Starting a construction company requires significant effort and time, but the real challenge is finding ways to get more clients. For newcomers, finding clients and construction projects can be particularly difficult due to the lack of an established reputation.
For well-established construction companies, loyal customers may sometimes stop using your services, and finding new ones can be difficult. This is especially true if you can’t find the time to dedicate time to AEC marketing efforts.
Regardless of which category you fall into, getting new clients for your construction business is no easy task. However, as experts in the AEC space, we want to help you navigate these complexities and develop effective strategies for success.
In this blog, we are going to share how to get clients in the construction business so you can grow your business.
How Do Construction Companies Find Clients?
In the construction industry, companies must employ strategic methods to find and secure clients. This involves understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within the industry and leveraging a variety of approaches to stand out.
If you’re wondering how to get new clients, here are different tactics construction companies should use to attract and retain clients in a dynamic and evolving market.
1. Ask for Referrals
In construction, when clients are searching for someone to work on a project, good referrals are invaluable.
Why? According to HubSpot data, 90% of individuals trust recommendations from their friends, and 70% have confidence in opinions shared by consumers online, including those on social media. As a result, referrals made through word of mouth, whether offline or online, are typically a very effective means of attracting potential clients.
When your clients speak positively about your company and share their favorable experiences with others, it will help enhance your company’s reputation and assist in attracting new clients.
However, to earn a referral, you must demonstrate you’re worthy of one. How can you prove you’re worthy? Well, it’s quite obvious— focus on providing efficient and quality work to make a lasting impression on your client.
When your team is efficiently progressing and the project is running smoothly, a straightforward question like “Do you have any other projects we could assist with?” can effortlessly lead to getting new projects and clients.
This approach will be beneficial in the future when the client considers which construction business to hire for similar projects.
2. Reach Out to Old Leads
In the construction industry, reaching out to old clients is an often overlooked strategy that can effectively generate new business opportunities. Former clients already have firsthand experience of your work quality, reliability, and professionalism, making them a prime audience for re-engagement.
By re-establishing contact, you not only remind them of the positive experiences they had with your company but also open the door to new projects. This approach can be particularly fruitful if your past work has stood the test of time, as satisfied clients will likely require additional services or recommend your company to others in their network.
Additionally, revisiting old clients allows you to showcase any advancements or expanded services your business may have developed since your last engagement, potentially aligning with their current or future construction needs.
Moreover, in the construction business, where trust and proven capability are necessary, positive word-of-mouth and recommendations from previous clients carry significant weight.
Reconnecting with old clients can lead to valuable referrals, acting as a catalyst for expanding your client base. When you reach out, it’s an opportunity to ask for testimonials or reviews, which can be used in your marketing efforts to build credibility and attract new clients.
By maintaining a strong relationship with past clients, you create a network of advocates for your business, leveraging their satisfaction and trust to secure new projects and grow your construction business.
3. Prepare a Marketing Strategy
Once you’ve established your online presence in the construction sector, the next step is to make it known to potential clients. This is where your marketing strategy comes into play. Developing a well-thought-out marketing strategy is essential for any construction business aiming to expand its client base and increase visibility.
Beyond traditional marketing, the Internet offers a wealth of opportunities to connect with a variety of new customers. However, it’s crucial to fulfill your commitments, ensuring that what you promise aligns with what you deliver.
Here are some effective strategies to consider including in your construction marketing plan:
Start a PPC Campaign
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is one of the best ways to advertise your construction business because serves as a powerful way to gain visibility quickly.
Platforms like Google Ads or social media ads allow you to target specific demographics, ensuring your ads are seen by potential clients actively seeking construction services.
Develop Compelling Content
Content is king in digital marketing. Create engaging, informative, and relevant content that speaks to your audience. This could include blog posts, videos, case studies, and infographics that showcase your work and industry expertise.
Invest in Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
68% of online experiences begin with a search engine. If your business appears at the top of organic search results, it indicates that search engines recognize you as a credible and relevant source for those questions.
Being listed on the first page, particularly in the top three positions, increases the likelihood that internet users will trust your brand, click through to your website, and ultimately convert into customers.
For this reason, you should optimize your website and content for search engines to improve your visibility online. Using the right keywords, creating quality content, and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly are crucial for SEO.
Email Marketing
Develop a targeted email marketing campaign. Regular newsletters, project updates, and special offers keep your business in the minds of potential and past clients.
