How homeowners choose painting contractors is always changing. So, we went right to the source. We conducted research to see what’s important to your customers and how you can strengthen your business presence.

We hope this research helps you make the most of your online presence and digital marketing investment to attract quality business from homeowners.

FrogTape® surveyed 525 homeowners who have hired a professional painter in the last three years.

88% looked up online reviews

87% did a Google/Internet search

74% visited a contractor’s website

73% visited a home services website*

62% recall seeing/hearing digital ads

60% visited a contractor’s social media account

* Angi, Houzz, etc.

PRO PAINTERS’ #1 ONLINE ASSET

Word of mouth or a personal recommendation has long been considered the top way for painters to get new customers. In the digital age, that translates to online customer reviews.

• A full 88% of respondents reported looking up online reviews before making their decision.
• More than half (51%) vetted their selection by looking up reviews of the contractor they hired.
• More than one third (37%) looked up multiple contractors’ reviews, making it part of their selection process, not just vetting.
• Coming full circle, Google is the top destination for online reviews, with 74% of review seekers looking there (65% of total sample.) That’s more than the next two answers put together.
• Yelp and Angi tied for a distant second/third place with 36% of review seekers visiting each (32% of total sample).
• Even a personal recommendation from someone they knew was considered less influential in homeowners’ choice of a painting contractor than online reviews – 38% vs. 55%.

Takeaway:

Customer reviews are a make-or-break online tactic. Encourage them, promote them and respond quickly and professionally to any that are less that glowing.

What are Homeowners Searching to Find a Paint Pro?

• #1 “Painting Contractor(s)”
• #2 “Paint” or “Painting”
• #3 “Painter(s)”
• #4 “Contractor(s)”
• #5 “Handman/men”

Most Common Qualifier: Location

• Over 150 added “near/near me,” “local,” “in my area” or a city name or zip code
• 88 added qualifier “house,” “home,” or “residential”
• 89 specified “interior,” “exterior” or “design”
• Other common qualifiers homeowners are searching for include:
  • “best,” “good,” “quality,” or “top/top rated”
  • 10 specified “budget,” “affordable,” “cheap,” or “inexpensive”
  • “Experienced,” “licensed” or “insured” showed up in 10 responses

Takeaway:

It's essential to have a cohesive SEO/SEM strategy for optimizing your online visibility. We highly recommend engaging an SEO/SEM professional with experience in local service-related businesses.

Home Services Websites

A surprisingly popular resource

Contrary to some negative views in the trade, the survey suggests that these are popular with homeowners – especially Angi and to a lesser extent, sister site Handy.

Of the total 525 surveyed…

• 73% visited a home services website
• 59% requested a quote (80% of those who visited)
• 57% hired a painter through the site (79% of those who visited)

ANGI DOMINATES HOME SERVICES WEBSITES

Of those who visited a home services site,
55% visited Angi (40% of total sample)

Of those who got a quote on a home services site,
58% requested a quote from Angi (34% of total sample)

Of those who hired a painter through a home services site,
43% hired through Angi (25% of total sample)

Takeaway:

If you haven't yet, take a close look at Angi and see how it might fit into your online marketing plan.

DIGITAL ADVERTISING

HOMEOWNERS ARE NOTICING

A total of 62% of respondents recalled seeing or hearing a digital ad.

That is actually slightly higher than the percentage who visited paint pros’ social media accounts.

Even more surprising, 77% of that group reported clicking on the ad or pursuing more information on the company being advertised. Online banner ads and social media ads were the top ad types recalled by respondents, at 33% and 39% respectively.

Takeaway:

Paid digital advertising - especially on social media - is affordable and worth investing in.

AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR VETTING AND SELECTION

The pro’s website was ranked the second most influential online information source for homeowners.

The fact that more homeowners reported visiting the site of the painter they ultimately hired (45%) vs. visiting the sites of multiple painters (29%) suggests that websites are used more for vetting a paint contractor or confirming a decision than as an early-stage selection tool.

The website attributes that most influenced selection were:

1. Before and after project photos
2. Customer testimonials
3. Finished project photos
4. Including pricing information on the site

The website attributes that least influenced selection were:

1. Professional, up-to-date site design
2. General company profile/description
3. Having a quote request form
4. Owner and employee pictures/profile

Takeaway:

• Showing your work and sharing customer reactions is more valuable than showing or talking about your people.
• Providing general pricing information up front is more important than an online form to give a precise quote.

Social media turned out to be the least significant online influence for homeowners, with only 60% having visited a contractor’s profile.

Of those that went on social, Facebook was by far the most popular platform (75% of social media visitors, 45% of total sample.)

Instagram is #2 (47% / 28%.)

The social media account attributes that most influenced selection were:

1. Positive comments
2. Customer testimonials
3. Pictures of projects

Takeaway:

• If you can only be on one social media platform, make it Facebook.
• Encourage happy customers to post their stories on social media and tag you.
• Be sure to interact with followers on your accounts and highlight positive resolution to any issues or conflicts.

To stay in the know on specific keywords you can bid on to enhance your search presence, find out which Home Service site to invest in & how to enhance your website, sign-up below.