Landline vs Mobile: Is Your Telephone Number Ruining Your Construction Brand & Marketing?
Let’s clear this one up straight away.
I am in no way saying that you need to run out, rent/buy an office space, hire a receptionist, and install a landline number so that said receptionist can start taking all your missed calls and enquiries.
No.
In this incredible age, we can now have landline numbers that DIVERT to our mobiles.
Mind-blowing. 🤯
Meaning we are still able to take calls on the go.
At our convenience.
But instead, showcase a LANDLINE number in our marketing instead of a mobile one.
Pretty nifty.
We’re going to run through all the reasons why getting yourself set up with a landline number for your construction business is the ABSOLUTE way to go.
So let’s jump in.
1. Professionalism: Why you need a landline telephone number for your construction business.
A landline number gives your construction business a more professional image.
It's a dedicated telephone number that is associated solely with your construction business.
Whereas a mobile number can be associated with personal calls, texts and social media,
Mobiles gives us the impression that we are calling a personal line.
The same number your nan might call you on.
And if we are looking to part with hundreds, thousands, even hundreds of thousands of pounds with you, we’d like to feel we are dialling through to a professional company and not jumping on the same line as friends and family.
If you catch my drift.
This can be especially important for establishing trust with potential clients who may be wary of working with a contractor or construction company that only provides a mobile number.
Having a landline number for your construction business can help you maintain a professional image and provide a clear boundary between your personal and professional life.
Or at least give us that impression as new clients.
2. Credibility: Why you need a landline telephone number for your construction business.
A landline number can also add credibility to your construction branding.
It implies that your business is established and has a physical location.
Even if it doesn’t.
(If you are using a landline number that diverts to your mobile).
Maybe it’s in the psychology, but a mobile number gives us the impression you could have walked into a phone shop this afternoon and bagged yourself this device and number.
Then up it appears on Facebook.
And you could be ANYONE.
An untrustworthy Trade who will take our deposit money and off into the sunset you go.
We’ve all heard the absolute horror stories.
And not just by those who are vulnerable.
With a landline number, we feel there is more accountability.
That you are cemented somewhere (even if you don’t have a workshop or premises).
That you had to take time to set yourself up a landline number with a legitimate phone company.
That if you went out of your way to set up a business landline, you’re doing things ‘properly.’
And that would be a reflection of how you might do everything.
It's the impression it gives us.
A judgement some could make, just on a few little numbers you use on your website or social media.
This can be important for establishing your business as a legitimate and trustworthy option in the construction industry.
Especially if you are a newer business or working to build up your reputation.
Don’t let a mobile number hold you back.
3. Size of Company: Why you need a landline telephone number for your construction business.
Using a mobile number in your construction marketing can sometimes lead potential customers to believe that they are working with a one-person Trade.
Rather than a legitimate and established business with a team of professionals.
Now.
This could be totally wrong.
We’ve had construction clients come to us with an 18 strong, full time team – yet they’d been using only the director’s mobile number for all of their construction marketing for some years.
They also told me that because of using said mobile number, that they had lost out on business.
Why?
Because a mobile number is often associated with an individual.
And may not give the impression of a dedicated business line – with a team behind the business.
(Especially if your social media and website is not kept up to scratch to show us you are a team and can handle larger projects).
When a potential customer sees a mobile number listed as the point of contact for a construction business, they may assume that the person answering the phone is the only person working for the business.
This can lead them to believe that your construction company lacks the resources or experience needed to take on larger or more complex projects.
This is what our client was losing out on previously.
Because the job types they were after, were larger commercial projects and company employees that were looking for his Trade saw his marketing and presumed he was a one-person outfit due to using a mobile number as the only contact in his construction marketing, so was never going to waste their time.
They moved onto another Trade company who did have the landline number (and all the marketing to show their large team) that they felt they could then move projects forward more quickly with.
We’re all busy.
Clients too.
So they aren’t going to waste time calling up every Trade they come across to see if they have a big enough team for the job.
But they are going to be hot on the red flags that tell them this option might be a waste of time… and there’s plenty of other trades on their list to look through that don’t give them red flags. 🚩
And sometimes – a detail as small as a phone number – could be the red flag that steers them away from your construction business.
When we see a landline number, we have no idea how large your team is.
When we see a mobile number many of us presume, we’re dealing with an individual.
Don’t let it be the reason you lose a dream job.
4. Consistency: Why you need a landline telephone number for your construction business.
When you bag that landline number for your construction business, you’re unlikely to change it.
Unless you move your business from Cornwall all the way up to Newcastle and only serve local clients (and therefore want a new local number).
Mobile numbers can change.
For example.
Should it get stolen.
Or hacked.
Or someone else in the business is now going to handle enquiries so you’ll put their mobile number down as the contact in your marketing.
A landline number stays consistent.
And can be divided up into multiple lines (with extensions).
If you buddy up with a savvy telecoms company (we work with a few that we highly recommend to our Trades if you need one) they can do all sorts of clever things with the number,
☎️ Firstly, they can nab you a local number – which gives folk confidence to call you.
☎️ They can also divert that call to other mobiles should you not be able to answer (which means your company doesn’t miss any calls and you keep a tight reputation.
☎️ They can also divert that number to other landlines – for instance if you did have an office or someone helping you with calls and admin.
☎️ And they can set up business voicemails and even ‘hold music’ to give an even better first impression when clients call through.
There’s a lot that can be done.
Keeping consistent with your phone number also helps keep other costs down.
So you don’t have to keep re-printing your business cards, or changing the vinyl on your vehicles.
A number for the business thar remains consistent means that clients can save it and refer to it in months or years – when they need you – and still get through to your construction business.
Not end up calling your competitors because you kept changing numbers and swapping between mobiles.
5. Building a Brand: Why you need a landline telephone number for your construction business.
Including a landline number in your construction branding can also be a useful marketing tool.
This can help to increase your visibility and establish your business as a professional option in the construction industry.
Because of all the above points, you start building a brand, not just a business.
You start becoming the go-to Trade in your area or industry because everything you do you do with integrity, authenticity and to be the best version possible.
To put it simply.
Brands don’t use mobile numbers in their marketing.
So neither should you.
While mobile phones are undoubtedly convenient, having a landline number (or one that diverts to your mobile) can offer a range of benefits for your construction branding, including…
✅ Increased professionalism.
✅ Credibility.
✅ Consistency.
✅ Marketing potential.
By using a landline number in your construction branding, you can help to establish your business as a reliable and trustworthy option for all of your clients' construction needs.
A small, but mighty change in the lead up to building a brand.
⬇️ Landline vs Mobile: Is Your Telephone Number Ruining Your Construction Brand & Marketing Rundown:
Why you need a landline number for your construction business…
1. Professionalism.
2. Credibility.
3. Removes impression of one-person Trade.
4. Consistency.
5. Building a stronger brand and Marketing presence.
🛠 Need a little more help nailing your Trades and Construction Marketing?
Course you do.
First. Let’s work out where you are with all things Marketing.
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We have heaps of tips, tricks, and hacks for your Trade and Construction business in our cheat sheets, videos and ideas waiting for you on the other side… i.e., your results page.
So, you can improve your score. And NAIL your Trade and Construction business.
Nice.