By sending targeted, personalized emails, you can showcase your projects, share company news, and offer insights into the construction industry. This approach helps build relationships with potential clients by keeping your company top of mind.
Consistent Brand Messaging
Ensure that your construction branding message is consistent across all platforms. Consistency in your messaging builds brand recognition and trust with your audience.
To maintain consistency in your brand, the best approach is to adopt a software solution that manages the expanding collection of images, videos, logos, and other media in your digital brand asset library. OpenAsset stands out as a unique Digital Asset Management (DAM) software to keep your brand consistent across marketing collateral.
| TIP: As your business expands, your marketing initiatives and the quantity of brand and media assets utilized for creating advertisements, drafting proposals, and interacting with your audience on social media will also increase. Learn How to Improve Brand Consistency now. |
4. Implement a Social Media Strategy
Social media marketing is a crucial component of any comprehensive online business strategy. Why? Let’s take a look at the data.
54% of social media users use social media to research products and 71% are more likely to purchase products and services based on social media referrals. Additionally, 21% of marketers believe that social media significantly impacts meeting their lead generation goals.
It’s clear that if you aren’t active on social media, you should be. This will not only allow you to showcase your projects and team, but it will also enable you to establish a connection with potential clients in a way that might not be attainable through offline methods.
Integrating a social media strategy into your business also offers the benefit of showcasing customer testimonials. You can motivate your past clients to leave ratings and comments on your social media pages, highlighting the quality of your work.
Moreover, you should also focus on growing your follower base to maximize your reach, ensuring that your construction business regularly appears in a variety of social media feeds. Being consistent with your posting keeps your business visible and top-of-mind among your followers and potential clients.
5. Build a Construction Company Website
Today, the majority of people seeking services start their search on Google. Therefore, it’s essential to develop a high-quality construction website that provides comprehensive information about you and your construction business.
Your website will serve as the virtual face of your business and a powerful tool for generating leads.
An effective website will guide visitors toward taking action. Whether it’s to get a quote, schedule a consultation, or view your portfolio, clear and compelling CTAs are necessary. Place them strategically throughout your site to encourage potential clients to engage with your services.
You should also incorporate forms on your website for free quotes, newsletters, or downloadable resources like eBooks or case studies. These provide value to visitors and record essential contact information, turning website traffic into potential leads.
Moreover, just like you’ll want to include your team in your social media, you’ll also want to include them on your website. This humanizes your brand. To introduce your team, include professional photos and brief bios that highlight their skills and experience. This personal touch can build trust and reassure clients of the expertise behind your services.
Last, but not least, include case studies. Case studies are powerful tools to demonstrate your capability and success in past projects. They provide concrete proof of your expertise and the quality of your work, showcasing your ability to meet and exceed client expectations.
6. Have Good Reviews and Testimonials
Showcasing testimonials can significantly influence new clients’ decision-making, as they often rely on the experiences of others to understand the trustworthiness and competence of a construction company.
In fact, according to online review statistics, 95% of customers read online reviews before buying a product and 58% of these shoppers say they are willing to pay more for products that have good reviews.
Additionally, approximately 81% of consumers are as likely to consult Google reviews as they are to trust personal recommendations from acquaintances.
Moreover, to effectively build strong brand awareness, it’s crucial to encourage your customers to share their positive experiences with your company by leaving reviews on your website or platforms like Google, Yelp, or industry-specific review sites.
This practice can significantly enhance your company’s credibility and attract potential clients.
Regularly updating and highlighting these positive reviews can be a powerful tool in building your business’s reputation and attracting new projects.
7. Understand Each Stage of the Sales Pipeline
A well-structured sales pipeline is crucial for converting prospects into loyal customers. Understanding each stage is key to optimizing your sales process. Here’s a breakdown of the eight essential stages:
1. Prospecting and Lead Generation
This initial stage involves using prospecting strategies to identify potential clients and generate leads. Use various channels like networking, online marketing, and referrals to gather a list of prospects who may need your services.
2. Lead Qualification
Not all leads are created equal. This stage is about assessing the leads to determine their potential to become customers. Qualify leads based on factors like budget, need, authority, and timeline.
3. Lead Nurturing and Outreach
Once qualified, nurture these leads with targeted outreach. This could be through email campaigns, social media engagement, or personalized communication, to build a relationship and educate them about your services.
