Since landlords and property managers are responsible for maintaining the condition of the carpet, it often falls on their shoulders to replace it if something happens. How often should a landlord replace the carpet? Well, that depends.

Signs of Wear and Tear

There’s no definitive rule about when a landlord should replace the carpet. Some states have guidelines that landlords have to follow, but not all of them. With routine care and zero catastrophic accidents, carpets can last for more than ten years, but that’s not always possible. 

Proper carpet maintenance can be expensive and hard to manage. It’s difficult for landlords to make this happen when working with multiple tenants and busy schedules. Routine maintenance and cleaning require the property to be relatively clean and sometimes vacant for long periods. It’s not easy to ask families to vacate the premises for something that may not seem entirely necessary.

Landlords are often forced to wait until carpets need to be replaced before they can take action. Due to the general nature of carpets and floors, there’s no set time limit for this. Our research suggests that carpets in rental properties should be replaced every seven years, on average, but that’s an estimate. It’s all dependent on the type of carpet and its condition, which changes day-to-day. 

Most of the time, landlords have to base their decision on the amount of wear and tear present in the carpet. Here are a few signs of wear and tear and an indication that it might be time to replace the carpet: 

Stains

A guest spills a glass of wine at a dinner party. A child accidentally drops their cup of juice on the floor. Someone tracks in mud or dirt from outside. These are all things that can happen to any tenant, ultimately causing a carpet stain.

Obviously, it’s easy to remove and clean most stains. A thorough shampoo can work wonders. However, sometimes a stain or collection of stains is entirely unmanageable, and drastic measures must be taken. 

Accidents happen. There’s no stopping that. Unfortunately, you can’t partially replace standard carpet. If the stains become too much, the carpet needs to be replaced.

Mold and Water Damage

There’s even less forgiveness for mold and water damage. Let’s say a pipe bursts under the bathroom sink while a tenant is at work. That causes water to flood the property, thoroughly soaking the carpets. Eventually, someone will catch this and turn the water off, but unfortunately, extensive damage has already been done.

Excess water can ruin carpet. If moisture is left for too long, it can cause mold to grow, which can negatively impact a tenant’s health. If damage happens and mold occurs, you have to replace the carpets immediately before the mold spreads. 

Worn Areas

Over time, even with regular foot traffic, carpets will start to wear thin. Eventually, all the fibers will disappear, and you’ll be left with bald spots, like what’s depicted in the above image. 

Once this happens, there’s no saving the carpet. And, like we already said, since you can’t partially replace carpet, you’re going to have to do a total replacement. On the bright side, if any part of a carpet gets to this point, the rest is probably not far behind, so trying to salvage it wouldn’t be a good idea, anyway. 

Smell

One of the significant downsides to carpeted floors is that they are infamous for picking up and trapping smells. If moisture gets trapped under the carpet pad or in the fibers, it can create a musty or mildew smell. 

If tenants smoke cigarettes indoors or their pets use the bathroom on the carpet, then these strong odors can get trapped within the carpet fibers. Once this happens, it’s challenging to get them out, which means a full replacement is definitely on the horizon. After all, no tenant wants to move into a home or office with a funky-smelling carpet. 

Age

The average lifespan of a medium-grade carpet ranges from five to fifteen years. For an apartment-grade carpet, it can be even less than five.

Carpets get a lot of everyday use, so they’re going to wear down over time and will eventually need to be replaced. This happens to most flooring materials, though carpets have a shorter lifespan than other options, like vinyl, engineered hardwood, and laminate.

When Should a Landlord Replace the Carpet?

Landlords should replace the carpets on their property when the carpets have reached the end of their lives. This is relative to its condition, the type of carpet, the cushion, the fibers, and how much use and abuse the carpet sustains on a regular basis.

If the carpet has stains that can’t be cleaned, water damage, mold, strange and intense odors, or worn-out areas, it’s time for replacement.

The Best Way to Buy Rental Property Carpet

One of the most significant downfalls of standard carpet is that it requires complete replacement when even just a portion is ruined. If you’re going to replace the carpets in your property, why not choose an innovative and more affordable solution, like carpet tiles?

Carpet tiles are a fantastic innovation that has revolutionized the way we think about carpeting. They’re easy to install, long-lasting, durable, and simple to replace. They also come in a wide variety of colors and styles, making them one of the most versatile flooring options on the market.If you’re interested in replacing the carpet at your property with carpet tiles, consider signing up for our PRO Rewards program. At BuildDirect, we offer exclusive deals for our PRO Rewards members, including 5% credit, on-site delivery, unlimited samples, and more. Become a PRO today!

The post How Often Should a Landlord Replace Carpet? appeared first on Learning Center.

1. FloorWizard

FloorWizard was developed by FloorSoft of Dalton, GA and has been a recognized leader in the flooring industry for over 25 years. In fact, 8 out of 10 flooring orders that are placed in the U.S. are processed using their system. FloorWizard is an ideal solution for scheduling, estimating, selling and managing your business online. Your employees can access important information about their projects anywhere there is internet service without having to run back to the office, saving you time and money. You will increase productivity, and drive growth and profitability with their easy-to-use system.

Getting started with FloorWizard is simple and the software can be downloaded on all your devices in minutes. They have 24/7 support, staffed with a team of flooring professionals that understand your business and can answer any of your software questions. They offer system training online, on site, or at your office to make sure you are getting the most out of the program.

FloorWizard allows you to set up a central database with pricing for materials and labor and allows each user to personalize their needs on the site. The software includes powerful functions to help close sales, as well update and refigure jobs all while on the jobsite, giving your team a professional edge.

2. Houzz Pro

Houzz Pro is a suite of software tools that can help flooring companies manage and grow their businesses. Houzz Pro is a lead and management project system that helps you attract new clients, close the sale, and complete billing all in one application. It will also help you stay connected with your team and suppliers through improved communication features that allow you to share information with key players and put together job proposals faster.

Houzz Pro streamlines your business by keeping all of the data for each project available at the touch of the screen. Key features include a 3D floor planner, project management, and lead management tools with client dashboards and individual insights and an integrated online payment system to help better serve each customer. There is also a scheduling tool to make sure you don’t miss appointments.

Professionals can quickly move any project discussion into a potential project and store client notes and initial estimations for improved follow-ups with Houzz Pro. It also provides a 3D floor planner to plan and visualize any project before it’s started.

For on-the-go access, Houzz Pro offers a mobile app for iOS and android devices. Houzz Pro also offers expert support with industry experts and website services to help create, manage and host a professional website.

3. Buildertrend

Buildertrend connects teams, improves project efficiency and increases profits.

This solution helps you manage your flooring business with project scheduling, project management, financial management, customer management and service management in a single cloud-based collection of apps. It is available for iOS and Android devices and can be accessed by either desktop or mobile device, so you always have the information you need wherever you are.

A key feature of any business management tool is customer relationship management (CRM), and Buildertrend helps build strong client relationships by keeping you on top of the complete project lifecycle. There are pre-sale tools in the app, including bid requests, project proposals and more. Manage your projects with tools that include scheduling, budgeting, and timesheets. The service side of the business can be tracked by change order and selection management as well as warranty requests and payment processing. Buildertrend also integrates with other solutions such as QuickBooks, Xero and various estimating and takeoff tools.

When you become part of the Buildertrend team you will be provided with an account manager that will guide you through training and provide support. There is a 24/7 Learning COmmunity to help answer questions, and Buildertrend University is an additional resource that is top notch. 

Buildertrend provides each business with an account manager to provide training and support. Project teams and construction professionals can also access customized branding, daily webinars, support chat, the Buildertrend Learning Community, a 24/7 help section, and Buildertrend University, a two-day conference at the home office to maximize your effectiveness with the software.

Buildertrend pricing is on a monthly subscription basis. Customized pricing based on business needs is also available.

