Learn How to Grow a Successful Home Inspection Business by Adding Texting to Your Phone Line
Growing your home inspection business isn’t just your goal; it's a necessity built into your business plan.
But growth comes with challenges like:
- It’s harder to book and manage more and more home inspections
- Maintaining a personal touch with clients doesn’t easily scale
- As your team grows, it gets harder to sync communication
- You have to pay more attention to offering consistent customer service
- Demand outpaces your ability to recruit professional home inspectors
However, many home inspection businesses overcome these obstacles.
How?
By adding business text messaging to their existing phone lines.
In this blog post, I show you how business texting can help you run, grow, and market your home inspection business.
You’ll learn:
- What business text messaging for home inspection businesses is
- Why texting works compared to email and voice calls
- An example text messaging workflow for booking and managing more inspections
- 10 strategies to market your home inspection business with business text messaging
- How to boost team operations and efficiency with an SMS inbox
- The process for recruiting inspectors to meet demand and maintain quality
My article is for growth-minded individuals and those starting a home inspection business.
Read on for more.
What is Business Text Messaging for Home Inspection Businesses?
Business text messaging is text messaging software with tools and features built for businesses. Home inspection businesses use business texting software as part of their communications strategy for client and inspector conversations, streamlining team operations, and improving customer satisfaction. Specifically, business texting leads to benefits like:
- More booked inspections: Text messaging can help you automate reminders and confirmations. It provides real-time updates and can enhance client preparedness and satisfaction before and after an inspection.
- Improved client satisfaction: Texting makes it easy to take action on inquiries. Automatic replies can facilitate easy feedback collection and improve service quality.
- Expanded marketing reach: Large-scale text message broadcasts work well for promotions. Some texting platforms like MessageDesk even help you capture leads with text-to-chat features and forms.
- Improved team coordination: Business text messaging tools often come with a shared team SMS inbox. This makes it possible for multiple team members to follow up on scheduling, and more.
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Why SMS Text Messaging Works for Home Inspection Businesses
How do you run a successful home inspection business? By maintaining clear and consistent communication with clients and teammates.
But as you scale, communication gets increasingly complex and challenging. This is where phone calls and emails, start to fall short.
That being said, email and voice calls are still crucial client communication tools for home inspection businesses.
Texting vs email
For many home inspection businesses, email is a primary communication tool. It's widely used and convenient. Yet, email inboxes are often overflowing. It’s hard to make your messages stand out.
Email is also particularly problematic for time-sensitive communications. Emails to clients, agents, and others may go unnoticed and suffer from low open and engagement rates.
In contrast, text messages often get up to a 98% open rate. They also have a significantly higher response rate compared to emails.
Text messages are also concise. Their immediacy makes it more likely for the recipient to read your message and take action.
Texting vs calling
Voice calls are great for detailed and personalized interactions. However, the home inspection industry is fast-paced. Clients and inspectors may not always be available to take calls. This is why some 58% of clients try to text back after missing a phone call.
Moreover, the time-consuming nature of calling each client or team member isn’t scalable. Automated calling services do exist, but they lack the personal touch and the automation capabilities that business texting provides.
Finally, cultural shifts mean clients now prefer texting over calling, especially among younger homeowners. Text messaging is the most effective communication method for them. Plus, people check their phones frequently, making it highly likely they'll see and respond to your texts promptly.
The takeaway: Emails and calls have their place but…
Business text messaging gives you a quicker, more efficient way to communicate. Some 67% of clients often prefer texting vs. talking with inspection businesses. This makes it a great tool for growing and building your home inspection business efficiently.
The Best Text Messaging Workflow for Booking and Managing More Inspections
I’ve covered why business text messaging is effective. I’ve also shared some of the benefits it can provide for inspection business owners and their teams.
But let’s dive into some specific ways you and your team can take advantage of texting.
How scheduled texts streamline appointment bookings, reminders, and follow-ups
Scheduling texts and automating responses is a game-changer for home inspection businesses. Especially those looking to book and manage more inspections.