4. Prospect Meeting
This critical stage involves meeting with the prospect, either virtually or in person. Here, you present your business, understand the prospect’s specific needs, and how your services can provide a solution.
5. Proposal
Based on the information gathered in the meeting, prepare and present a detailed winning proposal. This document should outline your approach, timeline, costs, and the benefits of choosing your services.
6. Negotiations and Follow-Up
After presenting the proposal, the next stage is negotiations. Be open to discussions and adjustments. Follow up regularly to keep the momentum going and address any concerns or questions.
7. Closed Deal
This is the culmination of your efforts – closing the deal. Once the terms are agreed upon, finalize the contract and begin the onboarding process.
8. Customer Retention
The sales process doesn’t end with a closed deal. Focus on customer retention through excellent service delivery, regular communication, and post-project follow-up. Satisfied customers can lead to repeat business and referrals.
Understanding and effectively managing each stage of the sales pipeline is crucial for long-term success and growth in your business. This systematic approach ensures a steady flow of clients and helps build a strong, reputable brand.
8. Align Marketing and Sales
Aligning marketing and sales is a strategic approach that can significantly enhance the performance and growth of a construction company.
By ensuring that the sales and marketing teams in construction work together, you can create a unified message and approach to attracting and securing clients. This alignment involves shared goals, consistent communication, and a collaborative strategy where marketing generates qualified leads and sales effectively convert them.
By leveraging insights and feedback from both departments, you can refine your approach, targeting the right audience with the right message at the right time, ultimately driving more effective lead generation and conversion.
9. Meet With Potential Construction Clients in Person
According to research from BetterUp, face-to-face communication helps us connect better; it tends to be more impactful than written or audio-only exchanges.
Seeing each other during a conversation facilitates a deeper comprehension of the nuances of communication. The ability to observe nonverbal signals and body language during face-to-face conversations enhances understanding, as a significant portion of communication is conveyed nonverbally.
So, how does this relate to attracting more clients?
Well, first, this tells you that you should actively reach out to potential clients, introduce your business, and suggest in-person meetings.
Start by creating a list of prospective clients who may need your services. Contact them to offer a presentation about your business, understand their requirements, respond to inquiries, and discuss possible projects.
These interactions can expose you to upcoming project opportunities and ways to secure them for your business growth.
Even if they don’t have recent projects, they might consider you for future opportunities. For construction professionals, proactive in-person engagements and word-of-mouth referrals from satisfied clients are the most effective ways to establish relationships, build trust, and attract more work.
10. Network With Other Construction Professionals
Networking plays a crucial role in all businesses, especially in the construction industry, where collaboration with a range of other construction professionals is a common necessity. Building solid relationships with fellow professionals can significantly enhance your ability to acquire new work and expand your business.
By networking with peers in your industry, you position yourself as a go-to choice for new projects. Therefore, establishing relationships with other builders, subcontractors, and various contractor associations can lead to the acquisition of new clients.
The good thing is that much of professional networking can be done at no cost through online platforms and traditional face-to-face meetings.
11. Attend Events to Find New Construction Clients
If you’re wondering how to find new clients, participating in trade shows, industry gatherings, local events, conferences, and other types of networking events is another effective approach to finding new clients.
By participating in these events, you can meet potential clients, build relationships, and showcase your expertise.
Additionally, these events offer a platform to connect with other professionals, learn about the latest industry trends, and discover new project opportunities. Being actively involved in such events can significantly enhance your visibility and credibility in the construction sector, ultimately leading to new client acquisitions.
The frequency and type of these events may vary based on your location and the local industry dynamics. Traveling to attend such events is also an option to consider.
Plus, while the exact costs for these activities are hard to quantify, investing in them is typically a wise decision, as they offer valuable opportunities for growth and networking.
12. Leverage Construction Bid Websites and Lead Generation Services
Construction bidding websites are crucial tools in the AEC industry. These platforms serve as central marketplaces for various stakeholders in construction projects, including project owners, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and even architects and engineers.
On these websites, project details such as descriptions, blueprints, specifications, and timelines are posted, allowing contractors and subcontractors to submit electronic bids.
The process streamlines the construction bidding process, increasing efficiency, and offers benefits such as enhanced visibility for contractors, more competitive pricing, and opportunities for reputation building through reviews and successful project completions.
