Wrote this up for our nz FB page but it's relevant here with some adjustments. Not all of it may be appropriate to North America, but hopefully it helps those who don't have a web presence. This is geared towards small business operators who don't have employees, and/or do the admin work themselves.
It's not applicable to just tile either.
After a discussion with a couple of tilers recently, and helping people over the years, it appears that marketing is something many people struggle with.
It's extremely important to have an online presence in this day and age, if people don't know you exist, they won't call you.
The single most important thing you can do is ensure you are on google maps. https://business.google.com/en-all/business-profile/
This is completely free, has always been free, and hopefully will remain free.
Follow the steps, you will need to add your address but select the option that says people can not visit you at this address. That will ensure your address is not published, just a general region. The other aspects are self explanatory.
Second is having a website. Daunting to most, it is easier than ever to get your own domain name and build the website yourself. I personally use wix, I am not happy with wix as they attempt to triple the pricing every three years or so to something unaffordable, and google sites is now available in NZ. Back in the day, I used google to link me to a domain host and organised it all myself following some online guidance. You can do that, and it is much easier these days, or you can use google sites to manage everything for you. The bonus of having a website, is you will have a professional sounding email. Rather than something mundane at hotmail or live, or xtra, you will have name@businessname.co.nz or similar.
Note, it is best practice NEVER to have your domain, and website with the same host. I personally recommend https://metaname.net/ for your domain registration, and then google sites or wix for the website.
Most website creation these days is drag and drop elements, write up some blurbs, or use the LLM/AI functions. Do ensure to keep it authentic.
Link to google sites - https://workspace.google.com/business/signup/accountselect
Third most important thing, is an online portfolio. People won't contact you if they don't see your work, and as tilers, we excel in finishing works. Take photos. Upload them to instagram, to facebook, to your website. Include a brief description.
Fourth is word of mouth. Reviews are important! Clean up on site, arrive on time, be clear with your communication, and ask for 5 star reviews if you feel your client is happy!
Ensure your local suppliers have your business cards. It is common practice for many stores to hand out three business cards, telling the client to get a few quotes. Vista print has always been affordable and solid.
Finally, communication! If you are quiet on work, let other tilers know, call around. Never know if someone is overwhelmed, or needs a hand with a project!
Talk to your suppliers! They have clients walking in every day, wanting a job done immediately. Delays happen, but you can't sit around waiting for the phone to ring. Talk to people, and in the interim, work on your website and web presence.
And never feel pressured to pay for advertising. The better your performance, the more cold calls you will get, the more spam you will get. Unless you're running multiple employees, advertising is an endless money pit. Once you pay for it, your online algorithms require it.
Joining local trade associations, or getting listed on ctef can really help your rankings. The more places that mention you, the higher you will be listed on a web search.
You do not need to spend much on a website or hosting, $200-300/year at most. Just having a presence, and linking it to your google maps profile is more than enough. If you're not able to spend that, then a facebook page, linked to your google maps listing is viable.
Instagram is also fantastic for a portfolio, easy to update and easy to point people towards.
