Now that the internet has become an integral part of our daily lives, modern consumers no longer depend on television, radio, and print advertisements. We look and go through a plethora of information first, accessed through popular search engines (Google, Bing, and others), before deciding to make a purchase or hire a local service.

Technology advancement allowed companies to promote and connect with a larger number of potential consumers than the traditional, physical presence of a brick-and-mortar store. As a contractor, you are no longer confined to your neighborhood and push services directly to them. Your online presence enables you to reach out and pull qualified leads towards your construction company. But what should you do when you don't have a marketing manager that handles this side of your business? I say work with what you already have and go from there.

Go through a quick search of construction/home service-based businesses near you, whether it’s a Handyman, Plumber, Painter, or a Framing company, or better yet google your competition and look at their information. Does it link to their websites? And if so, do they maintain a blog?

How many people, including you, search the web for information before making a decision – buying equipment, booking a hotel, or eating at a restaurant? While a company website establishes your credibility as an industry leader, blogging presents an excellent opportunity for you to develop a relationship with your audience, strengthens your reputation as an authority in your field, and helps you stand out from the competition. You care enough to provide your prospects and followers relevant and useful information that they can practice and apply.

When creating content, ask yourself these questions:

• What is the purpose of this blog post?
• Am I adding value?
• Why is this important to my readers?

Yes, I know, as a Web Content Developer and Fast Easy Accounting’s resident Webmaster, this blog post could come quite a surprise to you but bear with me on this. I realized that writing about Online Marketing Trends and the power of Inbound Marketing doesn’t obviously support a more traditional way of marketing, but I am taking this topic head on to bring you a different point of view. In this day and age, despite the steady growth of the web, still, about 10% of U.S. adults do not use the internet - that means not all your target clients are online. This is an opportunity for you to implement some offline marketing methods to add to your overall promotional strategy.

If you’re just establishing your contracting business, have no office support or crew to assist you, and looking for ways to promote your company without spending a lot of money in advertising costs, then this could be the answer you’re looking for. If you’re a seasoned contractor and just want to do more networking in your spare time, this can also work for your company. Notice I mentioned “free” – however, this is going to cost you a bit (or more) of your time and effort (perhaps gas). Consider having a marketing budget if you want to take it up a notch and optimize your plan. For now, take out those box of business cards and shove it in your glove box and let’s get rolling:

Inbound marketing is about creating valuable experiences that have a positive impact on people and your business. How do you do that? You attract prospects and customers to your website and blog through relevant and helpful content. Once they arrive, you engage with them using conversational tools like email and chat and by promising continued value. And finally, you delight them by continuing to act as an empathetic advisor and expert. - HubSpot

Now that the internet has become an integral part of our daily lives, modern consumers no longer depend on television, radio, and print advertisements. We look and go through a plethora of information first, accessed through popular search engines (Google, Bing, etc.), before deciding to make a purchase or hire a local service.

Technology advancement allowed companies to promote and connect with a larger number of potential consumers compared to the traditional, physical presence of a brick-and-mortar store. As a Trade Contractor, you are no longer confined to your own neighborhood and push services directly to them, your online presence enables you to reach out and pull qualified leads towards your company. But what should you do when you don’t have a marketing manager that handles this side of your business? I say work with what you already have and go from there.

Organizations and industries, no matter the career discipline, is fully invested in coordinating and taking part in conferences, summits, expos, and exhibits. Industry trade fairs are remarkably relevant to construction company owners because it leverages traditional marketing practices without being intrusive (because your target market comes to you), fosters real, solid relationships, and promotes camaraderie among your associations.

Today more than ever, we live in a world where information is accessible at the touch of a button, a few clicks on your keyboard, or even a voice command. Although it's hard to predict where new technologies will lead us, one thing is sure: we are now all digitally connected. The internet has caused our businesses to thrive and survive, and there's no way of blocking its impact on our day-to-day lives. 

With that said, it is helpful to keep an eye out on these marketing trends that could influence how your target audience searches and consume data, along with actionable tips that could jump-start your new year "to-do list":

It’s been another great year for Fast Easy Accounting. For those of you who have been with us through all these years, we appreciate your support; without our contractor clients, subscribers, podcast listeners, blog readers, and guest bloggers, we wouldn’t get to where we are today.

As we look back on our 2018, I hope your fondest memories will include the time you’ve spent with all the things you love and are passionate about. And because we love what we do and we are passionate about serving our contractor friends - for us, this year was all about empowering your contracting business by continually providing you with outstanding products, high-quality services, and dependable resources for your bookkeeping and accounting needs.

I have been working as a Webmaster at Fast Easy Accounting for over a year now and I can truthfully say, I enjoy my job. I have been exposed to researching and reading all about the construction industry and were given the right tools and resources to expand my skillset.

Hi, everyone! This is Norhalma from Fast Easy Accounting. You've probably seen the videos I made and just heard my Podcast with Randal. If you don't know me yet, you must be thinking, "Well, what does she know about construction accounting?" To tell you the truth, I am neither an accountant nor a contractor. I am the company's webmaster. I also build, maintain, and fix stuff - only I'm in front of a computer managing the company's website.