4. PlanSwift

PlanSwift is an affordable, easy-to-use point and click estimating tool that helps you create a profitable and accurate flooring estimate with precision measurements in a fraction of the time it takes with a calculator and pencil. PlanSwift is the #1 takeoff and estimating software for the construction industry.

As a flooring contractor, you know that there aren’t many perfectly square rooms. PlanSwift lets you plug in the room dimensions and it gives you accurate material needs and allows you to rotate the room to get the maximum use of your flooring. The software works even if the room is curved or irregular. 

Single-click on an area for carpet, tile or laminate flooring. When that section turns color, the software has counted it. You’ll know when you have done a complete takeoff and never have to worry about losing money because part of the floor was missed in the estimate. The perimeter measuring tool gives you a quick count for nailing strips and baseboard. When you’re finished, you can print the estimate or export it.

Bid more jobs, manage your company more efficiently, and grow your business with PlanSwift takeoff and estimating software.

5. Jobber

Jobber is about giving your customers a convenient experience from start to finish, because that is what they expect. If you’re running multiple jobs, running a flooring business can get chaotic. You have to schedule your crews, keep track of site visit details, prepare and deliver estimates to multiple clients, and manage the finances of your company. You need help, and Jobber software can take the load off of you.

Their affordable and user-friendly platform will make scheduling, job management, and quoting and invoicing a breeze, so you can focus on growing your business.

As a flooring company, managing your crews efficiently is your number one priority after customer satisfaction. Jobber’s scheduling tool turns a work request into a job, assigns a team to it, and checks on the status for completion so that you can invoice the client as soon as possible.

• Jobber tools include a drag-and-drop calendar with multiple calendar views.
• Track time on the job for more accurate estimates and easy payroll.
• Schedule and dispatch from the field with the Jobber mobile app and reduce calls to the office.
• Send appointment reminders and “on my way” text messages to clients.

Jobber’s quoting tools let you send out a quote, with attached photos and notes, create custom fields for tools and materials, automatically track and follow up on quotes and allow customers to approve the quote in the client hub.

Jobber was designed so that whether you’re at the office or estimating and installing out in the field, you have the tools you need to grow your business.

6. Autodesk Construction Cloud

Autodesk Construction Cloud can help you increase collaboration, mitigate risk and reduce rework so that your flooring company can operate at optimum efficiency and profitability. As a flooring contractor, Autodesk Construction Cloud will help you:

• Streamline the installation process, issue more bids, and increase bid accuracy.
• Avoid rework and mistakes by always working from the latest plans and documents.
• Connect the field and office through faster and more sustained technology adoption.

Autodesk is a project management tool that lets you see where you are at every stage of the process and gives you insights as to what is working right and what you need to address on every project to complete it on time. The platform can generate customized reports to track service requests and punch lists. The software will keep all members of your team on the same page as you work through each project.

7. Contractor Foreman

Contractor Foreman is a suite of tools that gives you access to:

• Project Management
• Financials and Accounting
• Scheduling and Planning
• A Contract Manager
• Forms, Checklists and Reports

From the dashboard of the platform you have access to project photos, info on employees time cards and where they are working, an appointment calendar, and more. There is a client portal that allows your clients to see the progress being made on their job, message you with concerns, and pay you when the time comes.

You will find a section that tracks repairs, service calls, change orders and purchase orders. You can stay on top of employee’s clocked hours, estimates being worked, as well as payments and expenses. Each employee has their own section on the app where you can communicate individual work assignments to make sure they know where to go and what to do at any time.

Contractor Foreman has a 100-day money-back guarantee and will work on desktop as well as mobile devices. During the trial period you have access to fee training. They offer customer support during working hours and after-support through chat and email. Contact them today to see how Contractor Foreman can save your flooring company time and money.

Stay on Top of Your Bottom Line with Specialized Flooring Software

Whether you are a sole proprietorship, a partnership, or multi-level corporation, you need assistance to make your business as successful as possible. In today’s fast-paced environment, reaction time is critical. When a customer is ready to purchase, you need to be prepared to reach the customer, present the best solution to the customer’s needs, and follow through with quality product and services. 

Specialized flooring software can help achieve each of those goals and BuildDirect.com can provide the best flooring to meet your customer’s design needs. Contact us today for more information on becoming a BuildDirect PRO and our PRO Rewards program that will help save you money from day one.

The post 7 Flooring Software Trends for 2022 appeared first on Learning Center.

If you’re looking for a beautiful way to update your floors, exotic hardwood flooring is a perfect fit. This durable, beautiful material adds a sophisticated component to your home. With the right products and the right design, you can literally transform any room of your home and make it uniquely stunning. Read on for some exotic hardwood flooring design ideas and inspiration that will encourage you to try this flooring in your own home.

Elevate Your Outdoor Space

You might think exotic wood flooring is just for the indoors, but there are outdoor options, too. Ipe Tropical Hardwood Deck Tiles can be installed anywhere, even over rooftop terraces, concrete, and directly onto the ground. The gorgeous ipe wood is extremely dense, so it’s tough enough to handle everything from inclement weather to lots of foot traffic. Each tile features slats for drainage, and they’re gorgeous when installed in an outdoor spa area. With this unique form of tropical wood flooring, you’ll instantly add beauty to your deck, update an old patio, or create a stunning walkway. Each tile slat may vary since this wood species naturally varies in color, which makes it an even better choice if you’re looking for a more organic look outdoors.

Get creative with these wood tiles and lay them in different patterns. You can place them in one uniform direction or try them in varying directions to create a parquet-style floor. If you’re looking for something to add style to your deck but you’re not ready for a brand-new addition, these hardwood deck tiles are an excellent alternative. No glue or screws are needed, and the smooth surface feels wonderful under bare feet.

Warm-up a Cold Home Office

If you work from home, make your space more inviting with some tropical hardwood flooring. The Vanier Brazilian Exotic Collection blends engineered hardwood flooring with the beauty and warmth of exotic South American wood. From Brazilian cherry to oak, walnut, and pecan, you’ll find this flooring in a wide range of inviting finishes. The natural grain and smooth finish give any office space an air of sophistication. The understated semi-gloss acrylic finish is UV-cured to prevent fading so you can enjoy working in an office with plenty of natural light.

This exotic hardwood flooring comes in light, medium, and warm brown tones that work in any style of home. The subtle sheen is beautiful yet strong enough to stand up to foot traffic and the scooting of office chairs. Micro-beveled edges give this flooring a nice clean look that keeps the eyes focused on the beauty of the wood. It can be nailed, glued, stapled, or floated for easy installation and enjoyment indoors in your office, living room, and beyond.

Create a Hygge-Inspired Living Space

While tropical wood flooring is often known for its depth of color, you’ll also find it in lighter tones, too. For example, Jasper Engineered Hardwood Exotic Collection features this beautiful flooring in a clean shade titled “Cathedral White” that makes it easy to create a calming, Hygge-like atmosphere. This creamy white color works wonderfully in any environment, and it makes every room feel crisp and modern. This flooring features a unique vertical pattern that adds instant modernity and uniqueness to the home. The flooring is built with a sturdy plywood core and is twice as dent resistant as conventional wood floors.

Jasper’s line of exotic flooring comes in other finishes, too, and it features eight coats of ceramic-based aluminum oxide finish to provide exceptional scratch and wear-resistance. The textured surface makes each plank of this durable flooring look and feel unique and natural. Installation is easy thanks to the tongue and groove edges. Simply nail, glue, or float them and enjoy these long-lasting floors for years to come. The Cathedral White color gives your space a clean and crisp aesthetic that perfectly sums up the Hygge design style.

