Home improvement companies are facing a new challenge in their businesses: the “YouTube DIYers.” These are people that just a few short years ago would have called a professional to fix, build, or install something in their homes, but that now try to go the do-it-yourself route using online videos.
For anyone that’s even a little bit handy, it’s tempting to try to save money by not using a professional, especially when there are online “experts” willing to help them along via video. Home improvement business owners now have to compete with this DIY culture that was not as prevalent before video tutorials became so widespread, and they need to come up with new ways to earn the business of homeowners.
Chris Snow, owner of Fallbrook Local Locksmith in Fallbrook, California, has definitely experienced the DIY culture in her small locksmith business. She says, “It is not uncommon for us to get a call from a home or business owner who has purchased a lock from a retail store with the intention of installing it him or herself, and who is then unable to get it to work in their door. This usually happens because they didn’t purchase the right lock for the application that is currently on the door, or because they installed it incorrectly. These customers end up paying our locksmiths for their time, as well as for the custom parts needed to fit what amounts to a square peg into a round hole. Had they called our Fallbrook locksmith company in the beginning, they would have paid less money, saved a bunch of time, and gotten a better result, since we would have provided them with the right lock in the first place.”
“In our experience, it amounts to ‘stepping over a dollar to save a quarter,’” Snow continues. “A lot of people underestimate the value of our expertise in achieving the security, convenience, and architectural consistency they are looking for and think they will save money by doing it themselves. The bottom line is, often they would have come out happier, and maybe even have saved money by using a professional locksmith.”
Given this DIY culture, it’s more important than ever for home improvement companies to position themselves as experts in their respective fields. Business owners need to focus on what they have to offer consumers, and in some cases, they may need to offer more value than was previously necessary. For example, businesses could offer a guarantee on any repairs they complete. Or, they could focus on a specific and more technical niche in their line of work, and market the services that most DIYers would be hesitant to attempt on their own.
What Fallbrook Local Locksmith has done, and what many small, local home improvement companies have begun doing, is start a blog on their website. On their blog, they offer advice to home and business owners that is relevant to the locksmith industry, and they explain why hiring a local, professional locksmith is the way to go. The blog serves a dual purpose of helping their website achieve higher search engine rankings, so when people are searching for a locksmith in the Fallbrook area, they find Fallbrook Local Locksmith.
There will always be people out there who try to go the DIY route. Just make sure to position your business in such a way so yours is the one they call when they realize they do, in fact, need a professional.
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