Normally, scheduling inspections can feel like a juggling act. Both inspectors and clients play phone tag trying to find mutual availability.
However, by implementing scheduled text messages, your business can automate appointment reminders, confirmations, and follow-ups.
This saves valuable administrative time and significantly reduces the chances of no-shows or last-minute cancellations.
The only problem is that you can’t schedule text messages using the default texting app on a personal phone.
You’ll need to get business texting software.
This is where texting services like MessageDesk help.
Here’s how scheduling a text works:
In MessageDesk’s message compose box you’ll see a calendar icon. Just select your date and time in the message preview to schedule a text message.
When ready hit Confirm Schedule.
You can even set up recurring scheduled text messages. These work well with the automated text message workflow I describe in the next section below. You can even share links to popular calendar and scheduling tools like Calendly.
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An example text messaging workflow for booking and managing more home inspections
Automatic texts are a great way to support clients via SMS. Texts can keep everyone informed at every stage of the inspection process.
The following is a real text messaging workflow set up in MessageDesk by a real home inspection business.
Note: this workflow uses MessagDesk’s personalization tags for auto-inserting client information like {{ FirstName }} etc. These work just like email merge tags but for text messaging.
Initial Contact and Scheduling
Step 1: Text an initial home inspection inquiry response
Hello! 🏡 Thanks for reaching out to {{ CompanyName }}. We’re thrilled to help with your home inspection needs. Can you share a few details about your property and when you're looking to schedule the inspection?
Step 2: Schedule the inspection and text a confirmation
Great, {{ FirstName }}! We’ve scheduled your home inspection for {{ Date }} at {{ Time }}. Please reply YES to confirm or NO if we need to find another time. Looking forward to assisting you!
Appointment Reminder
Step 3: Send a reminder 24 hours before the inspection
Friendly reminder 🕒: Your home inspection is set for tomorrow at {{ Time }}. Please ensure someone is available to provide access. Any last-minute questions? Feel free to text us!
Day of Inspection
Step 4: Introduce your client to their inspector
Hi {{ FirstName }}, it’s {{ InspectorName }} from {{ CompanyName }}. I’m on my way and will arrive in about 30 minutes. See you soon!
Post-Inspection Follow-Up
Step 5: Acknowledge the completion of service
Thank you for choosing {{ CompanyName }} for your home inspection today! We hope everything went smoothly.🌟
Step 6: Request feedback about the inspection
Hey {{ FirstName }}, Your opinion matters to us! Could you take a moment to rate our service from 1-5 (5 being the best)? Your feedback helps us improve. Thanks a ton!
Review and Referral Request
Step 7: Request a review Request
Happy with your inspection? We’d love for you to leave us a review on [Platform/Link]. It only takes a minute and really helps our business grow. Thank you for your support! 🙏
Step 8: Ask for a referral
Hi {{ FirstName }}, Know someone who needs a home inspection? Refer them to us and we’ll give you both a $50 Amazon gift card. Sharing is caring, and we appreciate it a lot!🏡
As you can see, this level of proactive communication and transparency fosters trust. All of these text messages are conversational and they’re two-way. If your client has a question, all they need to do is text. This leads to client satisfaction at every step of the home inspection process.
10 Strategies for Effectively Marketing Your Home Inspection Business with Business Text Messaging
Marketing a home inspection business is crucial for sustaining growth.
However, you may need more than traditional marketing methods to reach and engage with your potential clients.
This is where text message marketing can be a powerful tool. It can help you directly connect with leads, real estate agents, and existing clients. It makes it easy to send personalized offers, updates, and promotions that can help you drive business expansion.
Below I show you how to use text message broadcasts and other business texting features to reach large groups of contacts. I’ve also included a list of additional marketing ideas for home inspection businesses that incorporate text messaging.
1. Create templates to send targeted, personalized text messages
Business text messaging puts your message directly in the hands of your target audience.
It works great for:
- Announcing a new service
- Sharing seasonal promotions
- Sending out home maintenance tips
- And much more
But business texting software also allows you to market your phone inspection business with personalized messages.
