Are you running a cleaning business but unable to scale it to the next level? Having a solid marketing plan in place is indispensable. In this post, we’ll discuss different marketing ideas for cleaning businesses to help you get more customers.
Whether it’s window washing, carpet cleaning, floor cleaning, duct cleaning, furniture cleaning, or vacuuming, all types of cleaning services are in high demand nowadays. Both household and commercial customers use cleaning services. This is due to growing concern about workplace sustainability, employee well-being, improved awareness about hygiene, and people’s hectic lifestyle.
Here, I would like to share some interesting facts about the cleaning industry that will blow your mind:
All the above stats show that cleaning services are in high demand these days and will continue to grow in the coming years. Hence, investing in a cleaning business can be a profitable endeavor.
Before COVID, people followed the basic cleaning process, be it in their homes or workspace; they rarely used to hire third-party vendors for deep cleaning or sanitizing. But the scenario has completely changed post-pandemic and witnessed remarkable growth in the cleaning industry in 2021. COVID-19 completely altered the cleaning industry’s patterns and statistics. The cleaning industry’s revenue grew 14% in 2021, which is a considerable spike.
Increased competition and growing customer demands have brought unique challenges to cleaning businesses. Keeping an eye on them is imperative in order to retain your current customers and attract new ones.
Here are key challenges that most cleaning service companies are facing:
For supplies in particular, you would have seen longer delivery delays and higher overhead costs. However, reducing the number of cleaning supplies vendors on your list and switching to just one or two suppliers is a great way to save significant money. This is because they will offer you more discounts when you buy items in bulk from them.
Also, buying items that are used frequently in bulk will save some money and protect you from cost fluctuation.
Most of the cleaning equipment providers run sales during some specific time (like holidays); you can keep an eye on these sales and place larger orders than usual to save some additional $$$.
You can also go with high-quality equipment that lasts long, so you don’t need to replace them frequently. Although this will increase your investment cost, you will get its benefit in the future.
There are many cleaning companies that offer the same benefits and services as you do. Find a way to differentiate yourself from the competitors and give your consumers something extra that no other service provider is providing.
For instance, while providing high-quality services to your customers, you can offer them some discounts and freebies. Apart from providing cleaning services during the day, you can also provide them with night and weekend cleaning services. Overnight or weekend cleaning services are a good substitute for businesses that don’t want interruptions during work hours.
Many Cleaning companies reject new business, put several clients on waitlists, or terminate current clients because there aren’t enough workers to keep up with demand. This is because employees worldwide leave their existing jobs to pursue better ones. So keep up by offering top-notch wages and perks, adapting an effective hiring process, and exerting significant effort to preserve employee satisfaction. You can also attract the best talent in the industry by paying MORE than your competitors and giving some additional benefits like offering auto insurance, health benefits, etc.
Another common challenge that most cleaning businesses face is ensuring the personal safety of customers and employees.
Slip and fall incidents are one of the most frequent sorts of safety hazards in commercial and residential buildings. The cleaning team ensures that any spills are wiped up correctly, and that warning signs are put up in moist areas. As a savvy cleaning business owner, you must include avoiding slip and fall incidents in employee training to guarantee that your staff adheres to these procedures.
The effect that cleaning procedures and products on the environment of a commercial or residential property is another safety concern that cleaning companies must address. For instance, harsh cleaning agents with a pungent odor or noisy equipment might affect customers and employees when the property is being cleaned. Investing in efficient cleaning techniques can help you alleviate the use of harsh chemicals as well as noise pollution.
Whether you want to enter the cleaning industry or wish to make changes in your current offerings, these cleaning trends for residentials and commercials will help you stay on top of the industry and let you know what’s in demand.
Let’s start without any ado!
Numerous top commercial cleaning businesses have embraced green cleaning, which has become the most notable trend of the year. This trend will continue to grow exponentially due to the current climate conditions of our planet and people becoming more aware of eco-friendly practices.
Green goods are pretty affordable and easily accessible these days. Here you can find the 13 best green cleaning products for a sparkling, eco-friendly home.
Many companies in the US and other developed countries have started providing Green Cleaning services to save money and lessen the negative impact on the environment.
You can also start offering green cleaning services to beat your competitors and promote your business.
The days when cleaning businesses used to provide services in accordance with their set cleaning plans are long gone; in lieu of that, they have leveled up by offering customized cleaning plans or packages.
Leading commercial cleaning businesses use this factor as a benchmark for their brand since their clients gain a myriad of benefits with tailored cleaning services.
If you want to gain momentum, start offering a customized package to all your customers. It will boost your sales by 5% to 10% for sure.
