Myth three: Social media is all that really matters
“Everybody’s doing it. And my customers spend a lot of time there, so this is where we need to be as well.” It is a common refrain, but it is not very effective for quality pool or spa/hot tub leads. There is an immense gulf between the hype, the metrics, and traffic that matter. Social media has its role, but it is not in lead generation—an area where it has in fact been historically weak.
Social media definitely adds value for some businesses; especially big name brands like Starbucks, Coke, and GM that want to connect with their customers on a more personal level. But so do offer-based companies like ‘cash for gold,’ free e-book giveaways, and even online classes. To get the phone to ring with qualified leads, however, most social media activities (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram updates and banner ads) are going to have a hard time generating any return on investment (ROI).
When can social media work for pool and spa/hot tub companies?
One aspect beneath the social media umbrella that is worth attention is customer reviews. Places like Angie’s List, Google, and Yelp provide opportunities for customers to perform local searches and read reviews across a wide range of businesses. And while these reviews can be faked to some extent, in the eyes of Google and organic search, they can be an important differentiator.
Keep in mind, some homeowners feel a big sense of risk when hiring a pool and spa/hot tub company. Reading positive reviews about a business will help allay customer fears. Since most local businesses do not have any reviews, just having a handful can make a big difference. So businesses should encourage customers to post them.
What about negative reviews? A negative review will not necessarily hurt a company—every business that has reviews has some bad ones. However, there is more to lose by not having any at all, so long as they are not all negative comments.
Myth four: Online listings will make the phone ring
Every company in the pool and spa/hot tub industry has no doubt received solicitations to list their business with an online directory service (e.g. Yellow Pages, SuperPages, etc.). These types of services drive a small fraction of traffic. In fact, all of these listing services combined deliver less than 10 per cent of what the major search engines do.
That said, do not ignore online listings entirely. They serve a legitimate purpose, mostly by helping local businesses get found by the real search engines. Therefore, businesses should make sure their listings are set-up accurately, once, and then leave them alone. A pool and spa/hot tub company can assign somebody to handle this or, since there are so many of these sites, a third-party service (e.g. Yext, Universal Business Listing) can be hired to perform this task.
The right way to create these listings is to load them up with as much information as possible by maxing out the number of images, videos, logos, payment information, and descriptions the company is allowed to submit. The more information the listing has, the more search engines and directories have to display to their visitors.
Myth five: Mobile Internet is having a huge impact
According to statistics, 50 per cent of total website visits come from some type of mobile device. So, does this mean a pool and spa/hot tub company’s website should focus on mobile as well? The reality is mobile matters a great deal more for some businesses than others. But for those who sell high value, high consideration products—like pools and/or spas/hot tubs—targeting mobile customers is still just ‘nice to have.’
The industry’s target customer base is 45 years old and up, he/she is not going to be as mobile-friendly as today’s twentysomethings. These folks are just getting used to searching for products on the web, and for them, a computer is still the device of choice. So, by all means, keep an eye on mobile Internet opportunities, as it is certainly easier than ever to optimize a business’ website and advertising for mobile devices. That said, avoid the temptation to believe a company will win or lose based on its mobile Internet efforts.
