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5 Ways to Increase Market Share in the Digital Age
Peyton Walbeck • July 1, 2020
Are your digital efforts optimized for maintaining and growing market share in the age of technology? What about your competitor's?
In order to gain or maintain market share, a variety of techniques should be used at levels and combinations best suited for your particular market. Consider the following:
1. Aftercare service
How much of your current business comes from aftercare? Increasing the satisfaction of families will inevitably lead to a higher number of referrals. An effective aftercare program builds relationships with families after the service and spirals into more 5-star online reviews, more preneed leads, and more referrals.
Learn more about the text-message based aftercare, Domanicare, to understand how aftercare has changed in the digital age.
2. Google Reviews
The power of online reviews is no secret. Online review generation in the funeral industry is a different process from other industries because of the sensitive nature of our business. Check out review generation services
to find out how to boost your online reviews through personalized text-messages to your families. Let’s look at some numbers:
- 93 percent of consumers say online reviews have an impact on their purchase decision.
- 68 percent of consumers are willing to pay up to 15% more for the same service if assured they’ll have a better experience
- 97 percent of consumers that read online reviews trust them as much as recommendations from friends and family
Google Review generation is a vital part of growing your business. Frequent reviews should be a goal for your funeral home to maintain a good online reputation and capture calls that could otherwise be lost to competitors.
3. Search Engine Optimization
What keywords do families in your market need to search in Google to find your funeral home? Are you on the first page of results? Are you at the top? Search Engine Optimization helps people searching for funeral services to be directed to your funeral home specifically. Increase your exposure by ... writing articles on your blog page, checking your copy for relevant content on each page, adding meta descriptions, and optimizing your image sizes.
4. Website Layout
What is the most visited page on your website? For most funeral homes, it is probably the obituary page. How easy is it for someone to navigate to other parts of your website from the obituary page? Most people won’t spend long looking for the information they want before giving up and exiting your site. Important information such as “Contact Us”, “Directions”, “Locations”, “Pricing”, etc. should be easily found.
5. Social media
Facebook is quickly becoming one of the biggest advertising channels in the world. With the ability to target your key demographic and track results of every campaign, Facebook is a sure way to reach those you’d like to serve. Companies in the funeral industry like Disrupt Media specialize in helping funeral homes capitalize on their social media advertising and lead generation.
Funeral Home Articles
If there's one thing we've learned in 2020, it's that it's difficult to predict the future, and there will all be surprises that lie ahead. Businesses and individuals need to stay agile and adaptable to be ready for whatever life throws at them. 2020 has been a challenging year for the funeral profession and others as well. Still, we've seen that those funeral homes and funeral professionals who have focused on making their consumer experience as comforting and easy as possible are those that are winning. At Domani, we exist to help funeral homes help their families have a better experience. Through the power of text messaging, we follow up with families and give them the support and resources they need following a loss. That great experience then leads to a positive online review and helps others looking for a positive experience to find that funeral home. It's a virtuous cycle that helps grow a funeral home's at-need business. When it comes to preneed, the same principle holds. If funeral homes can provide the experience a family is looking for, that will be the funeral home that wins. During 2020, our preneed appointment setting team has found great success in scheduling remote appointments. Funeral homes that have been willing to adapt and find new ways to do business have grown even during difficult circumstances. We firmly believe that technology will help us as a funeral profession provide those better experiences for families, but simply using technology for technology's sake is not the answer. We need to leverage technology to help provide personal, engaging experiences with families. We shouldn't use technology as a crutch or an excuse. It's another way to help the ones we serve and provide them the support they need during a difficult time. As we approach the end of the year and look forward to 2020, take some time to think about how your funeral home is providing meaningful experiences for families and how/what you can do to improve that in the coming year. If you're interested in learning more about Domanicare or Domani Appoinment Setting, please schedule a demo by clicking the link below.
By far the most effective way to create a sense of loyalty to your funeral home is to perform an exceptional service for that family. However, there’s more that you can be doing to establish credibility with families. Here’s three easy steps on how to develop loyalty to your company and ensure your customers come back for your services when a loved one passes.
The vast majority of people in the US and Canada use smartphones. Almost everyone has a smartphone nowadays. Remember when the first “smartphone” came out in 1992 and cell phones like the BlackBerry and iPhone were considered luxuries when they were first created? Now it’s a common sight to see an iPhone. Most funeral homes and cemeteries haven’t even scratched the surface of text-based aftercare, but with 80% of the U.S. population owning a smartphone, and that number expected to rapidly grow.