By the time customers walk through the door at River Pools and Spas, they feel like they already know the team.
The Warsaw, Va. firm was among the first swimming pool companies to embrace search engine optimization strategy in a big way, converting web traffic into foot traffic. As a result, the fiberglass installer built its brand around consumer education, with company principals contributing detailed blogs and e-books that aimed to answer every conceivable question a potential buyer might have about owning a swimming pool.
These days, instead of writing, they’re filming.
To hear owner Jason Hughes tell it, video is more than a marketing tactic: It’s a customer-service mechanism in that it delivers faster, more engaging information.
River Pools produces two to three videos a week. Called 2 Minutes in the Pool, the regular features address a variety of topics in a fun, almost suspenseful format. The company’s consumer education specialist attempts to answer frequently asked questions before the buzzer goes off. He usually succeeds.
As a result, customers know about the product and are already familiar with some of the staff, having seen them on YouTube. This creates a level of trust long before River Pools breaks ground on a project.
“The foundational conversation has already taken place online,” Hughes says. “They know they want an inground pool. They know what it’s going to cost. They know what model they want, and they know what features they want.”
From there, it’s a matter of maintaining the customer’s confidence throughout the installation process. River Pools achieves this through frequent communication by email and phone every step of the way.
“Honestly, we sometimes feel like we go overboard with it,” he says.
The company also employs a third-party survey service called GuildQuality, which asks past customers about their experiences. The feedback is invaluable.
Says Hughes: “We take the results very seriously. We’re constantly assessing ourselves …We’re never complacent. We’re always looking at ways to be better.”
