Fatrank Podcast

James Dooley:
So if I've got a plumbing business what do you recommend for growing the amount of enquiries that I'm generating.

If you're looking at how to grow a plumbing business then I'd start by understanding that plumbing is a broad spectrum. You need to narrow down what you actually make the most profit on. Let's say you do shower rooms, bathrooms or wet rooms. Whatever makes you the most profit is what I'd focus on first. Work out how to get more wet rooms because it's probably easier than chasing broad plumbing keywords.

It's cheaper going after niche services on PPC. If you need instant leads then PPC works. PPC is pay per click on Google and you pay for every click. I'd stay slightly away from it though. I'd also stay away from traditional marketing like billboard, radio, TV or magazines. They don't work anywhere near as well now. There are better places to spend your money for a stronger ROI.

I'd go down the route of being active on social media. Be omnipresent across all channels. Get before and after pictures of jobs. Get videos of your installers on site. Keep pushing content across every channel.

SEO is another big point. Not just for ranking webpages, images or videos in Google but for branding too. Get everything you've done online. Testimonials, case studies, awards. Shout about them. Show people you're an award winning plumbing company. Show your accreditations. Build your authority and expertise online.

The last one and probably the most important is filling in a form at fatrank.com. See if you qualify for their no risk supply of enquiries where you only pay on converted jobs. The fat rank team only accept plumbing companies with strong online presence, testimonials and case studies. They only want companies that convert well.

The main three plays I'd use are social media, SEO and lead generation from Fatrank. I wouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. I'd do as many channels as possible. Even if Fatrank team up with you I'd still look for other lead generation companies and test who gives the best ROI.

If you were a plumbing company yourself and you're looking to grow, would you say there's one major play or is it about being omnipresent.

Kasra Dash:
I think it's about being omnipresent as much as possible.

If I got leads from Fatrank, in the back of my head I'd still think I need a strong online presence. My website needs to rank well. If I quote a five or seven grand wet room and it's between me and a competitor but they've got five star reviews and I've got one star reviews, they'll win the job even if everything else is equal.

I'd work on my local SEO. I'd build individual service pages. If I do wet rooms, disabled wet rooms, boiler installs or bathroom remodels I'd build all those pages. When someone searches my brand they can see I offer more than leaky taps. It builds trust. It also means I'm generating my own enquiries instead of relying on Checkatrade or Bark.

If I'm a visual plumber doing wet rooms or bathrooms I'd take before and afters. I'd upload as frequently as possible on Instagram. Don't think one post or one TikTok is going to bring 300 leads. You need consistency.

If you're a plumbing business looking to grow online and you need one instant lead source what would you choose.

I think Fatrank is a good play. If Fatrank reject you another option is Facebook Marketplace. You can get decent enquiries with minimal cost. LinkedIn as well. Reach out to quantity surveyors or people in the building sector.

But personally I'd fill in the form at fatrank.com and see if you qualify. If you don't qualify then look at why. The only reason you'd be declined is because something is wrong online. It could be reviews, testimonials or case studies. Fix those problems because customers look at your online presence. Even if you're five times better your online presence might be costing you jobs.

Reputation management is a huge part of growing a plumbing business. Shout about your accreditations and what makes you an expert. It helps you grow enquiries consistently and convert more jobs.