Now customers have become demanding, and the market has become competitive. Many companies have started a regular training program for their employees to keep them up-to-date with the latest technology, advanced equipment, and customized services.
So, to defeat the other cleaning businesses in the game and satisfy your customers, you should invest in employee training. Having a well-trained employee will not only give your customer professional service but also make them feel happy and you will get referral customers through word of mouth as well as positive feedback/reviews on your online listings.
Remember, Happy Customers= More Profits.
Additionally, regular training programs allow your workers to develop and broaden their skill sets.
It has been observed that incorporating technology into a business cleaning service enhances the effectiveness of cleaning tasks. Commercial and residential cleaning businesses now have to meet the need for new technologies because today’s youth is more tech-savvy.
IoT, high-tech cleaning tools, rating software, etc., are easily available and affordable – Making it simple for cleaning businesses like you to integrate them into your cleaning services and offer cutting-edge solutions and satisfaction to your customers.
Undeniably, cleaning services are in high demand and will continue to grow in the coming years.
Despite the industry’s rapid expansion and technological advancements, business owners are still dealing with several issues. Running a cleaning service business should never be taken for granted as it has its unique list of challenges, and some of them are following:
Cleaning is a very cut-throat market, with several companies vying for the same prospective customers. The fact is running a cleaning business is significantly less expensive than owning other kinds of businesses. As a result, more and more people want to get into it. Also, the local customers within the area of around 10-12 Km are the main target of cleaning service providers, which makes the competition in this business pretty aggressive. You must distinguish your businesses in the market to be at the top of the game. This could be done by providing top-notch services and understanding the needs of customers. Also, efficacious and powerful local marketing strategies are required to get your service in front of customers within the specified radius.
It’s no secret that many businesses are struggling to keep up with the rapidly changing digital world. The digital era has presented several challenges for the cleaning business. One major challenge is the increasing use of automation and technology, making it difficult for cleaning companies to compete with more efficient, cost-effective solutions.
Another challenge is the increased digital communication, which can make it harder for cleaning businesses to build personal relationships with customers without using social media and online advertising.
If you want to be competitive in this digital era, you need to be innovative and adapt to these changes by incorporating technology and automation, creating a strong online presence, and building relationships with customers through digital communication.
And on top of all that, it’s now easier than ever to shut down companies with negative reviews and consumer complaints. So, if you want to survive in the market, you must be extremely cautious about how you deal with customers on various digital platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google and Yelp.
The high turnover rate is another problem associated with the cleaning industry. As per Synergix Technologies, cleaning businesses have been facing difficulty in recruiting and retaining skilled employees. This is because the people who apply for available positions may not be ideal candidates, and a good match may not want to work for very long. Additionally, when a company’s culture and work environment do not satisfy employees, it can be challenging to retain them.
The high turnover rate is another problem associated with the cleaning industry. As per Synergix Technologies, cleaning businesses have been facing difficulty in recruiting and retaining skilled employees. This is because the people who apply for available positions may not be ideal candidates, and a good match may not want to work for very long. Additionally, when a company’s culture and work environment do not satisfy employees, it can be challenging to retain them.
Hence, you should provide appropriate payscale and training programs to employees in order to retain them. Also, the employees should be given high-quality products and equipment so that nothing goes wrong with their health. This way, they feel valued and stay with your company for a more extended period as well as become more productive.
Hence, you should provide appropriate payscale and training programs to employees in order to retain them. Also, the employees should be given high-quality products and equipment so that nothing goes wrong with their health. This way, they feel valued and stay with your company for a more extended period as well as become more productive.
Happy Employees Means Happy Customers!
The competition in the professional cleaning industry is fierce. In order to succeed in this industry, you must be dedicated, diligent, and skilled. Increasing your industry expertise is another crucial component of enhancing your business.
Remember, like any other business, the success of a cleaning company also revolves around three key aspects:
To give cut-throat competition to your competitors or survive in this industry, you need to work on all these elements dedicatedly.
Now let us discuss them all in detail:
The first step toward running a successful cleaning business is to bring in new clients or persuade people to try your services. Robust planning and strategy is needed to attract the right lead for your cleaning company. Although there are a variety of marketing tactics and techniques that can be used as part of the acquisition process, some are more effective than others.
Following are the practical and actionable ways to acquire new loyal customers for your cleaning company.
As a cleaning business owner or marketer, you are more likely to target customers in your specific area, so it’s a good idea to list your business on local business listing sites.