With texting services like MessageDesk, you can achieve this level of personalization with pre-saved templated messages.
MessageDesk’s templates allow you to insert personalization tags like {{ FirstName }}. You can also insert URL links, photos, and other media directly into your text message. These work just like email merge tags.
And the best part? There’s no need to type the same message over and over. Just apply a template and hit send. You get personalization and time-saving with one click.
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Free Tool: AI SMS Text Message Template Generator - create any type of free text message template using AI or copy and paste from our template library.
2. Segment your audience to send targeted text blasts and promotions
Segmenting your audience based on their specific interests or previous interactions is a best practice for any marketing campaign. But with texting, it further enables you to tailor your text messages for maximum relevance.
This personalized approach enhances the recipient's experience. It also increases the likelihood of conversion, as your promotions will resonate more closely with their needs.
To segment and organize your contacts, business texting platforms like MessageDesk support features like groups and filters. You can also set up custom fields. These make it easy to store data and information that’s specific to your inspection business and clients.
Segmentation coupled with personalized text message templates helps you make the most of every text message broadcast.
Once you’ve uploaded or synced your contacts into MessageDesk, composing a text broadcast is easy. Just create a group and hit send.
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Free Ebook: How to Run a Successful SMS Campaign - learn how to set up and run various types of SMS campaigns.
3. Text regularly to keep your home inspection business top of mind
Regular bulk text updates and helpful tips keep your business at the forefront of your client's minds. When the need for a home inspection arises, you want your home inspection business front of mind. This is where texts make it easy to consistently communicate.
Implementing text blasts into your home inspection marketing strategy is a direct and effective way to reach potential and existing clients.
This method of communication ensures your messages get delivered and read. Texting is a reliable channel through which you can expand your business's reach and influence.
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4. Stay compliant and avoid SPAM to get 100% verified message delivery
Ready to integrate text messaging into your marketing strategy? Before you do, it's essential to balance your marketing messages and other texts alongside compliance and best practices. This prevents carriers from flaggin your messages as spam.
So here’s what you need to know:
- Stay Informed on Regulations: Familiarize yourself with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
- Get Consent: Be sure to obtain explicit consent from clients for SMS communications.
- Personalization and Relevance: Tailor your messages to each recipient. Focus only on information that adds value, such as appointment details and service offers.
- Watch Your Timing and Frequency: Only send messages at appropriate times within reasonable frequency.
- Provide a Clear Way to Opt-Out: Always include an easy way for recipients to opt out and stop receiving messages. Be sure to include a STOP keyword to respect your contact’s communication preferences.
- Let Contacts Know Who You Are: When you send your first text to a new contact, let them know who you are. This helps your inspection business increase trust and recognition.
- Utilize a Business Texting Service: Professional text messaging platforms like MessageDesk come included with compliance tools. This included features like consent management and automated opt-outs. Platforms like MessageDesk also make it easy to register your business with carriers for bulk, verified SMS delivery.
Adhering to these best practices means your texts get delivered. This allows you to stay compliant without risking carrier and network spam flags.
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5. Capture leads from your website with text-to-chat and forms
One of the easiest ways to generate leads is to enhance your website’s online presence with a chat bot and forms. Text-to-chat (also known as click-to-text) allows potential clients to initiate conversations directly from your website.
Example:
Inside MessageDesk’s text-to-chat window is a form. This form helps your inspection business capture a potential client's phone number at their moment of interest. Once you have their phone number you can automatically follow up with a personalized text message.
This level of immediate and personalized messaging is what will set your home inspection business apart from others.
6. Advertise your text-enabled phone line on business cards
Once you’ve text-enabled your business phone line, include your phone number on business cards. Just make sure the business card design has a clear call-to-action (CTA). You want this CTA to encourage potential customers to text you for more information or to schedule an inspection.
Example CTA: "Text 'INSPECT' to [Number] for a quick quote!"
