How To Grow Your Pest Control Business (8 Different Ways)

Pest control services looking to gain new customers face a tall order. High-quality service, reliable know-how, and competitive pricing may seem like enough to grow a business. 

A saturated market, however, requires more for a pest control company to expand. Business owners should implement pest control marketing strategies rather than rely solely on business cards and word of mouth. 

This will help you increase brand awareness, remain top of mind when people need pest control services, and ultimately promote business growth.

1. Online Presence and Marketing

Maintaining a strong online presence is a top marketing strategy for a pest control business to reach potential clients. 

Website optimization

A pest control company website that converts must balance technical capabilities with an appealing, intuitive user experience. The site should work reliably, offer optimized navigation, and offer compelling content marketing.

Above all, it should be optimized for mobile users. Nearly 60% of web traffic worldwide comes from mobile. Ignoring this user experience could mean missing out on your ideal customer.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Getting potential customers to your website is its own challenge. While social media reaches dedicated followers, 82% of website traffic globally comes from Google. SEO reaches a wider audience.

Effective SEO ensures Google crawls your site, knows what’s there, and ranks it as highly as possible when people search. Here are three areas to focus on.

• Keyword research: Business owners can leverage SEO tools to find high-volume, low-competition keywords. Use these in page titles, headings, and body copy to reach your target audience.

• Local SEO strategies: Google’s local search algorithm factors in relevance, distance, and prominence. So ensure you include localizing details throughout your website and perform localized keyword research.

• On-page optimization: Beyond writing people-focused content as part of your marketing efforts, optimize your site. Use keywords in URLs, add internal and external links, and use optimized images and videos in terms of file size, file type, and dimensions.

Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business)

Claim, personalize, and manage your pest control company’s Google Business Profile directly from Google. An active Google Business Profile will allow you to provide current business listing information, manage customer reviews, and add posts and photos. A well-maintained profile ensures you’re engaging current and potential clients. 

A robust online presence is important but is not the only critical pest control marketing strategy.

2. Digital Advertising

Your value proposition and pricing may be great, but your company’s name still needs to land in front of the right people at the right time. Digital marketing can be a great option for pest control companies to make this happen.

Through paid ads on social media, you can customize the marketing campaign’s message, targeting, and budget to fit your needs. Compelling ad copy and visual assets, such as videos, photos, or infographics, helps to stop people from scrolling past so they can learn more about your offerings.

Advertising on social media works well in conjunction with targeted Google Ads. These can attract customers searching for answers about pest problems or pest control services. Robust analytics also show your customer acquisition costs and ways to fine-tune these efforts.

3. Local Partnerships and Community Engagement

For small businesses, a digital presence isn’t enough. Being involved in the community, showing up to events, and donating time and funds to causes that matter can have positive impacts. 

Consider adding one of these engagement opportunities to your marketing plan to build visibility and trust:

• Sponsoring local events, school clubs, or sports teams

• Hosting educational seminars about pest control industry topics

• Partnering with related local businesses to offer discounts

• Participating in community clean-up initiatives

• Providing discounts on pest management for community members

These activities keep your local services at the forefront of your mind when neighbors are facing an infestation. From there, you need to build connections directly with the homeowner.

4. Customer Referral Program

Word of mouth remains one of the most effective forms of pest control advertising. The challenge is getting satisfied customers to provide testimonials to their friends and family. So, incentivize positive reviews with a customer referral program. Here are some tips:

• Provide an incentive for the online reviews, such as a percentage discount or complimentary service.

• Use digital marketing best practices to track referrals coming in and credit the referring customer.

• Inform customers about your referral program with leave-behinds, email marketing, or promotion via your online customer portal.

• Run limited-time referral initiatives around special occasions or special follow-up deals within a set period after services are performed.

A comprehensive referral program can ensure that happy customers encourage others to hire your pest control business.

5. Diversifying Services

While it might not fall at the top of your list of pest control marketing ideas, continuing to add new services is a great way to increase revenue. Your company can use these services to bring in new customers and cross-sell to your existing customer base.

Some business owners may look for opportunities in different fields, such as landscaping. Others choose to brand themselves as eco-friendly experts.

Either way, further specializing — for example, in termite remediation, treating for bed bugs, or wildlife removal — can help you become a one-stop shop for all services.

6. Employee Training and Certification

A Google search for pest control may reveal hundreds of exterminator companies in your service area. So, having a well-trained team is a differentiator. You can advertise the certifications in your online presence, and more knowledgeable employees will naturally lead to better customer experiences.

Ongoing training lets your team keep up with pest control industry standards and advancements in highly specialized areas. Options include:

• Entomology 

• Rodent control

• Wildlife management

• Termite control

• Fumigation

Going green with a certificate for eco-friendly pest control is an option. But it will be cost-green, too. Still, with all of these continuing education options, the reward of providing more, better pest control services eclipses the investment.

7. Utilizing Technology

Growing a business requires focus on all areas. Everything counts — from enhancing lead generation and conversion tracking to optimizing operational efficiency and service delivery. An effective technology base is critical in these instances.

Field service apps, such as FieldRoutes, streamline and automate field service operations. These technology tools geared toward the pest control industry assist with: 

• Customer communications

• Digitizing records and eliminating paper waste

• Straightforward invoicing

• Customizing agreements

• Scheduling and route optimization

• Sending follow-up reminders on recommended services

Selecting a scalable technology platform will ensure your pest control business is ready for all the growth you drive.

8. Networking and Industry Involvement

Attending networking events or industry summits may seem like a waste of business cards and billable hours for some. But gathering with peers, understanding current trends, and being a recognizable expert are all benefits to your pest control company.

Connecting with like-minded business owners allows you to learn about new opportunities for growth and build potential partnerships. For example, if you need to hire a subcontractor to handle excess work or refer customers to a specialist, you want to ensure they’re up to your standards.

You should get involved in your local Chamber of Commerce or a pest control industry group. These typically have opportunities for members to share a business listing with their contact information online or in print resources.

Pursuing multiple growth strategies — from adding services to enhancing your tech stack — leads to even stronger results.

Invest in the Right Pest Control Tools and Software

Growing a pest control business always presents challenges. But a solid value proposition and the right technologies in place help you succeed. Make sure your decisions are customer-focused and prioritize their experiences in addition to your operational efficiencies.

Choose pest control software tools that will automate your operations effectively, making the myriad tasks of running a business manageable. Selecting a comprehensive field-service app like FieldRoutes will help you launch new initiatives, template out services and invoices, and track profitability.

That’s a recipe for growth ready to meet even the tallest demands.

Discover how FieldRoutes empowers you to drive growth by scheduling a free demo.