3 Biggest Marketing Mistakes Companies Make

I’ve recently reviewed over 400 construction websites, marketing materials, and brands. It was eye-opening and arduous. (That may be too soft of a word.) Across the board I saw the same mistakes repeating over and over. Not to bash just the construction industry, most industries have this issue too, we just work in the construction industry.

The 3 biggest marketing mistakes construction companies make are:

1. Not Telling Me (Your Buyer) What Your Company Does  – I can’t buy your product/service if I do not know what you do. Period. Starting with your company’s name, ABC Services tells me nothing. Telling me you do “construction” tells me more, but is still not specific. I, your prospective buyer, need to know what you want me to buy. On the flip side, this makes it easier for inbound marketing otherwise known as customers calling you to give you money. No, that is not a fictional statement in construction, even with low-bid, government work. If you think it is, you’re doing something wrong and your competitors are not going to tell you otherwise.
   For example, my company does helps construction companies grow, be more profitable, and attract & retain better employees & subs through brand marketing & design. We get calls from construction companies weekly about working for them.
2. Not Differentiating – This comes up in nearly every presentation I give about marketing & design. Companies struggle with this because they are too close to it. What does your company do better than everyone else; brag about it – tell your prospects why you’re the best. The “on time, on budget” mantra is your customers’ baseline and they have numerous options. If everyone tells them the same thing, then your prospects can not tell everyone apart and they will pick based on the one thing that is different – price. I’m sure you know which price they like – the lowest. This is an essential part of brand marketing and the crux of best value proposals – you need to show your value, your expertise, and why you’re worth the money.
   Another example, my team has more experience working with construction companies than any other marketing & design firm. We know what you need for your website’s navigation, what an SOQ is, and how your insurance rates effect your ability to compete. It nay sound cocky, but it is a fact and it is the reason our clients choose us.
3. No Personality – This is similar, yet different from differentiation. Personality is about you as a company. Do you like getting down and dirty, prefer complex problems, or enjoy building landmarks? You can call brand personality your company culture if you want, it attracts similar employees and like-minded customers. Ever have one of those clients that just doesn’t fit in with your team, process, and work? What about a customer that just gets it, is fun to interact with and overall is pleasant? The difference is personality.
   We enjoy working with the construction industry because they’re down to earth, let us do our jobs, and are just good, hard working people. We don’t work for doctors and lawyers for a reason.

As a special bonus for you, the fourth biggest mistake is crappy design. It is a proven fact that you have less than 7 seconds to keep someone on your website and your website is a prospect’s first impression of your company. In 7 seconds, they can’t read more than your company name and your headline. Good design builds credibility and engages people, it makes them want to read more, even subconsciously.

Take a look at your company’s marketing materials. Compare them to your top 3 competitors’ websites. Do you say what you do? Do you differentiate? Do you show your brand personality? More importantly, would you hire your company?