The winter lull is a good time to make sure you have a solid pipeline for 2023 window and door projects. Consider these four tips that can help boost your business in the coming year.
1. Consumer interest in home improvement rebounds early in the year
Our data shows that the first quarter of every year ushers in renewed consumer interest in home improvement projects. Already this year, Modernize has seen an increase in window leads of 15 percent from December to January. Family obligations and holiday travel have passed, and people resolve to start or complete projects. It’s important for contractors to have their lead generation sources up-and-running in the first quarter to capture these customers who want to get started on their renovation plans.
2. Nurture dormant 2022 leads
While demand for home improvement projects slows down late in the year, those who made inquiries in November and December can get distracted by the holidays. Too often, contractors drop leads that don’t yield an immediate appointment. A study from Hatch showed that 15 percent of window replacement inquiries take longer than 30 days to close. Those pre-holiday leads may not be overly hot now, but it might not take much to warm them back up.
3. Use digital marketing to turn on lead flow quickly and easily
Digital marketing is one of the fastest and most predictable ways to increase lead flow. Other lead generation sources take time to gear up. For example, door knocking is especially tough in winter weather. Implementing a digital marketing strategy now while demand is just starting to trend up is a quick and scalable way to help you stay ahead of the competition.
4. Sharpen focus on qualifying leads
A surge in leads often exposes companies that do not have the capacity to handle them. Some contractors separate up-front qualification and appointment setting to free-up skilled salespeople to do the closing. Consider using the slower first quarter as a time to set up a contact center dedicated to new leads, ensuring that those passed to sales for the rest of the year are qualified, and giving you the “speed to lead” that makes a crucial difference in conversion rates. Such contact centers can be managed internally or easily outsourced to third parties. There are many contact centers that can onboard in a matter of weeks, bringing an existing infrastructure to handle the specific tasks of lead qualification and appointment setting.
Take advantage of these ideas to have the first quarter set you up for a strong 2023, and capture as much business as you can handle!