Design an Exotic Abode

If you want to recreate the look of a tropical island, be sure to try Vanier Hardwood Brazilian Exotic Collection in the finish Tigerwood Natural. This gorgeous flooring features natural color variations and grains that will give any part of your home a luscious, jungle vibe. With its earthy warmth and bold, vivid colors, you can transform a sunny living space into an island-inspired getaway. Thanks to the smooth surface of this flooring, it’s also stunning in a bedroom, too.

Add some velvet furniture and fun décor to your living room to make this stunning exotic wood flooring stand out. A large potted tropical plant in a corner and a fun, colorful area rug are easy ways to complement this flooring choice. Apply tropical patterned wallpaper to the walls of your living room to round out the exotic theme. Thanks to the easy installation and ultra-rich colors, this tropical wood flooring will be a long-time favorite in your home.

Elegant Herringbone Floors

A classic herringbone pattern lends sophistication and elegance to any home. Try the Mamza Hardwood Exotic Kempas Collection flooring to create your own custom herringbone designs. Crafted from a tropical wood called kempas, this durable exotic hardwood flooring allows you to enjoy the durability of hardwood at an affordable price. It looks stunning when installed in a herringbone design since the species blends from reddish-brown into natural colors that darken over time. Each piece includes an interlocked or spiraled grain pattern that takes classic herringbone to a whole new, exotic level.

You can enjoy herringbone floors in any room, but it’s especially beautiful in an entryway or living room. The straightforward nail down installation of these floors makes it easy to create this pattern with just a nail gun. The UV finish ensures an exceptional surface resistance against scratches and scuffs. Thanks to the rich colors and smooth texture with a satin gloss, these kempas floors are sure to stun. When installing your flooring in a herringbone pattern, be sure to layout and cut each piece in advance for a beautiful outcome.

Exotic Flooring for Busy Homes

You can enjoy the stunning look of exotic wood flooring without worrying about damage thanks to new products like the Lamton Laminate Exotic Collection. These beautiful floors are made of laminate, but they feature hand-scraped surfaces and grain patterns that perfectly mimic exotic hardwood. Rated for residential use, you’ll love the way they look while enjoying an affordable floor that lasts. The easy click-lock system makes the floors easy to connect and adjust, yet they’re perfectly solid and sturdy once the flooring is complete. If you want to enjoy the beauty and splendor of exotic hardwoods but you’re concerned about longevity, this laminate alternative is a great pick. Lamton offers this flooring in your choice of beautiful color so you can create a modern or warm environment that looks high-end and sophisticated. The brand also sells moldings that are carefully selected to be the closest match possible to the floors for a seamless finish. Try this option if you’re in love with the concept of tropical wood floors but don’t want to worry about damage from little paws or feet. It’s a great way to design your home in a beautiful way that’s easy and worry-free.

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On August 7^th, 2020, The U.S. government reinstated a 25% tariff on Chinese Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), which is having significant effects on the industry at large. Many companies are working to figure out how to make this steep tariff work, while others trust the end goal.

Ultimately, the effects of this tariff are far and wide. What are the impacts of the 25% tariff on LVT? Will it hurt or help the market? Who’s winning and losing here?

Let’s break down this reinstated 25% tariff, so you understand how it might affect you and your business, moving forward.

History of the Tariff on Chinese LVT

LVT was developed and refined in China. As a result, the majority of LVT has always been manufactured there.

However, in 2018, The U. S. was in the midst of a trade war with China. The ongoing struggle for economic authority resulted in a 10% tariff for all vinyl goods imported from China– including luxury vinyl tile (LVT). In September 2018, the 10% tariff began.

The 10% tariff was set to increase to 25%, and by the spring of 2019, that’s exactly what happened. Luxury vinyl tile was now imported with an additional 25% tariff. However, in November 2019, the tariff was dropped again to 10%, with plans to be pushed back up to 25% again on August 7^th, 2020.

On August 7^th, as promised, the 25% tariff on Chinese LVT came back, which brings us to where we are today.

How will a hefty 25% import tariff affect the market? 

Differing Opinions

The reason the tariffs happened in the first place was part of President Trump’s plan to bring manufacturing jobs back to the country. Spearheaded by U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, the administration has imposed tariffs on roughly $460 billion worth of imports.

The goal is that corporations who have outsourced manufacturing to decrease costs will be forced to manufacture again in the U.S.. In doing so, the country gains economic independence and brings long lost manufacturing jobs back to the country.

A portion of the market agrees with this goal and believe the ends justify the current means. However, the other half disagree, and for now, the numbers do, too.

The reality is that 70% of LVT is imported. Furthermore, the impact studies show that the tariffs aren’t having the desired effect. Instead, they’re just increasing the prices for consumers. For now, people are still importing from China and just charging customers more.

However, there’s a good reason for using China’s LVT, and there are also many other interesting things affecting the market condition.

Market Outlook and Effects of the 25% LVT Tariff

In 2003, LVT was 9.5% of the flooring market. By 2019, it had increased to nearly 25%. Rigid LVT accounts for around two-thirds of the $4.3 billion resilient flooring market. These numbers tell us that LVT is incredibly popular and has increased in demand year after year.

The question then is: can it continue to grow despite the 25% import tariff?  

As of right now, China is the only LVT market that can completely support that demand. Both Taiwan and Vietnam are ramping up production in hopes of snagging up some of China’s business. Additionally, five U.S. producers have announced their intention to increase LVT production to accommodate the demand. However, things are getting hung up.

For American manufacturers to be able to produce all the LVT that China does, they need to be taught by Chinese manufacturers. Since COVID-19 erupted, this learning process has been halted, forcing the U.S. into a hiatus.

For now, most of the existing LVT manufacturing capacity is with rigid core LVT, which is pretty popular in the residential market. For those reasons, the residential market might be able to offset the tariffs with domestic manufacturing. However, the commercial side of LVT is more problematic.

Anytime a market is disrupted with manufacturing or supply cost increases, it’s going to have a wide-sweeping impact. Supply chains, capacity, and prices must be adjusted. The 25% tariff has to be dealt with somewhere.

Originally, when the tariff was just 10%, most companies and suppliers could absorb the costs. They figured out places to cut costs so that customers didn’t have to feel the increase. However, when the government increased the tariffs back up to 25% in August 2020, the only option was a price increase for consumers.

Some companies will pass the full 25% tariff on to their customers via price increases. Others will absorb a portion of the cost, so they pass less expense down to their customers. Everyone will respond differently.

How BuildDirect is Responding

It’s important to know what’s happening with the tariff on Chinese LVT, so you understand why LVT prices will increase industry-wide. However, it’s essential to note a couple of things.

As a contractor, builder, or architect, you’re familiar with the standard prices of flooring. However, the average consumer isn’t. People don’t purchase flooring frequently enough to recognize price increases. LVT’s value proposition and features will continue to provide value for your customers, so you shouldn’t have to worry about them being angry at you for any price hikes from you – because they won’t notice.

However, you are our customer, and that matters to us. We know that you’ll feel and notice price increases in your business. That’s why we’re committed to offering the best prices for quality LVT on the market.

Our goal is to make this tariff impact you as little as possible. We’re dedicated to providing low prices, and we’re keeping our thumbs on the pulse of manufacturing as well. With us, you know you’re getting the lowest price on high-quality LVT on the market.  

Additionally, we offer an extra 5% credit for all your purchases when you sign up for our PRO Rewards program. It’s free to join, and it only takes seconds to sign up. Click here to become a PRO.

The post Impacts of the Reinstated Tariff on Chinese Luxury Vinyl Tile appeared first on Learning Center.

In a house flipping process, you will formalize a budget for each phase of the renovation. Attention to detail is important as you analyze what part of the renovation gets the most attention and what parts can be minimized. One of the first things a potential buyer will see when they walk into your new listing is the floor, so you know you will need to put a good portion of your budget into the floor.