Additionally, you can use construction bidding websites as lead generation services. These platforms provide a continuous flow of projects for bidding, offering you an early advantage in securing projects for your company.
Leveraging lead generation services, for both commercial and residential projects, can assist general contractors in identifying potential clients who may need their services. Lead generation services help you discover additional opportunities, including commercial projects to bid on and residential clients seeking their services.
For commercial construction projects, platforms like iSqft or The Blue Book function as databases of projects that are currently up for bid. They enable you to conduct targeted searches using specific criteria such as location, keywords, and more.
This approach allows you to efficiently identify leads, meaning detailed information about construction projects you can bid on, and potential clients with whom you can forge relationships.
13. Work With Good Subcontractors
Collaborating with reliable subcontractors is a key strategy in the construction industry. Working with skilled and dependable subcontractors not only ensures the quality and efficiency of your projects but also enhances your company’s reputation.
Good subcontractors bring expertise, and timely completion of tasks, and can contribute to smoother project management.
By building strong relationships with these professionals, you can ensure a consistent standard of work, which is crucial for client satisfaction and for securing future projects. This collaboration often leads to a network of trusted partnerships, essential for the successful growth and sustainability of your construction business.
14. Implement the Right Tools
Implementing the right tools is a key strategy for enhancing efficiency and productivity in any construction business.
By choosing and utilizing effective construction software and technology solutions, companies can streamline various aspects of their operations, from project management and budget tracking to client communication and proposal creation.
The right tools can lead to significant time savings, reduced errors, and improved project outcomes, ultimately contributing to greater client satisfaction and increased business opportunities.
Whether it’s leveraging advanced project management systems, embracing digital asset management systems like OpenAsset, or the latest in construction technology, the adoption of appropriate tools can be a game-changer in the success of a construction business.
But what if I want to implement multiple tools? OpenAsset offers integration partnerships with the best tools in the built world, including project-based ERP & CRM, Construction Project Management, and document creation tools.
As a result of these integrations, teams can work more efficiently, with quicker access to the necessary resources, leading to improved project management, enhanced communication, and more efficient overall workflows.
| TIP: Not sure what DAM integrations you’ll need? Learn which are the 8 Most Popular DAM Integrations now. |
15. Set Yourself Apart From the Competition
To distinguish yourself from competitors, it’s essential to not just excel in your field but to offer something unique. Being the best is valuable, but offering a service that no one else provides sets you apart entirely.
To stand out, focus on unique aspects of your service, such as specialized expertise, innovative construction techniques, exceptional customer service, or eco-friendly practices. Highlighting these unique selling points in your marketing and customer interactions can attract clients who value what sets you apart.
Additionally, consistently delivering high-quality work, maintaining a strong online presence, and nurturing positive client relationships can enhance your reputation and make your company the preferred choice over competitors.
This approach not only attracts new clients but also fosters loyalty among existing ones, crucial for long-term success.
16. Establish an Efficient Construction Proposal Process
Once you’ve aced your marketing efforts, what else should you do to win more clients? Create quality proposals.
Establishing an efficient construction proposal process is crucial for increasing the volume and quality of bids, thereby winning more business. A streamlined process enables you to create and submit bids more quickly and accurately.
Implementing a tool like OpenAsset can significantly enhance this efficiency. OpenAsset, as a DAM system, helps in organizing and accessing critical project visuals and creating documents in seconds. This ensures that your proposals are both comprehensive and visually compelling.
There’s even an Employee Module, which drives efficiency within your organization by automating the creation of resume documents and allowing you to automatically synchronize employee data between OpenAsset and your CRM or ERP system.
By integrating OpenAsset into your construction proposal process, you can expedite the creation of high-quality, customized proposals, increasing your chances of winning bids and growing your business in the competitive construction industry.
Gaining Clients With OpenAsset
Gaining new clients in the construction industry demands a blend of innovative strategies and efficient tools. But, with a digital asset management platform made for the built world, like OpenAsset, you can centralize your AEC digital assets, create more proposals, and ultimately win more business.
By leveraging the power of OpenAsset, construction companies can effectively store their past projects, enhance their RFP responses, and build a compelling portfolio that resonates with prospects.
OpenAsset makes AEC proposals simpler, faster, and more successful. That’s why 99% of customers renew. Embracing this DAM tool can be a game-changer in your journey to expand your client base and drive the growth of your construction business in a competitive market.
Ready to get more clients for your construction business?
