First of all I think you need to work on getting your site is high on the search engines as possible for your specific area. Of all the things that I read concerning search engine optimization that comes through my e-mail is about the perceptions of your prospective clients who are searching for your services. They figure the higher you are on the search engine, you have stood the test of time.
Next, you need to have a call to action from your website so that your client finds exactly what they want right away so they don’t leave for another site to find it.
Most important and probably most difficult thing is to get people to even start looking for your site/service.
The biggest obstacle I find with infrared services is that you must teach almost every client what infrared technology is to begin with. How can it be used to benefit them?
I received an inspection that I will be conducting tomorrow from a client coming from Kansas. For some reason, she had thermal imaging done on the house in Kansas and stated that she will not buy any house that is not scanned with thermal imaging because of her past experiences. She found my services through a localized search in the area of her new home purchase. I happen to be on the first page in those areas. These clients are few and far between.
I had an inspection two days ago who was extremely familiar with equine thermal imaging analysis because she was a farrier. She had not even considered the technology to be used in the purchase of real estate. Knowing what she knows about thermal imaging in horses, she jumped right on board. Again, the client is few and far between.
It’s all a matter of time.
We see thermal imaging on TV more and more (a lot of it is bogus). However, it does spark slate recognition in our potential clients.
We are teachers first and thermographer’s second.
How do we teach our clients?
Through exposure.
We can go out there on a mission of education, or we can attempt to educate “as we go”.
I have proposed in other threads that the thermal camera be used in every inspection once you own one, regardless if you get paid for it or not. I have been ridiculed for this approach, however by performing a free service you educate several people around you simultaneously. Your client, a listing real estate agent, a sales real estate agent, a former homeowner. Somewhere in Kansas, somebody did a service for my client and they came to Nashville in search of this service. I appreciate whoever that was in Kansas! You obviously did a good job!
As everybody realizes, there is a large “wow” factor involved with thermal imaging cameras. This kind of thing sticks with people. Even though they don’t fully understand it, or you did not perform the service directly for them, when their family or associates have the need, you will get the referral.
I don’t think many of us can go on national TV like Steve Ramos.
Putting a thermal image on the side of a transit bus is probably the only time that advertising medium would work. I can hardly see where somebody would chase the bus to get a real estate agent’s telephone number so they could buy a house! But some of the extreme graphics you can produce with a thermal camera is catching to the eye so use it to your advantage.
Card racks, business cards etc. really stand out on the bulletin board!