5 Factors to Consider

Since you are in this business to make money, we are going to cut to the chase and list some factors to consider and best practices for flooring your flip.

1. Cost

If the roof and foundation of your house flip are in good condition, one of the next areas to get attention will be the flooring. Let’s use a 1,400 square foot home as an example. Assume all of the flooring needs to be replaced. 

About 30% of the home will be bedrooms. At a rounded price of $5 a square foot, estimates will require a budget of at least $2,100 for an average grade.

The kitchen usually makes up about 12% of the house and this area is a premier space in a home, used frequently. In other words: forget the budget here. Consider the neighborhood you’re in and think about the best house in that neighborhood. What flooring would be in the kitchen? Put that flooring in your kitchen. 

We’ll say you’re in a moderately-priced subdivision and luxury vinyl plank tile would be the best choice. The average price for tile and installation will be about $7 a square foot, so that will take up $1200. Bathrooms will take up about the same area as the kitchen so you can add another $1200 to the budget needs. The flooring cost in your house flip could be almost $5000 or more depending upon your choice of flooring and barring any unforeseen issues.

2. Ease of Installation

The prices quoted above assume that you would be using professionals to install the flooring and for some, that will be your only option. If you are DIY-inclined, you may be able to install some flooring options yourself.This could save you a good bit of money that can be applied elsewhere in the budget. Some floor coverings will be harder than others to install and some may require expensive tools and equipment to do the job correctly. Make sure that is part of your research before you purchase. 

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are very heavy, require additional underlayment on top of your subfloor and you will need a good bit of experience to get the hang of spacing it properly for straight grout lines.These tiles are also susceptible to breaking if dropped or cut incorrectly.

The friendliest DIY flooring will be the peel and stick tile (not usually recommended), engineered wood, and luxury vinyl tiles that snap together. They are manufactured in such a way as to make the basic connections almost fool-proof. You will still need skill in making the cuts and you might need some specialized tools (table saw, mitre saw and oscillating saw) to get the job done right.

3. Aesthetic Consistency

One of the mistakes inexperienced house flippers make when it comes to choosing new flooring is not ensuring that the look, or aesthetic feel, is maintained throughout the home. Consider your layout. Does the home have an open floor plan? If so, you can use the same flooring throughout the open areas giving the home a more spacious feel.

You also want to make sure that you don’t radically change the texture of the flooring from room to room. This can create a compartmental feel — more like an office building than a home. The same thing can happen if you make drastic color changes from one room to another. The best option for a house flip is to stick to neutral colors with minimal textures. You want the flooring to stand out because it’s beautiful, not because it’s awkward.

4. Subflooring

Some floor coverings require a specific substrate or subfloor to be installed over and therefore can add time and extra expense to your flipping budget. 

For instance, ceramic tile must be installed over a cementuous base. If your subfloor is plywood or an OSB type product, you will need to install a backer board before installing the ceramic or porcelain. Hardwood flooring prefers a clean wood subfloor especially if the product has to be glued and nailed. The best solution is to choose a flooring that can go over any type of subfloor — especially concrete. 

5. Insulation & Radiant Heating Compatibility

Heated floors are very popular today and if you are flipping a house that has a radiant heat system you need to be aware of what works best for these systems. Ceramic, porcelain and natural stone work great as they are wonderful conductors of heat, but they are expensive and time consuming to install. 

Engineered wood and laminates can be used as well because of their cross-layer construction reducing their contraction and expansion. The best budget option however, is luxury vinyl tile. With its solid core and ease of installation, LVT will give your radiant heat system a fresh look in minimal time and on budget.

Carpet may be the warmest of the floor coverings but it is usually the least desirable option in a home. Engineered wood, real hardwood, and luxury vinyl tiles are great choices for a warm and comfortable floor.

Types of Flooring for Flipping Houses

Engineered Hardwood

Engineered hardwood flooring is an excellent option if you want the high-end look of real wood without the high price. It is manufactured by layering real wood in opposite directions to give it structural integrity and the top layer is real hardwood. If you are flipping in an area of high dollar real estate but your budget won’t allow solid hardwood, this is an excellent alternative.

Laminate

Laminate flooring got its start as an economical floor covering that provided the look of wood flooring at a fraction of the cost. It is made by using waste wood products so it is an eco-friendly flooring product. The new designs do an excellent job of mimicking stone as well as hardwood. The downside of laminate flooring is that it will not do well in areas of high moisture or humidity so it shouldn’t be used in laundry rooms or bathrooms.

Luxury Vinyl

Luxury vinyl tile and planks are the hottest product on the flooring aisle today, and for good reason:

1. They are easy to install.
2. They are essentially waterproof.
3. They give the look of real wood and stone.
4. They are kind to the budget.

The product is made in 4 layers. The bottom layer is waterproof and prevents mold and mildew from forming. The next layer is a solid vinyl core that gives the flooring its strength and flexibility, and it is also waterproof. The third layer is called the decorative layer and this is what you see as the finished product, even though there is another layer on top of that called the wear layer. 

It is a clear layer of protection that prevents scratches, stains, and fading. All of these layers are combined together in a heat process that results in the most beautiful and economical floor tiles on the market.

Tile

Ceramic and porcelain tiles are an excellent option for houses at the higher end of the market. Porcelain is stronger than ceramic but is also a little more expensive. They are both beautiful designs and can be installed in almost unlimited patterns. A ceramic or porcelain tile floor can be cold without radiant heat so it is an excellent option in warmer climates.

The Best Flooring Materials for Flipping Houses

The price range of the home you are flipping will place certain restrictions on the type of floor coverings you will be able to use, but the best all-around floor covering is luxury vinyl tile and planks. They are available in patterns that look like real hardwood, ceramic tile, and stone, and the patterns vary from box to box so you don’t get the look of old-style vinyl flooring. Many upscale homes use LVT and LVP throughout the house because they are beautiful, durable, and waterproof.

In addition to their design flexibility, luxury vinyl tiles and planks can go directly over any subfloor — including concrete, making them the most versatile floor covering for a house flipper — saving you both time and money.

Laminate flooring can be used over any substrate, but requires a vapor barrier/insulation layer to be installed prior to laying the flooring. If your budget is tight and you don’t have much time, stick with LVT.

Where to Buy the Best Flooring Option for Flipping Houses

BuildDirect is your one-stop source for luxury vinyl tiles, ceramic and porcelain tile, hardwood and engineered wood floor coverings, and many other building materials. We have hundreds of designs and patterns to choose from and many of our selections are available with free shipping. We understand the needs of the professional flooring installer as well as the real estate investor and we have tailored our products to help you make great decisions and more profit. 

Our PRO Rewards program gives you tools and services that are customized to your operation, and we have customer service representatives available Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 7:30 PM (EST) and Saturday 10:00 AM to 6 PM to answer your questions about all things flooring. Get free samples today and discover the joys of working with BuildDirect.

The post The Best Flooring for Flipping Houses appeared first on Learning Center.

• Job boards at local hardware stores
• Using other trades to refer your services
• Asking satisfied customers to spread the word
• Professional services that send you qualified leads for a fee

As a flooring installer, you should be utilizing all of these options. However, a lead generation service should be at the top of your list in this highly competitive marketplace. You can only reach so many potential clients working one contact at a time, so why not take advantage of the internet and television advertising dollars of a service like Thumbtack Pro, to extend your good reputation to an audience that you would otherwise never have access to?

What is Thumbtack Pro?

Thumbtack Pro is an efficient classified database/lead generation service that connects customers for all types of work with qualified contractors. Logging on to Thumbtack Pro’s website, potential clients immediately see what their options are for contractors in their area. 

They are introduced to the database of qualified service providers with a photo, a description of the type of work the contractor is qualified to do and more importantly, a list of verified references that give the customer the peace of mind to move forward and select a contractor to bid on their work. Many of the contractors on Thumbtack Pro’s list have also had a verified background check which can be an important part of some customer’s selection process.