By listing your business in local directories, you can boost your online visibility and make it quite simple for locals to locate your business. While there are a plethora of online business directories, choosing one that can provide you with the right exposure for the right audience is pivotal.
Also, the popularity of local directories changes according to location. For instance, yelloyello.com, zipleaf.ca., and ylm.ca are the most popular free business directories in Canada. On the other hand, people in the US use Manta, Angie’s List, and Uscity.net to locate local cleaning services. Apart from this, Google, Yelp, Yahoo and Bing are used by people all over the globe to discover local businesses, including cleaning services.
You need a steady flow of clients whether you provide cleaning services for residential or commercial premises, and digital marketing tactics like pay-per-click advertising can aid. There are a number of platforms, including search engines and social media, where you can run paid ads to reach the right customers at the right time.
The most popular and widely used advertising platforms are Google, Yelp, Facebook, Instagram, Bing, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Running Google ads is the best and most cost-effective way to target local individuals who are already interested in cleaning services. Pay Per Click Google advertising allows you to display ads of your business at the top of the SERP. The best part is that you need to pay Google only when someone clicks on the ad.
Google search ads are used to target both local and global clients. But as an owner of cleaning services, your goal is obvious to connect with local clients. Right? So, in this case, it will be better to use Google Local Service ads to get more qualified local leads. This is one of the underexposed strategies to advertise the cleaning business to the local audience. Google local service ads can help you connect with the right searcher and prevent job mismatch. These ads display on desktop, tablet, and mobile searches above the traditional search ads. You will be charged only for valid leads by Google. The best thing is that you can even raise the dispute on receiving false, spam or a poor match lead.
Remember, it is not necessary that Google ads provide you with significant profit in the initial phase. This is because while running an ad campaign, your actual spend includes the advertiser fee, Google ads Fees, labor charges, and cost of chemicals and equipments. But after getting your service for the first time, the client will know about your business and will directly contact you for future needs. Simply put, they will enter the customer retention phase and the cost of Google Ads and third-party advertisers will automatically be eliminated, ultimately resulting in higher profits.
When it comes to PPC, indeed, Google Ads is typically top of mind for all. But other platforms like Yelp and Facebook have their own benefits. Yelp cannot simply be overlooked since millions of people use it daily to make purchasing decisions, as this platform is specially designed for local listing. Also, Yelp ads’ CPC (cost per click) is much lower than Google ads. And above all, Yelp runs ads itself on a category basis so you don’t have to manage each & everything manually.
Talking about Facebook ads, they are much cheaper than Google ads. Apart from getting traffic, they also help in building a brand image as well as increasing customer loyalty and engagement.
If you want potential clients to discover your cleaning services, you must get in touch with them exactly when they need you, such as when they are looking online for “home cleaning in (your city)” or “(your city) office cleaning.” It is important to note that most internet users will click only the top five results and never go to the second page of Google. Hence, in order to gain more exposure, it’s indispensable to reach the top of search results.
This is where SEO comes into play. When someone looks for something connected to your business name or the products or services you offer, SEO helps to place your website at the top of the search engine results, so that more individuals will likely see and visit your website.
Social media marketing is one of the most effective and pocket-friendly ways to elevate your credibility as well as customer engagement. It opens doors for reviews, referrals and testimonials, some of the most effective methods for maintaining existing customers and attracting new ones. Apart from this, many people also use social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Linkedin to check the authenticity of cleaning companies.
You can connect with your customers in a more personal way by sharing information about the business, its values, and its commitment to customer service on these social networks. Not just that, these platforms can be used to respond quickly to customer inquiries and feedback, which can help to build trust and loyalty among customers.
Our social media marketing experts can optimize your social presence on different channels to locate new customers and keep them loyal for a long time.
Online reviews have revolutionized marketing and communication, creating new avenues for influencing individual choices. According to recent data, 84% of customers research nearby businesses before making a choice. By accumulating a large number of positive customer reviews on Yelp, Google, Bing, Yahoo and other popular business listing sites, you can make your business image trustworthy and can set you apart from your competitors.
That’s true that what individuals say about you online is not in your control. However, there are certain things you can do to encourage your customers to write positive reviews about your cleaning services, like:
It’s no secret that customer satisfaction is crucial for cleaning businesses. As per the report published by PwC, around 59% of clients leave a company after numerous bad experiences and approx 17% do so because of subpar customer service. Customers that are happy with your services are loyal and highly likely to call you for any future cleaning requirements.
In addition, satisfied clients refer you to their associates, colleagues, and relatives. They won’t even look at your rivals.
If you want to keep customers coming back and increase customer lifetime value, it’s essential to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction. Otherwise, they will quickly switch to a competitor that offers better prices and superior customer service.
