The majority of home services shoppers start their journey by finding and comparing providers online. When they’ve completed their research, they often call to make appointments, get quotes, and make purchases. These calls are often the most valuable marketing conversions. To improve marketing personalization and acquire more customers, home services marketers are using conversation analytics data from phone calls.
The Home Services Market Is Poised for Growth
The global home services market is expected to grow 18.91% per year from 2019-2026. Though many providers faced hardships at the start of COVID-19, the industry has since rebounded. (Source: Verified Market Research)
U.S. households shell out an average of $5,000 annually on services, making targeted marketing strategies crucial for reaching this high-value audience. Don't underestimate the home improvement goldmine!(Source: zipdo.com)
Two-thirds (66%) feel optimistic about the direction of the construction market. Experts are optimistic due to several factors, including technological advancements, increased infrastructure investment, and growing demand for sustainable and resilient building solutions. (Source: KPMG)
The Home Services Consumer Journey Often Begins Online
Consumers researching moving, pest control, locksmith services, and lawn care are the most likely to use search engines. In the majority of home services verticals, over 55% of consumers run a search before scheduling an appointment. (Source: LSA)
Most home services consumers don’t have a company in mind when they run a search. This presents an opportunity for home services marketers to convert these undecided searchers. (Source: LSA)
78% of local searches on mobile devices lead to a purchase within 24 hours. Local mobile searchers have a high purchasing intent — home services marketers should optimize their strategies to convert this valuable cross-section of consumers. (Source: ComScore)
80% of home services businesses are using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor to connect with customers and build buzz. ️So, dust off your phone, sharpen your storytelling skills, and get ready to join the party! (Source: Valve + Meter)
More than half of all home service seekers have ditched the desktop — 56.1% now whip out their phones to look for providers, making mobile optimization a must-win for savvy marketers. (Source: zipdo.com)
Home Services Marketers Invest More in Search and Digital Ads to Acquire Customers
Costs per click (CPC) on Google Ads for certain home services keywords can exceed $40. In this competitive landscape, home services marketers must invest significant budget in search ads to acquire new customers. (Sources: WordStream, ACCA, HubSpot)
Costs per lead (CPL) for home services often exceed $100. With home services ad spend on the rise, marketers are paying more for each lead. (Sources: WordStream, ACCA, HubSpot)
Landing new clients is a major headache for 62% of home service companies — could your marketing be the cure? By understanding their target audience and crafting targeted campaigns, marketers can help these companies overcome their biggest challenge. (Source: zipdo.com)
The pandemic sparked a digital pivot with half of home service pros are now doubling down on online marketing, making your digital strategy more critical than ever. (Source: zipdo.com)
Home Services Consumers Read Reviews Before Making a Purchase
86% of consumers read reviews for local businesses. This includes 95% of 18 to 34 year old consumers. (Source: BrightLocal)
Consumers read an average of 10 online reviews before feeling able to trust a local business. Many consumers will not reach out to a home services provider until they’ve vetted their online reviews. (Source: BrightLocal)
82% of buyers find review sites valuable in their search. Home services providers should look beyond generic review sites like Google My Business, and ensure their reputations are clean on home services review sites like HomeAdvisor and Angi. (Source: G2)
57% of consumers will only use a business if it has 4 or more stars on local reviews. Home services marketers need to have a strong review management strategy in place to secure and maintain a good star-rating. (Source: BrightLocal)
Businesses with an average rating of 4 stars or higher rake in a whopping 32% more revenue compared to those with lower reviews. Think of it as social proof on steroids, building trust and attracting customers. (Source: Valve + Meter)
Many Home Services Consumers Researching Online Convert by Calling
Consumers searching for plumbing, appliance repair, and fencing services are most likely to call after making a search. Since many home services purchases are urgent or considered, consumers often prefer to speak to a live agent, rather than fill out an online form. (Source: LSA)
40% of home services consumers who call from search make a purchase. Now that’s an impressive conversion rate! Other common actions include scheduling an appointment, checking hours, and inquiring about pricing. (Source: Google)
Roofing, home remodeling, and deck and patio consumers spend the most when they call from search to make a purchase. On average, home services consumers spend anywhere from $84 to $4,589 when they convert on a call placed after search. (Source: LSA)
Inbound Phone Calls Are A Valuable Conversion for Home Services Marketers
Phone calls convert to 10-15x more revenue than web leads. Calls are one of the most valuable conversions home services marketers can drive. By tracking the calls driven by your home services ads, you can measure your full ROI and optimize accordingly. (Source: BIA/Kelsey)
Callers convert 30% faster than web leads. Calls provide a more immediate return on your marketing investment. (Source: Forrester)
Caller retention rate is 28% higher than web lead retention rate. Driving calls from home services marketing campaigns is also more profitable in the long-term — callers are more loyal than web leads. (Source: Forrester)
84% of marketers report phone calls having higher conversion rates with larger order value (AOV) compared to other forms of engagement. Phone calls are often the most valuable conversions for home services marketers. (Source: Forrester)
41% of organizations report having increased phone conversion rates by 25% or more in the past 12 months. Not only are consumers calling more due to COVID-19 — they’re also calling with higher intent to make a purchase. Both the volume and value of calls are increasing for many businesses due to COVID-19. (Source: Forrester)