How Does Thumbtack Pro Benefit Flooring Installers?

The biggest advantage Thumbtack Pro gives a flooring installer is exposure. If you do not enjoy a healthy online presence today, the odds of your business growing are greatly reduced. Over 80% of Americans between the ages of 30 and 64 use the internet on a regular basis, and 97% of those looking for services search online. 

Thumbtack Pro’s online presence gives you the market exposure of companies with large advertising budgets without spending the money. They reach the customers you are trying to reach for pennies on the dollar.

Thumbtack Pro takes much of the guesswork out of finding customers that are looking to have work done now, versus those that are just kicking tires. When a customer comes to Thumbtack Pro’s website, they are asked to fill out some basic information about the type of work they want done and where they live, and they are immediately shown a list of contractors in their area that can bid on the job. 

If they want a flooring installer, your name will come up on the list. Thumbtack Pro will send you an email and you can start a conversation with your potential customer. You don’t pay for the lead ($8-15 on average) unless the customer responds back to you and you are able to give them a quote. That’s a strong advantage over some of the other services in this market that charge for leads upfront and it helps effectively filter out the riff raff.

How to Find Clients Using Thumbtack Pro

Like any online service that provides potential customers with a list of options, you want to show up on the top of that list. Thumbtack Pro can help you get better rankings by improving your profile on their website. This is easy to do with just a little effort:

• FIrst, sign up to become a service provider.
• Build a profile on their site.
• Have a great photo of you and your team.
• Promote your profile on their site by agreeing in advance to take certain types of work at a specific rate. Thumbtack Pro likes that and will move you up on the list.
• Have a list of prices or list an hourly rate.
• Post great — and honest — reviews. Don’t have any? Get some!
• Respond to the customer immediately. Great communication gives the customer confidence that you are a professional and someone that can be trusted.

Compared to Other Classified Databases

Craigslist

Craigslist and other free classified ad services are sources for goods and services. However, as far as service providers go, there is no background check of credentials, no photo and no reviews or references that can be verified prior to inviting a prospective contractor into your home. You should be very cautious before using Craigslist.

Gentask 

Gentask is similar to Thumbtack Pro, since it offers customers a platform to connect with contractors in their immediate area and allows the customer and contractor to communicate with each other. It also allows the contractor to track leads and completion rates, among other useful tasks. It has questionable market reach compared to Thumbtack Pro because a simple Google search will not allow website information to load on your desktop. Gentask is more of a mobile app service and many customers will be using their desktop computer to do their research.

Shiftgig

Shiftgig is more of an employment agency than a solution for connecting customers with service providers. Thumbtack Pro’s priority is providing contractors, while Shiftgig supports staffing agencies and businesses with large workforces.

Bidwilly

Bidwilly seeks to offer low-price handyman solutions to customers but their marketing approach is sub-par. Their website is not customer friendly for the homeowner or the contractor due to a poor layout of the site.

NeedTo

This is a service similar to Thumbtack Pro but with a much smaller reach. NeedTo offers the same services that Thumbtack Pro does but they only average a bit over 600 visits a month. A Google search for “flooring contractor near me” will not yield a result for this company while Thumbtack Pro is listed on page 

TaskRabbit 

TaskRabbit is a solid company, but it is geared more toward folks looking for small jobs and not professional companies that are able to handle larger projects. Tasks that they advertise to help with are delivery, shopping and assembling furniture. Thumbtack Pro, on the other hand, takes on small tasks all the way to general contracting on the construction side and lists other services such as photography and legal services.

Get More Jobs With Thumbtack Pro

Your reputation as a professional flooring installer has established you as the go-to contractor in your local area, but you need a steady flow of leads to grow your business. Thumbtack Pro will put your name in front of qualified customers that want your service and have the ability to pay.

Providing top quality flooring options can set you apart from the competition and BuildDIrect can supply samples of the most sought after luxury vinyl plank tiles as well as hardwood, engineered hardwoods and ceramic tile. We offer free shipping on many of our products and you can always reach a friendly customer service representative on the phone. Order free samples today and discover the benefits of working with BuildDirect.

The post A Review of Thumbtack Pro for Flooring Installers appeared first on Learning Center.

• What kind of budget do we need to plan for? 
• Will we need to take time off from work to be here? 
• Is there a best time of year to remodel our floors? 
• What style of flooring will give us the best return if we sell our home?
•  Is there something we can do to make the project run more smoothly and help us save money?

These are just a few of the things that will be on the mind of your prospective client. They will be nervous and you’ll want to show them that you are the expert when it comes to flooring installation. Understanding the essentials of a flooring remodel will go a long way toward making you the contractor of choice.

The Increase of Remodeling Costs

Since the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, building material costs have skyrocketed. Part of the reason is that manufacturing and production costs have increased since companies have had to rearrange entire work organization structures due to rapid changes in the workforce. These cost increases have affected every area of the remodeling market — including flooring prices. You’ll want to provide your client with the flooring they want at a price that fits their budget.

5 Ways to Get a Great Deal on Flooring

Follow these 5 steps to secure a great deal on some of the best flooring products on the market:

1. The Best Time of Year to Buy Flooring

Regardless of the type of flooring you are buying, luxury vinyl plank, hardwood, carpet, or ceramic tile, there’s a best time to buy flooring to get a good deal. In fact, it’s usually right around the New Year. Unlike cars, boats, and appliances that change models every year, flooring prices drop around the New Year because that is when demand is at its lowest and warehouses are willing to make deals to move product. Another great opportunity to get the best deals happens around mid-November, with Black Friday creating discounted sales prices.

You can take advantage of this by advertising price reductions on your services as well. If you are buying right, you can stay ahead of the competition. Great prices and great service will win business most of the time.

2. Buy In-Stock Inventory

Some folks hate to buy anything off the shelf. They want everything they own to be “special”. Unfortunately, everything special is more expensive. Buying flooring that is in-stock means you won’t have extended wait times if you have to order more; you can return items if you have over-ordered, and you save money because the warehouse bought in quantity and can pass those savings on to you. With BuildDirect, you have access to an enormous inventory of varying flooring products, so you will always have options to choose from.

3. Know Your Client’s Objective

Your goal is to satisfy the client on their flooring project. Too often, an inexperienced installer will rush in and give a quick low price thinking that is all the customer wants. Price will be a part of the equation of winning the bid, but it is often way down on the list. Take your time and ask a lot of questions:

• Why have they decided to redo their flooring at this time?
• Is resale value an important element in their decision process?
• Are they trying to accomplish a certain look or is comfort more important?
• What types of flooring have they considered?

4. Ask for a Discount from an Independent Retailer

It can be tempting to deal with one of the big box stores because they are readily available and you are used to seeing them, but they are not necessarily the best source for top of the line flooring products. They are usually locked into national pricing and discounts are not a part of their marketing program. 

On the other hand, Independent dealers can be a great source of information and high quality flooring options. They have the flexibility to deal with an installer on a deal-by-deal basis. That means you can get a discount at many of the independent flooring showrooms that aren’t available at the big box stores.

5. Get Wholesale Warehouse Prices with BuildDirect

BuildDirect is an independent warehouse dealer that can provide wholesale pricing on a wide variety of flooring solutions, from porcelain tile to beautiful Acacia hardwood. Our great deals are not limited to one or two “special buys” but are available in every category of flooring.

Discover a World of Affordable Flooring with BuildDirect

BuildDirect can solve many of the issues discussed so far and help you provide the service your client expects.

1. We are in-stock on hundreds of floor coverings, including hardwoods, luxury vinyl plank tile and ceramic tile.
2. We offer free shipping on many items at our warehouse locations.
3. Check out our clearance items to save even more money.
4. Our website is full of helpful information, installation tips and articles on trends in the market.
5. You can speak with a knowledgeable representative 9AM -7:30 PM EST Monday through Friday.