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7. Advertise a keyword on printed marketing materials
Consider placing an exclusive text offer on flyers, postcards, brochures, and anywhere you advertise the services you offer.
You might advertise a discount or free consultation if they text the keyword to your business number. The goal is to drive direct engagement and track the effectiveness of your printed materials.
Example: "Text 'HOME20' to [Number] for 20% off your first home inspection."
8. Encourage people to text you through word-of-mouth marketing
Encourage satisfied clients to share your text-enabled number with friends and family interested in home inspection services. All you have to say is “text us” and offer incentives for referrals that can result in new business.
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9. Leverage local marketing with real estate agents, offices, and others
Consider partnering with local real estate offices, lending institutions, and home improvement stores for co-marketing purposes. You can distribute materials featuring your text-enabled phone number and encourage people to text you for more info.
These types of co-branded text messaging promotions can be effective. They benefit both partners and clients in your target market.
Example: "Text 'LOCALHOME' to [Number] for a special open house offer on home inspections, courtesy of [Your Business] and [Partner Business]."
10. Let people on social media and via digital marketing that they can text you
You can utilize your social media and other digital marketing platforms to promote a text-based offer. Create social posts that encourage followers to text a keyword. They could receive home maintenance tips, booking discounts, or access to exclusive content. Just be sure to use engaging visuals, hashtags, and even QR codes to increase visibility.
Example social media post: "Ready to ensure your home is in top shape? 🏠 Text 'TIPS' to [Number] for weekly home maintenance advice straight to your phone!"
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How to Boost Team Operations and Efficiency with a Centralized Business SMS Inbox
As your home inspection business grows, so does the complexity of managing your team's operations and communications.
So what’s the key to maintaining efficiency amidst expansion? The answer lies in streamlined communication, not just with clients, but within your team as well.
This is where a shared team SMS inbox is essential. It helps you run a successful home inspection business by routing and assigning messages. This means the right people get the right messages and can respond to inquiries and issues promptly and effectively.
Here’s how an SMS inbox can help you set up your home inspection business for success:
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An SMS inbox unifies all of your inbound and outbound texts in one place under one phone number
With all text messages funneled into a single inbox, your team can easily manage conversations. There's no need to switch between different platforms or devices or carry a company phone just for texting.
This means employees no longer have to use their personal phone numbers to text or call. Everything routes to your text-enabled business phone number. If employees want to text from their phones, all they need to do is download the texting inbox app onto their phones.
All of this consolidation reduces response times and ensures nothing gets lost in the shuffle. It also affords managers transparency and oversight of all company conversations.
But the key to making this work is configuring your business phone number to send and receive text messages. This is where MessageDesk makes things easy. With MessageDesk, you can get a new number for texting or text-enable an existing number or business landline.
MessageDesk will then port or host your number. Once this is complete, you can start routing your company's text messages into your centralized SMS inbox.
And here’s the best part: there’s no need to change your existing phone service provider.
If you use a VoIP service like RingCentral, you can keep all your call features, phone numbers, etc., and just add texting with MessageDesk.
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Free Ebook: How to Text-Enable a Landline - Learn how to start sending and receiving SMS with your existing business phone number.
An SMS inbox helps your team collaborate and fosters transparency
A centralized SMS inbox allows multiple team members to access and engage in text conversations from any device.
This visibility ensures that everyone is aware of ongoing text threads. It also makes it easy to provide input when needed. Others can pick up the conversation if the primary responder is unavailable or away. With MessageDesk, you can even configure your inbox to send automatic out-of-office text messages.
Inboxes like MessageDesk also give team members the ability to comment internally with each other and leave notes. What your team sees is a historical record of all interactions (internal and external) with any given contact.
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An SMS inbox streamlines conversation assignment and task management
Assigning conversations to specific team members is crucial. You can based on their expertise or current workload to help distribute tasks more evenly and efficiently.
Tagging and filtering messages also enables your team to prioritize responses and follow up on outstanding inquiries. It ensures that every client receives timely and personalized attention.
