Referral and word-of-mouth strategies have always been exceptionally efficient for funeral homes and any other local companies to get the phone to ring. However, as time progresses, the shift from physical to digital has been ever-increasing. To be successful, we have to stay agile and keep up with the times in order to remain effective.
Is the amount of effort a local business devotes to funeral home marketing satisfactory? 81% of shoppers start their search online prior to making a purchase. On the other hand, almost half of all small businesses devote only two hours or less weekly to their promotional activities.
That figure was quite eye-catching to us as well. If you’re searching for strategies to employ, here are three funeral home marketing plans that your team ought to focus on in the coming year.
Build a Responsive and Appealing Website
The reality is that our world is increasingly digitalizing. According to one study, the majority of consumers (75%) think that firms with websites come across as more reliable.
Building a website for your funeral home could be a thrilling undertaking, but there are other elements that should be taken into account.
Encourage Your Visitors to Take Action with Your Home Page
Crafting a website with attractive components, dynamic images, and enthralling animations is possible. However, have you provided families and visitors to your website with a convenient method of contacting you?
Many small firms neglect this. Statistics show that close to 70% of small business websites lack an explicit call-to-action button (CTA).
Constructing more faith initially will guarantee that no deals are forfeited in the end.
Construct a Site Adaptable to Mobile Devices
Almost half of all web traffic is directed from mobile phones and other portable devices. Approximately 54% of all online activity is sourced from mobile devices.
When investing in a website, it is essential to make sure it is also optimized for mobile devices. There are several online tools that will show you how your website will look on different devices and operating systems.
Here are a few:
For your funeral home website to be mobile-friendly, it is important to:
Having an Obituary Page is Recommended
An increasing number of families are turning to the internet to search for obituaries rather than relying on the newspaper or requesting physical copies.
Funeral homes should consider adding an obituary page to their website. This page would serve to recognize those who have passed away and provide the following benefits:
An essential factor to consider when creating an obituary page is to make it easily shareable. Families would like to be able to send the page to other family members so they have the opportunity to view it.
Establish Your Online Business Entries
The old-fashioned yellow phonebook is a familiar sight to many, yet it is rarely used these days. As previously mentioned, nowadays, more families look for funeral homes near them via the Internet.
When marketing your funeral home, having a website is a great start.
Subsequently, setting up your free online business listings on places such as Google Business Profile, Apple Maps, Yelp, and Bing will help you reach more customers. This will provide them with the opportunity to review your business, visit your website, and make contact with you directly.
The probability of your business being found on the web increases when it receives more customer reviews.
A Profile on Google for Companies
It won’t take much time to establish a Google Business Profile. When someone does a Google search for a certain type of business, the local listings are likely to look like the one displayed above. Does this sound familiar?
In order to stay connected with your local community, incorporate your business hours, website, and pictures of your funeral home and post regular notifications when needed. Additionally, two to three weeks after offering services, it is suggested to reach out to the families and politely request that they leave a review on Google for your business.
Apple Maps and Yelp Services
Apple Maps and the Yelp platform are two services that provide users with mapping capabilities and access to reviews of local businesses. Both of these tools are useful when it comes to finding places to go and what to do in a new area, and can be easily accessed via a smartphone.
Have you encountered anyone who looks up nearby businesses on Apple Maps? We have.
It has been researched and estimated that some seventy-five million individuals live in the US and use Apple Maps. This can be beneficial for local businesses. To ensure that your funeral home is listed on Apple Maps, there are several steps to take:
Maintaining an effective funeral home marketing strategy, however, is a two-fold task. Apple Maps works in harmony with Yelp by showing any reviews that have been collected from the service.
Before doing anything else, take a look on Yelp to make sure you haven’t already registered your business. We don’t want to create a duplicate listing. If you find that your business isn’t listed, here is what you should do to get it registered:
The Search Engine ‘Bing’
Most web surfers choose Google when looking for local companies, but a significant portion are still using Bing about 2.47% of all search engine traffic. Therefore, companies should maintain a presence on Bing as well.
The registration process for listing your local business on Bing is analogous to the other procedures already mentioned, and this action will help make your business more visible to your desired customers.
Establish a Relationship With Family Through Social Networks
The citizens in your local area are frequently utilizing Google, yet they also take advantage of social media.
Facebook , Instagram, and various other social networks have been demonstrated to attract a large group of people.
In the US, nearly 180 million people are active on Facebook. To reach out to your local community, you may create a Facebook page for your funeral home and share various types of content. This will help you build a more meaningful connection.
You can also make it simpler for families to get in touch with your funeral home by including all the pertinent information on your Facebook page. This data comprises of the business hours, a description of the business, a link to your website, and more.
Instagram is gaining more and more recognition every year and is often preferred by the younger generations over Facebook. A few factors that make Instagram stand out are:
Once you establish an Instagram page for your funeral home, you can start to follow other local businesses and the people in your community. Additionally, by posting regular updates about your funeral home, you can increase its visibility.
Gain an Edge in Funeral Home Marketing With Skilled Professionals Who Can Link You to Your Constituents
Discovering an ally for funeral homes that comprehends the necessities for long-term success can be a challenge.
Social Sipper takes pride in helping funeral homes with tasks that may seem insurmountable. We not only assist with funeral home marketing through our custom-made websites but also provide experienced branding and marketing consultation.
Contact us to learn how we can put more of YOU into the world!
If you’re searching for strategies to employ, join us to learn funeral home marketing strategies that your team should focus on in 2024.
If you’re searching for strategies to employ, join us to learn funeral home marketing strategies that your team should focus on in 2024.
During the last few years, the shift from physical to digital has been ever-increasing for funeral homes. Social Sipper offers ideas for funeral home marketing.