By considering the following factors and paying close attention to them, you can increase retention rates and ultimately grow your cleaning company.
In addition to complying with technical requirements, maintaining a high standard of service is key to attracting new customers and retaining the ones you already have. If your cleaning solutions are of bad quality, it will be too tough to keep your clients.
As it pertains to cleanliness and hygiene, professional cleaning services must be delivered with care. You cannot please consumers if your cleaning company can only offer mediocre services. They are paying for something to be done professionally, after all. They won’t use your services again if they don’t receive the level of quality they were expecting.
In the age of instant gratification, people expect that they can get answers to their questions quickly and easily. Customers frequently find it frustrating when companies are hard to reach. This is why it’s essential to ensure that your lines of communication are always open and that someone is available to answer questions. Customers should never feel like they’re being ignored.
There are several ways to ensure that your business is accessible to your consumers. In addition to providing phone numbers and email addresses, you can also use social media platforms to answer inquiries. This will not only help to improve communication but also shows that you care about your customers’ needs.
Customer service success depends on paying attention to what the maximum number of your customers want. You may achieve this by creating a dedicated page for testimonials on the company’s website and reading clients’ comments on your social media channels.
Additionally, don’t be picky and ignore negative comments. While good feedback will help you identify the most outstanding components of your enterprise that you should keep, negative feedback is helpful when it comes to enhancing and bolstering the weak elements in your company.
Anytime a consumer complains about your company, show interest and listen to them carefully. Also, tell them what you can do to address their issues. Clients will feel appreciated as customers when they pay attention to their comments, especially when they witness your efforts to improve your services as a result.
In lieu of waiting for a customer to come to you with a complaint, detect and solve problems ahead and stave off fires. Train your personnel to look out for potential issues and, where necessary, take corrective action. This simply means asking your cleaners to listen to what customers say in passing and give them authority to provide services outside the scope of their regular responsibilities.
When it comes to the cleaning business, getting old clients to come back over and over again is much cheaper than acquiring new clients. Apart from this, repeat and satisfied customers spend more money and promote your business. They will give you good reviews on various online platforms and spread the word about all of your excellent services to their friends and relatives. However, to accomplish this, a great customer retention strategy is needed.
Use a combination of these five client retention techniques to boost your company’s earnings.
You may encourage new consumers to become long-term customers by rewarding their loyalty. If a consumer has used your services at least twice, you may thank them in several ways.
This can be done by offering discounts to clients who contact you for a particular number of services. Or you can give them gifts, such as a free bottle of cleaner, each time they schedule your services again.
Offer monthly, quarterly or annual subscriptions to your cleaning service clients with some discount. This will surely boost customer retention as well as aid you in better-managing inventory, expenditures and required monthly staffing.
Another proven way to retain prospective clients is by offering them special discounts on festivals. The majority of people prefer to clean their spaces 2-3 days before the festive season to attract positive energy and to have stress-free holidays. And dropping prices during the festival season has become a new normal these days. In such a condition, don’t let your clients hook up with another cleaning company– offer them great discounts. Also, you can provide exceptional service packages that cover both pre and post-event cleaning.
To connect deeply with your clients, send them personalized thank you notes, as well as birthday and wedding wishes. By sending sincere greetings, you can tell your customers how much you value them and are more likely to capture their attention as well as interest. CRM solutions for cleaning businesses keep track of significant occasions like birthdays and client anniversaries. You may also utilize them to send automated messages to keep in constant contact with your customers.
Make the booking experience easy for your clients as well as tracking bookings easy for your staff. This can be done by investing in cleaning service booking software. Your customers can easily make cleaning service reservations with the right scheduling tool, and you stay organized by keeping track of everything in one location.
Some of the top-rated cleaning service softwares that you can consider are- Jobber, Kickserv, ServiceFusion and Housecall Pro.
Conversion Perk is the leading digital marketing agency that provides A-to-Z marketing solutions for your cleaning business. We have experienced and skilled experts in different disciplines like SEO, Email Marketing, Social Media, PPC, and more. Our tailored solutions are intended to help you overtake your rivals in the market and soar your business online by making the smartest possible use of platforms like Bing, Google, Yelp, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook. Our top-notch PPC and other digital marketing services put you in front of people who are actively looking for a cleaning service as well as help you attract the clients you need!
We can provide you following digital marketing services:
We have served several national and international cleaning businesses since we opened our doors in 2018. While offering our services to cleaning services providers, we drove thousands of leads through digital marketing for their ventures. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, email us now or schedule a call today!
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