Saint Financial Group specialises within the construction industry and we have had 100’s of construction clients approach us with the same repeated issues about lack of customers, managing social media, can’t get to the phone in time and list the goes on and on.

We decided to see how common this issue was by doing a survey on 5626 construction limited companies! The results are actually quite shocking!

The goal of the survey is to both raise awareness and develop a better understanding of how many construction businesses are not even putting themselves online. If your business is not online, you are putting yourself at a huge disadvantage! 

‍

Within this survey, we have recorded which proportion of companies have social media, websites, business or personal emails, business numbers or mobile numbers and whether they are on a directory.

Let’s dive in.

‍

What is in this article?

‍

‍

We have seen other companies do similar surveys in the past as a general insight and they show that around 40% of companies have a social media presence. Now, when we focus on the construction industry alone, things tumble dramatically. Our survey found out that only 21% of construction companies actually have a social media presence!

For something that is free to set up, you would really think there would be be a lot more businesses jumping onto Social Media to gain clients however this proves that this is still an open market that businesses need to take advantage of!

To break this down further, we have seen that the most common social media platform is Facebook by quite a distance. 

Out of the 21%: 

• 17.92% of construction companies have a Facebook business profile.
• 6.19% have an Instagram profile 
• 7.06% have a Twitter profile
• 6.61% have a LinkedIn business page (this does not include personal profiles)

‍

Social media is an extremely important part to play in your online presence, regardless of your business model. Here is the power that social media can have on your business:

• Develop an audience
• Build trust and relationships
• Becomes social proof (therefore winning you business)
• Target customer pain points
• Update clients
• Showcase your expertise

‍

‍

We found out that 24.51% of construction companies have a website which is actually a higher percentage than those who have social media! (21%). This figure was a surprise to most of us and really shows the unrecognised power of social media. 

The power of websites is also being undervalued with a figure of only 24.51%. This means that if you have a website, you are already beating 75% of your competitors....

“But maybe the construction industry just doesn’t need it?”

A website is the real powerhouse to any business regardless of the industry they are in! If someone is looking to work with your business, they are going to do a company search on you, there is no doubt about it. This means it is your job to present yourself and your business in the best way possible.

Here is what a website can offer you:

• Be there when people are searching for you
• Educate people on what you offer
• Educate people on why you are better than everyone else
• Update visitors
• Build awareness of your brand
• Develop trust and authority
• Showcase your work (Becomes proof & again builds trust)
• More client interactions

We can go on forever with reasons why you need a website but it is important that you do not underestimate the power in which they hold.

‍

‍

Having a business email instead of a personal email shows a level of professionalism to your company. We found that 21.88% of companies have a business email and 4.94% have a personal email.

The first shocker here is that roughly 73% of businesses do not have a public email available. This one is truly mental, how can a business expect people to contact them when no contact options are available to them…

Again, a business phone number can show a level of professionalism to your company, if you have a mobile number it can show you are a smaller company or a one man band. It can be very convenient to set up a business number and have it diverted to your mobile phone which will have the same result for you however it will make your company appear more professional and larger.

We found that 21.05% of companies have a business number and 17.86% have a mobile number. We also found that 11.38% only have a mobile number!

‍

Only having a mobile number can have an effect on your personal life plus your number is open to any to give you a call whenever they feel like it!

‍

Directories are a great way to get your business in front of potential customers. We found that only 20.23% of companies appear in a directory. This proves how easy it is to beat the majority of your competitors. By simply listing your business on to multiple relevant directories online, you have instantly positioned yourself ahead of over 80% of your competition. Again, there are many directories that are free to use.

‍

We found that 2.35% of construction companies still have a Fax setup, you know just in case…

We know this figure is small and that is probably worth celebrating alone, but if you were to compare this to the number of businesses that have Instagram (6%) it really starts to show how construction businesses are stuck and are struggling/refusing to move forward.

‍

In conclusion, the efforts of our survey across 5626 businesses within the construction industry have shown us that there is clearly a barrier that is keeping businesses stuck where they are.

A new evolution of businesses is coming in and will be dominating the industry. It is up to you to decide if you want to stay where you are or take the steps needed to bring your business into the new age.

‍Saint Media & Marketing is a team of construction experts that are driving success across hundreds of construction businesses across the UK! Get in touch to make the next step within your business.

For PR in relation to this article please email hello@saintfinancialgroup.co.uk

‍

‍