In MessageDesk the filter groups make assignment and grouping easy. You can filter conversations by “open” or “closed” and add certain contacts to groups.
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You can integrate your SMS inbox with other tools and software for home inspection business
You most likely have a suite of home inspection business software that you and your team use every day.
This being the case, many SMS inbox solutions (including MessageDesk) offer integrations. You can connect with tools like scheduling software, CRM systems, and other business software for home inspection.
Integrations and tools like Zapier, make it even easier to incorporate text messages in your workflows. You can take client information from text conversations and link it directly to other software for home inspection business.
This streamlined, integrated approach makes your team more agile and responsive. It also frees up valuable time to invest in growth-focused activities.
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The Process for Recruiting Inspectors to Maintain Quality and Meet Demand
A critical aspect of growing your home inspection business is ensuring that you have enough professional home inspectors. This can be especially important as demand increases.
However, recruiting more inspectors can be challenging, especially in a competitive job market.
This is where text-to-apply campaigns and text-based recruiting messages can simplify and enhance your recruitment process. Texts make it easier to reach and engage with new talent.
Here’s how text message recruiting for home inspection businesses works:
Set up text-to-apply campaigns to broaden your recruitment outreach
I’ve already shown you how text message broadcasts are versatile. They work well for booking more inspections, marketing home inspection businesses, and increasing your team’s efficiency,
But you can also use texting for recruitment campaigns to reach potential home inspectors.
Here’s an example recruitment text message sent from a home inspection company using MessageDesk:
Exciting news! {{ CompanyName }} is expanding to [City] and nearby cities and looking for dedicated inspectors to join us. With over 700+ 5* Google Reviews, we are known for quality, and we need professionals like you to join us! -Earn approximately $1,600 to $1,900 per Week. (PAYSTUB PROOF provided) -Bi-weekly payroll for an annual salary of $83,200. -5 days PAID training at $150/day -Keep your OWN BUSINESS and 100% of the money -Minimum of 3 inspections weekly required Reply YES if interested! Site: [Website] Call: {{ CompanyPhone }}
How to simplify your interview scheduling process just like your home inspection booking and follow-up process
Earlier in this article I showed you how to use text messaging to streamline your home inspection booking process. The same fundamentals apply to recruiting more home inspectors or teammates in general.
Here’s an example recruitment text message workflow:
Job Opening Announcement:
🌟 Join our team at {{ CompanyName }}! We're looking for skilled home inspectors to help us provide top-notch services. Interested? Reply YES for more details or visit [Link to Job Description or Hiring Platform like Indeed].
Candidate Interest Acknowledgment and Preliminary Inquiry:
Thanks for your interest in joining {{ CompanyName }}! 🏡 Can you share a bit about your inspection experience and certifications? This will help us tailor the next steps for you.
Candidate Information Submission Confirmation
Got it, thanks, {{ FirstName }}! Your expertise sounds like a great fit for our team. Let's chat more about this opportunity. Are you available for a quick phone interview this week? Reply with YES and your preferred time slots.
Interview Scheduling Confirmation
Fantastic, {{ FirstName }}! We’ve scheduled your interview for {{ Date }} at {{ Time }}. You’ll be speaking with {{ Teammate }} about the role and how you can make an impact at {{ CompanyName }}. Any questions before then?
Interview Reminder
{{ FirstName }}, Just a reminder about your interview tomorrow at {{ Time }} with {{ Interviewer Name }}. We’re looking forward to learning more about you! Reply here if you need to reschedule or have any last-minute questions.
Post-Interview Follow-Up
Hi {{ FirstName }} Thanks for taking the time to speak with us today! We’re excited about the possibility of having you on our team. Expect to hear back from us regarding the next steps within the week. Have a great day!
Next steps moving forward
Expanding your home inspection business in a competitive market requires innovative strategies to overcome challenges.
Business text messaging can help you address:
- Client communication
- Operational efficiency
- Inspector recruitment
- Team scaling
Meet with a messaging expert to discover how MessageDesk can help you grow your business.