The term “military-grade” is just marketing bullsh*t.
Early one Saturday, around 5:00 am, I was fishing on a boat with my friend. He needed something from his box, but it was too dark to see. I used the fancy flashlight I’d just bought online to help him. He praised it, and I mentioned it was military grade.
He Looked at Me Like I Had Two Heads
I asked him why he was looking at me that way. Then he told me something most people don’t know.
My buddy served over 20 years in the military, mostly in Quality Assurance. He said “Military Grade” is just marketing bullsh*t. In reality, it refers to MIL-STD-810, a durability checklist. Think of it like a 1–10 scale, with “1” barely passing and “10” being top quality.
Companies advertising “military grade” products typically just use the lowest standard (level 1). Technically, it’s still “military grade,” but it’s not elite quality. It’s like comparing a high school quarterback to an NFL quarterback. Both are football players, but the quality of play is very different.
In my plumbing business, I see the same quality gap with employees, customers, and vendors. Most recently, I experienced it with my marketing team. After too many years with a large corporate firm, I finally had to switch because they suck.
I’d been following this trades-focused marketing guy for a while. His advice was helpful, and I liked his values, so I reached out. In just one meeting, I learned more than I did in years with my old marketing team. Here are the 3 best website tips he gave me for businesses in the trades.
The 3 Most Important Things Every Trades Business Owner Should Know About Their Site (But Most Don’t)
If you want customers to call you, then your website needs to answer 3 questions they have in their head.
- Are You Affordable?
- Are You Local?
- Are You Trustworthy?
Below, I show you clear examples of what works and what doesn’t.
Are You Affordable
Most of my customers worry about price. So, I address it immediately on my site. The best way to do that is to show a deal, coupon, or both. It may sound simple and even silly, but it works.
What Not To Do
This site doesn’t address customers’ price concerns on its homepage.
What To Do
This company effectively addresses customer price concerns by clearly showing a deal on their homepage.
Are You Local
When customers search using terms like “plumber near me,” they expect local results. Even though Google knows their location, my website must instantly confirm I’m local. I do this by clearly displaying your location and the cities I serve.
What Not To Do
This site doesn’t address customers’ price concerns on its homepage.
What To Do
This site shows the customer exactly where they are located and the city they service.
Are You Trustworthy
My customer wants quality work at a fair price. But good customers don’t want to work with “Chuck in a truck.” To prove I’m legit, clearly display trust badges on my site.
What Not To Do
This site has no trust badges. This guy is a real plumber, but unfortunately, his site has a Chuck in The Truck vibe to it.
What To Do
This site does an excellent job of instantly displaying trust badges.
When customers land on my site, they want to know if my company is affordable, reliable, and trustworthy. When I altered my site to answer these questions, our business saw an exponential boost in calls. I hope this information helps you like it helped me.
Pro Tips:
Google Business Profile: I had my Google Business Profile professionally optimized. One week later, my calls increased by 22%.
Google Guaranteed: We got help learning how to leverage Google Guaranteed (Google LSA). This lead source now accounts for 32% of my monthly calls.
Consulting: I want to thank my plumbing coach for connecting me with a reliable company that actually delivers on its promises. They deserve recognition because they taught me everything I’ve shared here. I’ve included one of my favorite videos from them below. You can find more information on their website link below as well.
