page on your website where they can learn more about your services or decide to contact you.
You can also monitor the success of these campaigns easily with tools like Google Analytics to measure KPIs.
These campaigns use keywords to determine where and when an ad shows up for people to view. To generate water damage leads, a Google pay-per-click campaign might be the perfect solution.
Water Damage SEO
Did you know that leads generated via SEO close at nearly 8X the rate (14.6 vs. 1.7%) of leads generated via advertising and outbound marketing? If you are getting a good amount of leads without leveraging SEO, just imagine what would happen if you take advantage of this powerful lead generation channel.
SEO, or search engine optimization, refers to the process of making your website easier to find via engines like the Google search console or Bing. Most businesses are learning that an online presence is key to generating new leads in the digital age. Two types of SEO will be especially helpful to help your business grow; Google My Business and organic SEO.
Google My Business SEO
GMB is a tool available through Google for businesses to create a profile that increases their online visibility within their service area. A GMB listing can include your business information, such as phone number and address, which makes it easier for online browsers to find your company.
This is particularly necessary for water damage lead generation in your local service area. If you have no GMB listing, then you may have no presence for local customers to see.
Organic SEO
This type of optimization is all about ranking higher in organic searches. When a person Googles something like “water damage restoration business,” companies with strong SEO will show up first on the search page rankings, making them far more likely to see traffic to their existing site for that search query.
Organic SEO builds the credibility of your website in the eyes of search engines, increasing the chances of potential customers finding your page. A strong online presence can result in more water damage leads for your company.
Check out our water damage SEO guide to learn even more about this powerful and effective marketing channel.
Content Marketing Efforts
As you compete with every other water damage restoration company, one of the best ways to produce leads is to prove your expertise. Content marketing is a strategy for showing potential clients that you understand their needs and can be the best solution for their water restoration.
Content can take many forms and will depend on what will speak to your target audience. Some examples that you could create include:
- video content displaying services
- before and after images of the damage
- educational how-to guides for minor water damage restoration
- blog posts about key search terms
Social Media
Social media is quickly becoming the number one option for businesses looking to generate more leads. A key aspect of understanding your ideal customers is knowing where to find them and which platforms will work best for your efforts.
- Youtube
These social media giants provide huge audiences for any service business looking to improve their web presence. You can use these platforms to share content, post pictures or videos of happy customers and water damage that has been repaired, or even get involved with groups or communities that your audience is connected with.
Social media platforms are very popular digital marketing techniques and should be a part of your overall strategy to generate water damage leads.
Networking:
Relationships could be one of your biggest resources for finding prospective customers. Putting your name out there to your network can pay massive dividends. You never know who might be a potential customer, or which connection knows a single lead that has a huge job for you.
Networking also comes at a much lower cost for your business, often costing no more than a phone call or an email. Some contact points that may be useful for your water damage company include:
- Insurance Agents
- Property Management Companies
- Realtors
- Referrals/Referral Programs
Community Involvement
To grow your business quickly, especially in your specific service areas, getting involved in the community is a necessity. Finding ways to be seen as a member of your local town or city can generate more water damage leads from repeat customers who live nearby.
Customers find local businesses easier when they become involved in the community, and there are several ways that water damage restoration companies can embed themselves in their service areas.
- sponsorships
- events/volunteering
- offer workshops or classes
Other restoration companies in your area may be taking advantage of this strategy already, giving them more leads for their business. To give your own water damage company a chance, focus on visibility in your local community to find water restoration leads.
Print Materials
Speaking of local advertising, there will always be a role for printed materials for restoration contractors. Some ideas that can help with water damage leads for your business include:
- Brochures
- Business Cards
- Yard Signs
- Client Leave Behinds/Referral Cards
Though digital marketing is a growing trend, a water damage lead can come from a business card or brochure just as often. Handing out materials like business cards and brochures can lead to more calls that will grow your business, especially from local customers who see your brand name throughout the entire year.
Vehicle Wraps
Every potential customer pays attention to what they see during their daily routines. Whether that means noticing ads online while they work, or a huge billboard on their daily commute. Vehicle wraps certainly catch the eye of those walking or driving by, and they could end up being a great investment that generates water damage leads for your company.
Plastering your logo, phone number, and a brief list of services may give you a leg up on other contractors in terms of brand visibility. A water damage lead could come from someone stuck in traffic next to another vehicle with your company name on it.
Customer Reviews & Testimonials
Trust is important for every business. When you are attempting to build your customer base and generate more water damage leads, you cannot go wrong with some positive reviews and testimonials to share.
Contact previous customers and ask for them to share some feedback with you that you can post on your website and social media. When others see that people trust your company to get the job done, you could see more water damage leads develop.
Focus Your Efforts for Best Results
Water damage companies face heavy competition for leads, but not every strategy listed above will work for every contractor.
When deciding where to focus your efforts to generate leads, be sure to consider your target audience. Where are they most likely to connect with your business? What methods from this list will result in the most leads for your company that will lead to more projects? Where did the most high-quality leads come from in the past?
Finding leads comes down to investing your resources in the right places. Think about your goals for increasing the number of leads you have and then lay out a strategy to reach those goals. Remember, one good water damage lead is better than 10 that don’t turn into a job, and eat up your time and resources.
