The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect businesses in every industry. If you are a home improvement contractor, how has your business changed in 2020? This year has been unusual, and industry experts anticipate that we will continue to see different consumer demand patterns.
Typically, winter is thought of as the “off-season” for many businesses in the home improvement industry. The weather cools down, and homeowners focus on holidays and travel, with home projects set aside until the spring. Extra spending money often goes to travel expenses and holiday gifts, often resulting in delayed or paused home projects.
But this year will be different. Many families plan to stay home for the holidays, which changes their spending plans for the season.
Home Improvement Plans for the Winter Months
Since people aren’t traveling for the holidays due to COVID-19, more households turn their attention to home improvement projects. We’re anticipating a seasonal boom, with many opportunities for contractors to stay busy through the winter months.
Recently, Modernize surveyed thousands of homeowners to learn about their project plans for the winter months. 55% of the responders said they are planning to begin or continue home improvement projects this season. 67% of homeowners said time was one of the most significant motivating factors – they have more time to pursue these projects.
Off-Season Marketing
Instead of viewing these winter months as the offseason in the interior remodeling industry, lean into the prospects to grow your business. Having homeowners at home for the season creates a rare opportunity to bring on new projects.
People are prioritizing local services as a way to support small businesses. In your off-season marketing efforts, highlight your local offering. 80% of survey respondents said they “feel more connected to their communities,” and many people expect these local connections to stay long-term. Homeowners are motivated to choose family-owned businesses and small providers instead of a national brand.
Highlight customer reviews, including before-and-after photos in your marketing materials. Consider updating printed materials, presentations, and scripts to communicate the essential selling points for 2020.
Running a Holiday Promotion
One way you can emphasize the time-sensitive nature of winter remodeling projects is by offering a holiday promotion. Homeowners will be motivated to lock in a work agreement when they are getting a fair deal on the services. Consider offering one of these discounts for customers who move forward on the project before the end of the year:
- Discounts on materials
- Discounts on appliances
- Reduced labor costs
- Reduced installation costs
The expiration of your holiday promotion can encourage indecisive homeowners to move forward with the project. Of course, the specific promotion varies depending on the economic needs of your company. It’s been a challenging year for all businesses, so some small companies might not be able to offer discounts at this time.
Finding Leads for Seasonal Projects
Not only should you be proactive in advertising to connect with new customers who desire interior renovation services. But it’s also a great time to review your book of clients. Schedule conversations with homeowners you worked with in the past. Even if the lead has grown cold, the homeowner might be ready to move forward on the project now.
Reach out through email marketing and text message campaigns. Pay attention to the engagement that occurs with these marketing messages. Then sales teams can follow up on the points that are catching the attention of each homeowner.
Preparing Your Remodeling Business for the Winter Season
Are you prepared to handle the increasing demand for services through the winter season? If you own an interior remodeling company, then now is the time to connect with homeowners who are seeking these services. Not only can you tap into projects available through the end of the year, but immediate action will set your business up for success moving into 2021.
Modernize is here to support your business through it all. Our goal is to keep you updated on the current industry trends, while also increasing the number of connections between project-ready homeowners and your sales team.