Discover the best flooring deals at BuildDirect today and learn how we can help you save money and land your next flooring job.

The post Remodeling Costs Are Going Up – Here’s How to Get the Best Flooring Deals for Your Client appeared first on Learning Center.

What Is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is when you promote a product or service for purchase on the Internet.

As a floor installer, using digital marketing can double, triple, or quadruple your business. Digital marketing opens your doors up to hundreds (or thousands) of more customers who are looking to have their floors installed—but didn’t see your flyer or have a friend that can recommend reliable floor installers.

By marketing online, you’ll be able to reach more customers.

There are a lot of ways to market online, but generally speaking all digital marketing strategies have one goal:

Turn a website visitor into a customer.

A website visitor is somebody who is visiting your website or social profiles. These are the people who are showing a clear interest in your product or service. We refer to these people as your customer avatar. These are prospective customers that need digital marketing strategies to convince them to buy a product or service from you, over your competitor.

Every business has a specific customer avatar for each of their products. Customer avatars are a crucial part of digital marketing because you’re going to build your digital marketing strategy around them.

A customer avatar is the most likely person to buy your product because they are the person the product was created for.

For example, as a Flooring Installer, who is a better person to market to:

1. A 16 year-old living at home with their parents in high school
2. A 35-year old with a fixer upper home

If you answered the latter, you’re correct. The 16-year old is not your customer avatar because they don’t have a home to install floors in. They live at their parents home and don’t have any buying power when it comes to deciding to change their floors.

The 35-year old with a fixer upper home does. They’re the person who is going to open their wallet and say, “I want you to install my floors.” That’s the person that you’re going to create your digital marketing strategy around.

Here are the 4 steps of a digital marketing strategy:

1. Traffic: Getting your customer avatar to visit your website or social profiles.
2. Leads: Having this website .visitor to opt-in to give you their email address or phone number via an online form.
3. Sales: When a lead makes their first purchase with your company.
4. Return Path: Motivating a customer to purchase more services or products from you.

Businesses are choosing to market online because that’s where their customers are spending their time and looking for the services that they offer. For example, if you were to look for a floor installer, where is the first place you would look?

Would you open Google on your phone or computer and type in “floor installers in my area”?

Most likely. And guess who else would open Google to find their floor installer?

Your customers.

What Are The Benefits of Digital Marketing?

Just like you’d open up Google to try to find floor installers, so would your customers. These statistics from Blue Corona show how often consumers are using online resources, like Google and the local business’s website, to choose who to buy their services from:

• 97% of consumers go online to find a local business or local services
• 86% of people look up the location of a business on Google Maps
• 82% of smartphone users use a search engine when looking for a local business

If 97% of consumers are trying to find the right local business to install their floors online, then by being offline you’re losing out on 97 out of 100 new customers.

If your business isn’t registered on Google Maps, only 14 out of 100 potential customers know your business exists.

And, if you’re not using a website to create leads and sales, you’re losing out on 82 smartphone using customers out of 100, every time they search for floor installers in your area.

That’s a lot of contracts left on the table if you don’t create a digital marketing strategy for your business. It’s also a lot of new revenue if you do build that digital marketing strategy.

This is why digital marketing matters for your industry. Here’s everything you need to know about creating a successful digital marketing strategy for your floor installation company.

Traffic

Traffic is the first step in your digital marketing strategy as a floor installer because it’s how you make potential customers aware of your business. Remember, traffic refers to online visitors that “visit” your website. The more people that visit your website, the higher your chance of increasing your leads, sales, and return path for even more sales.

The key to increasing your traffic is to realize that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are tried and true strategies to get more people on your website. Here are 10 ways to increase your website traffic:

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization, known as its acronym of SEO, is how well your business ranks in search results. For example, when somebody local to your business searches for “floor installers in my area”, who shows up first?

The company that shows up first is the one who has the best SEO on that page. As a local business with a service like floor installation, SEO is the most sustainable traffic source in comparison to other channels (like social media platforms or referrals).

Why? Because 97% of consumers are searching online to find a local business. By increasing your SEO, you’re increasing your chances of being seen by all of those potential customers and converting that traffic into leads and sales. SEO has the potential to have the greatest ROI over time of all the methods we’re going to discuss.

Here are the basics of increasing your SEO:

1. Figure out what keywords your customer avatar is using to find floor installers in your area
   1. Use Google Keyword Planner to figure out the search volume data and trends surrounding your business’s most viable keywords. For example, you’re going to type in “floor installers”, “floor installation”, “new floors”, and anything other terms you regularly hear your customers saying when referring to floor installation
2. Create content related to keywords being searched for in your industry (ex. Floor installation)
   1. We’ll talk about this in the Content Marketing section below, but here’s an example of what this means. If there’s search volume for “floor installation things to know”, you’ll create an article published to your website and/or a Youtube video titled, “Things To Know About Floor Installation.” This will make you rank in search results for the keywords of “floor installation things to know”.
3. Put your business on your town’s Business Directory
   1. Google “[your town’s name] business directory” and reach out to the corresponding websites, like Chamber of Commerce or County Clerk
   2. This will increase your SEO by backlinking your website. Backlinking your website is when another website links to yours. This increases SEO because it builds credibility on search results that your website is validated and has the information a search engine user is searching for.

2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

We just talked about the free way to get your business listed as one of the first search results for floor installers, but there is also a paid way to make this happen. Search Engine Marketing, SEM, is when a business pays Google to put their business as one of the top search results for specific keywords. This is called a Google Ad and is created using Google Adwords.

For example, the top four search results for “floor installers in Los Angeles” are Google Ads. You can tell that they’re Google Ads because they have “Ad” written in green to the left of their website address.

These businesses are all using the SEM digital marketing strategy to get leads and convert them into sales. Here’s a basic overview of how to create a Google Ad:

1. Create a headline (the blue text) and ad copy (the text below the headline).
2. Use the keywords you found through Google Keyword Planner to choose what search engine user to show your ad to.
3. Drive this traffic to a landing page on your website.
   1. A landing page is a website page that has one purpose: to get a conversion. As a floor installer, your conversion for this landing page will most likely be to schedule a consultation call.

3. YouTube

We’re sure you’re familiar with Google as a search engine, it’s the largest search engine in the world with 70,000 searches per second. The second largest search engine in the world is going to surprise you: YouTube.

Google owns YouTube which is a significant help in improving your SEO, because your YouTube videos can rank in Google search results. For example, a video titled, “Things To Know About Floor Installation”, can rank on YouTube AND Google. This means that one piece of content is ranking on the two largest search engines in the world.

When it comes to creating content for YouTube , you can abide by the same strategies you’d use for creating content for SEO. You want to figure out the search volume of specific keywords and then create content around those keywords, just as you read in the SEO section of this guide.

If you’re wondering if anyone is going to be searching for floor installation information on YouTube , take a look at the YouTube search results for “Things To Know About Floor Installation”:

Take note of the number of views for each of these videos:

• 500,000 views
• 1,900 views
• 166,000 views

When you create content this specific, you’re going to find your customer avatar. If 1% of these viewers turned into leads, here’s how many new leads these businesses generated with their Youtube content:

• 5,000 new leads
• 19 new leads
• 1,660 new leads

4. Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)

While Youtube can be looked at as a social media platform, you’re going to use it differently than you’d use Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter in your digital marketing strategy. Youtube is a great place to direct your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter followers—and these platforms can be used to increase the awareness of your company.

On Facebook, you can create a Business Profile that provides users information on your business like:

• Hours of operation
• Location
• Information about your business
• Discounts
• Customer recommendations and reviews
• Website
• Price range

You can put the same information on your Instagram Business profile. Note: To have a Business profile on Instagram, you first need to create a Business profile on Facebook.