85% of marketers believe inbound calls and phone conversations are a key component of their organization’s digital-first strategy. Home services marketers plan to tap into phone call data to better understand their customers and inform their strategies. (Source: Forrester)
62% of home services customers called during their purchasing journey in 2022. This was a 2% increase from the previous year. (source: Invoca)
Why Home Services Marketers Need to Personalize the Caller Experience to Boost Conversions
18% of home services calls go unanswered on weekdays, while 41% go unanswered on weekends. Home services providers are frustrating consumers and leaving revenue on the table with each of these unanswered calls. (Source: Invoca)
80% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services. Expectations for the consumer journey have never been higher—to acquire new customers, home services marketers need to meet them. This includes calls. (Source: Salesforce)
65% of consumers have cut ties with a brand over a single poor customer service experience. If you fail to provide frictionless caller experiences, it will cost you customers. (Source: Digiday)
32% of consumers say phone calls are the most frustrating customer service channel. Simply fielding inbound phone calls isn’t enough for home services marketers—it’s important to have data on each caller so you can quickly and efficiently address their needs. (Source: Aspect)
38% of consumers will stop doing business with a company if they have a bad call experience. Providing great call experiences is an exercise in customer retention. (source: Invoca)
59% of consumers say rude agents creates a bad call experience, 58% say long hold times, 54% say too many transrers, 46% say having to repeat information. To ensure a great call experience, you need to avoid these common pitfalls. (source: Invoca)
75% of consumers will hang up within 10 minutes of waiting on hold. To convert callers to customers, you need to ensure your contact center is operating at peak efficiency. (source: Invoca)
Consumers expect higher levels of personalization over the phone than on any other channel. Personalizing the call experience is critical to converting callers to revenue. (source: Invoca)
When a company does a good job of personalizing customer interactions, 49% of customers feel like they care about earning their business and 47% are more likely to do business with them. Personalization can have a direct impact on revenue and customer loyalty. (source: Invoca)
Conversation Analytics Data from Phone Calls Helps Home Services Marketers Deliver Better Personalization and Drive More Revenue
48% of marketers have provided or expect to provide enhanced customer experiences as a result of scaling conversation analytics across the enterprise. With conversation analytics data, home services marketers can enhance ad targeting, segment email campaigns, serve personalized website experiences, and more, based on the content of phone conversations. (Source: Forrester)
43% of marketers have improved or expect to improve customer acquisition and retention as a result of scaling conversation analytics across the enterprise. When you tailor consumer experiences based on the content of their phone conversations, you better meet their needs and earn their loyalty. (Source: Forrester)
Marketers who have scaled conversation analytics across the enterprise have seen or expect to see improved analytics efficiency, increased business efficiency, improved employee productivity, and seamless integration with existing systems. Conversation analytics allows home services companies to get smarter insights into their consumers and make more informed decisions to drive efficiency. (Source: Forrester)
Home Services Marketers Are Banking on AI to Boost Performance in 2025 and Beyond
95% of all data captured in the construction and engineering industry goes unused. When construction firms fail to tap into the data at their disposal, they miss out on efficiency gains and cost savings. AI can be the answer, helping marketers collect and analyze data at scale. (Source: FMI)
91% of marketers are more optimistic about AI this year than ever before. Home services marketers who have adopted AI into their workflows feel that it lives up to the hype. (Invoca: The State of AI in Digital Marketing Report)
82% of marketers say that their use of AI is advanced compared to their competitors. Home services marketers who fail to tap into AI solutions will fall behind their peers who do. (Invoca: The State of AI in Digital Marketing Report)
80% of marketers said AI tools exceeded their ROI expectations. Home services marketers who are hesitant to hop aboard the AI train should know that the investment will pay dividends. (Invoca: The State of AI in Digital Marketing Report)
Nearly 95% of marketers said AI helps them spend their budgets more efficiently. AI has a compounding effect — when you invest in this technology, you can make other facets of your day-to-day more efficient. (Invoca: The State of AI in Digital Marketing Report)
So What Can Home Services Marketers Do to Drive More Phone Call Conversions?
Make it easy for consumers to call you. This includes using call extensions on Google Ads and making “call now” an action on web pages.
Track callers from marketing source to appointment or sale. This will help you understand how your digital marketing is generating calls.
Use conversation analytics to personalize the caller experience. To convert callers, it’s important to provide a frictionless, personalized experience that makes them feel valued and known.
Capture the common questions callers are asking on calls and address them in your online content to improve SEO and boost conversions.
Analyze conversations to measure what percentage of calls aren’t being answered at each location, if long on-hold times result in high call abandon rates, if the caller was a good lead, if they converted, and which agents or locations are best (and worst) at converting callers to consumers. You can then make the appropriate adjustments to your marketing and coach your agents if necessary.
Integrate call data with your CRM and advertising tools. In turn, you’ll gain a holistic view of the consumer journey and allocate your budget more effectively.
Target past callers and lookalikes with the right ads. Your callers provide a wealth of targeting data you can use to more effectively acquire new customers and retarget qualified callers based on whether or not they booked an appointment or converted.
Optimize, analyze, repeat. Once you start generating more calls, it’s important to continually test and scale your processes, while correcting issues that hurt your ROI.
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