Here’s the information that will go on your profile:

• Business Type
• Information about your business
• Location
• Contact information

Take a look at @QualityFloorInstallersInc Instagram profile to get an idea for the information that you can show on your Instagram profile:

You can also create a Business Twitter profile to post content to. On Twitter, you can showcase your location, website, and information about your business in your profile.

During this part of digital marketing, business owners tend to feel overwhelmed. How are you going to create content for all of these social platforms?

1. Your Facebook content can be your Instagram content which can be your Twitter content. Don’t create new content for each social channel—disperse your content across each channel
2. You don’t need to have every social media profile available. Ask your customers what social media profiles they use the most often, and then focus on those.

What type of content should you post to your social profiles?

Here are a few ideas:

1. Before-and-after photos of your floor installation projects
2. Answers to FAQs
3. Customer testimonials

The goal of your social media content is to build your brand and increase the engagement and growth of your profiles.

5. Social Media Advertising

Just like with Search Engine Marketing, you can pay social media platforms to promote your business for you. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can show content (of your choosing) to people that would be interested in seeing it.

Social media advertising can be extremely specific, targeting people in your local area who are interested in home remodeling.

Here’s an important note: the content you promote through paid ads on social media shouldn’t be the same content that you are showing your followers on a regular basis. This paid content is focused on lead generation and ROI because you’re paying for it. While increasing your follower count is great, there’s no promise that those followers are going to convert. So, when you’re paying Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to show your content to users that are likely to book a consultation or make a purchase, you want to make sure that your content promotes them taking that action.

6. Content Marketing

Content marketing encapsulates many of the above strategies. It’s an umbrella term for:

• SEO strategies that drive traffic and generate leads by creating content that your customer avatar has shown interest in.
• YouTube videos that drive traffic and generate leads creating content that your customer avatar has shown interest in.
• Social media posts that drive traffic and generate leads creating content that your customer avatar has shown interest in.

There’s a reason that the above three bullets all end in the same way—because content marketing has two purposes:

1. Drive Traffic
2. Generate Leads

Here are a few ideas for the type of content you can create for your content marketing strategy:

• Blogs
• Videos
• Social posts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)
• Podcast Episodes
• Downloadable guides

If you’re wondering what kind of content your customers want to consume, ask current or past customers what would be the most convenient way to answer their questions and mitigate their concerns around floor installation prior to finding the installers they’re going to hire.

Ask them if they would prefer to:

• Read answers to their floor installation questions
• Watch a video with the answers to their floor installation questions
• Get bite-sized pieces of information via social posts
• Listen to a podcast episode on everything to know about floor installation
• Read a long guide on floor installation
• Etc.

At the end of the day, your content marketing strategy is built around your customer. The floor installation business that succeeds in their strategy is the one who asks their customer what content they want and then delivers on it.

7. Local & Industry Directories

We spoke about local and industry directories as a way to increase your SEO through backlinks. While this is certainly a reason to be featured on your Chamber of Commerce’s website, it’s not the only one.

Having your website linked on these directories increases your traffic by increasing the chances that a person looking for a floor installer on this website finds your business. It also gives you social proof, a term used in marketing to showcase a business’s credibility by being on a credible website or being promoted by a credible source.

By being on the Chamber of Commerce’s website, you’re showing that you’re somewhat endorsed by them and that you’re a trusted business in your area.

8. Local & Industry Directories to be included on are:

• Chamber of Commerce
• Your town’s website
• Yelp
• Bing
• Facebook
• Apple Maps
• Google Maps
• LinkedIn Company Directory
• Yellow Pages
• Thumbtack

9. Email Marketing

Email marketing is when you take a website visitor’s email contact and send them emails with promotional content about your business. As soon as that visitor gives you their contact information, they become a lead.

This is an essential part of the traffic you’re driving to your website. If visitors come to your website but don’t have a way to contact you or for you to follow up with them, then you’re not going to see the results that you want from your content strategy.

We’ll go into this in more detail in the Return Path section of this definitive guide to digital marketing for flooring installers.

10. Traditional Marketing Strategies

Direct mail, business cards, referral cards, receipts, coupons, etc. are forms of traditional marketing. They’re all marketing that happens offline in people’s mailboxes and in conversation.

While these types of marketing certainly aren’t dead, they have the same necessity as the traffic that you are driving to your website. You want to make sure that you’re able to follow up with these potential leads. So, if you’re sailing out a direct mail postcard with a discount for floor installation, you want to motivate recipients to go to your website, where you will then collect their email address.

This ensures that you are able to convert these leads into customers, and that you aren’t spending money on marketing that doesn’t have a return of interest.

There are a lot of ways to drive traffic to your website and you don’t have to master all of these ways. You just need to identify the ways that have the largest ROI and then focus on those, so that you can turn website traffic into leads.

Leads

Leads are the people that visit your website and give you their contact information to follow up with them. This will either be an email address or a phone number. Remember, as soon as somebody gives you their contact information, they become a lead.

This lead has a high chance of converting into a customer. By giving you their phone number of email address they are showing a clear interest in floor installation, but they may need you to convince them that you’re the right business for them.

Here are strategies to use on your website to motivate visitors to give you their phone number or email address.

1. Content Upgrades

A content upgrade is a piece of content that isn’t freely available on your website. Let’s say a website visitor came to your site after searching for “easiest floors to install”. They clicked on your website because you have an article titled, “The 5 Easiest Floors To Install”. In that article, you give them what they came to learn (the 5 easiest floors to install), and then you offer them a content upgrade.

For example, a content upgrade titled, “7 Questions To Ask Your Floor Installer Before Signing The Contract”.

For your website visitor to see this content upgrade, they have to fill in their email address. You’ll send this content upgrade to their email address and you’ll have officially landed a new lead. Note: Sending this content upgrade is a totally automated process through your email marketing host.

2. Free Consultations

The biggest question your customer has is, How much is it going to cost to install new floors?

By offering to answer that question for them, you can motivate website traffic to give you their email address or phone number. Once they’ve opted-in to hear back from you, you can reach out to them to schedule the consultation. This consultation drastically increases your chances of landing this lead as a customer because you’ve already done the hard work of getting them on the phone with you.

We’ll talk more about this in the Sales section of this guide.

3. Downloadable Product Brochures

Just like your content upgrade, you’re going to motivate website traffic to give you their email address in return for your product brochure. This brochure highlights your available products and can include before-and-after photos of those products.

Again, this product brochure is automated and will be sent immediately to a new lead who has opted-in for it.

4. On-Site Targeting

On-site targeting sends personalized pop-ups to website visitors. Each of these pop-ups is different depending on how the visitor is, or has, interacted with your website.

For example, if a user is looking through a blog post about bathroom design, then the pop-up will ask them if they want to download your content upgrade of “10 Modern Bathroom Designs Under $5,000”.

On-site targeting is used by digital marketers because it can give website visitors the content upgrade specific to their needs. Instead of a general content upgrade of, “10 FAQs About Floor Installation”, the content upgrade will be based off of what the visitor is showing the most interest in.

5. Slide-Ins In Place Of Pop-Ups

Slide-Ins are pop-ups that “slide in” from the side of the screen instead of popping up in the middle of the screen. The slide in can be for your content upgrade or on-site targeted content upgrade.

Just as with pop-ups and free consultations, the goal of the slide-in is to offer the visitor something they would be interested in giving their email in return for.

6. Exit Pop-Ups

Exit pop-ups are pop-ups that open up when a website visitor closes out your website on their computer. This pop-up is designed as your last chance to turn that visitor into a lead—so whatever you’re offering needs to be good.

For example, you can offer a discount on floor installation or another type of incentive that makes the visitor decide that they want to share their information with you.

7. Call Leads

Platforms like Callpage.io connect website visitors with your sales representative. If a representative isn’t available, their information will be logged so you can call them back when someone is available. According to Callpage.io, you can generate 75% more sales call leads on your website using their calling software.

Once you’ve established the mechanisms that turn your website visitors into leads you can get to the best part of digital marketing—turning those leads into paying customers.

Sales

Now that you have leads—what do you do to convert them into customers? This step of digital marketing is called sales. It’s when you’re using strategies to show these leads that you are the floor installation company that they want to work with.

While the traffic and lead generation strategies that we’ve already covered have helped you build this case, you still need to make the close.

This means that you need a lead to:

1. Book an appointment
2. Confirm a scheduled appointment
3. Agree to the estimate you’ve given them
4. Sign the contract
5. Follow-up with if they haven’t already signed a contract

Chances are, this is the part of marketing that you’re already most familiar with. As a floor installation company, you’ve taken plenty of appointments, given out hundreds of estimates, and sent out tons of contracts.

One of the best parts of digital marketing is that most of this can be automated. Once a website visitor decides that they want your content upgrade, you can send them the content upgrade and then ask them if they want to book an appointment for a free consultation. Or, maybe your strategy was to offer the consultation upfront.

Either strategy works, and using both works even better, but now you want to implement existing software systems that can help you turn this lead into a customer.

The goal of your digital marketing strategy is to create a lot of leads—enough that you’re not going to be able to call every single one to set up an appointment or confirm their appointment.

This is when software comes in to automate this process. Using email marketing campaigns, you can do all of the above, and only do a quarter of the work that you’re used to. The software is going to automate this marketing for you, sending emails as needed and making sure that your lead feels like they’re getting a personalized experience.

Booking An Appointment

For example, you can use a software like Calendly to have your customer choose a day and time that works best for them to schedule their free consultation or in-person appointment.

You’ll choose the times that you or your sales team are available for the consultations/appointments and then Calendly will only show these times to your lead. They’ll also update your calendar as leads take time slots so that you’re never double booked.

Confirming An Appointment

Always confirm appointments one day prior to your call. This ensures that your lead still has time for it and is still interested. If they’re not we’ll show you what to do in the Return Path section of this definitive guide.

With softwares like Calendly, this can be automated. You can choose when you want a confirmation email to go out to your lead and what it says.

Estimates

Just like Calendly can handle your appointments, there are softwares available that can also handle your estimates. Here’s a list of softwares that can do this for you.

The idea behind automating your estimates is that as soon as you get off the phone with your lead, you can plug their information into your estimation software (ex. 1,000 sq. feet of linoleum needs to be changed to real hardwood floors) and then have the software create a professional estimation that gets automatically sent to your lead.

This helps keep your lead from flatlining—research shows the more time they have to make a decision, the lower the chances are that they’ll convert. The faster you can get that estimate into their hands and then the contract, the higher chance you have of taking this lead and turning them into a customer.

Signing The Contract

Contracts can also be automated, by using software like Docusign. With Docusign, or other contract softwares, you can house your contract online and have Docusign send a personalized version with the lead’s estimate immediately after they agree to the estimate.

The lead can sign the document online with a virtual signature, which helps you make the transaction process as quick as possible.

Following-up With Leads

Leads that don’t immediately convert, for example a lead who got an estimate but hasn’t agreed to it yet, can be sent down a different email marketing campaign. This campaign can send them photos of floor installations that you’ve done in the past, estimates from other companies in the area that you know are higher than your own, and any other information that can improve their chances of converting.

For example, your email campaign can offer them 0% financing on their floor installations if the price is too much for them to afford at once.

All of the sales tactics that you have seen work best in person are also the strategies that will work great online. Just make sure that when you bring them online, you’re looking for the software solutions that can automate the process for you, so you can focus less on the sales and more on your business.

Return Path

Once somebody has had their floors installed by you, you don’t want to end your relationship with them. By keeping your business top-of-mind, you’re going to increase your referral rate.

You can do this by creating:

• Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly Email Broadcasts
• Social Media posts
• Articles
• Retargeted ads

For example, if your customer had new wood floors put into their home, you can send them a monthly broadcast with the best ways to keep their floors looking new for as long as possible. An email with specific cleaners to use, how often to clean them, and more can be extremely useful for somebody who just spent a lot of money on getting their floors redone.

By continuing your relationship with your customers, you show them that you didn’t just want their money—you’re here for them long term. This is the benefit of digital marketing. While traditional marketing strategies tend to leave customers in the dust after you’ve installed their floors, with digital marketing strategies you’re able to keep them in your ecosystem.

This means that when it’s time for them to install floors in a different part of their home or a friend talks to them about getting new floors, they’re proud to refer you as the company to go with.

Let’s look further into these return paths to see which works best for your business.

Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly Email Broadcasts

The key to these email broadcasts is to make sure that you’re not sending too many emails, or else your customers are going to unsubscribe and you’ll lose this return path. The best way to find out how often customers want to hear from you is to ask them. In your first email to them after their floor installation, you can give them the option of getting emails from you weekly, monthly, or quarterly.

These emails can include information like:

• Floor cleaning techniques used by professionals
• Discounts on applicable products
  • Cleaners
  • Furniture pads
  • Vacuums
• Once a year deep washes for floors
• How to keep your floors looking brand new based on floor type
• Easy ways to make old floors look brand new
• Interior design ideas

The goal of these email broadcasts is to be useful to your customers. Just like you don’t want random emails that aren’t applicable to you sent to your inbox, they don’t either. Make sure that they’re seeing content that is helpful to them, and they’ll keep looking out for your broadcasts.

Social Media

Your social media posts specific to return path can cover the same topics as your email broadcasts. This is a strategy in digital marketing called splintering and it’s a hack to create more content, without having to do too much more. For example, your once a year deep wash floors can be turned into a useful Facebook post with step-by-step instructions.

Or, your interior design ideas/before-and afters can be Instagram posts that your customers are interested in seeing. If they have a home, they’re most likely always looking for different ways to improve their homes value. Show them how much homes have gone up in value by changing the flooring and you’re guaranteed to get return customers.

Articles

Your articles can be the same as your email broadcasts (remember, splintered content!). You can highlight these articles in your email broadcast and having readers click a link in your email to read the article on your website. Or you can write these articles and then paste them into your email.

However you present your customers these articles, you want to make sure that they’re answering questions that somebody who just had floors installed is going to ask. If you’re the floor installer who is there for them after they’ve had their floors installed, they’re going to be the first to call you when they want to change the floors in their dining room too.

Retargeted Ads

You know when you shop for a product online and all of a sudden that product keeps showing up as a Facebook ad in your newsfeed? This is a retargeted ad. The website that is showing you this ad has a tracking pixel on its product page that has “tracked” you back to Facebook so that the ad for the specific product that you were looking for can be shown to you.

Kind of creepy, kind of cool, and definitely used a lot in digital marketing.

Our suggestion is to use these retargeting ads on Facebook to get customers to leave you a review on your page, on Yelp, or on Google. The more reviews you can get, the better chance you’ll have at driving traffic to your website. By asking your customers for their feedback on Facebook, while they’re scrolling on Facebook you’re lowering the amount of effort they need to put into giving you this testimonial.

In order to set up retargeted ads, you can create an ad on Facebook. They’ll walk you through the process of getting your tracking pixel on your website depending on who your website host is, and show you exactly how to create your ad.

Developing a Digital Marketing Program for Your Flooring Business

You’re now a floor installation digital marketing master. By promoting your floor installation services online, you can drastically grow your business and become one of the most well-known floor installers in your area.

Just take this definitive guide a step at a time and remember to only use the strategies that make sense for your company. You don’t need everything (SEO, content marketing, SEM, paid social media ads, etc.), but you do need something (SEO and content marketing).

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