Internet Advertising Transforms a Contractor During Recession

by Allan Heydorn
Created: December 13, 2012

Valley Blacktopping, Eagan, MN, shifted from new construction to driveway and parking lot reconstruction using a simple website and Google Adwords to rebuild its business

“We want to provide a quality job at a fair price,” says Ryan Johnson. “A lot of times we see things our competition doesn’t and we point them out to the customer and we build trust and...
“We want to provide a quality job at a fair price,” says Ryan Johnson. “A lot of times we see things our competition doesn’t and we point them out to the customer and we build trust and that’s the reason we got the residential market back.”
finished asphalt paving long driveway rural
finished asphalt paving long driveway rural
Valley Blacktopping employs 15 people and operates one base crew and one paving crew doing strictly remove-and-replace paving jobs, primarily for residential customers. The company no longer...
Valley Blacktopping employs 15 people and operates one base crew and one paving crew doing strictly remove-and-replace paving jobs, primarily for residential customers. The company no longer aggressively pursues new construction work.
asphalt paving in forest preserve
asphalt paving in forest preserve
“When the housing market fell off we had to shift direction because the kind of work we’d specialized in, new construction paving, just wasn’t there anymore,” says Ryan Johnson.
“When the housing market fell off we had to shift direction because the kind of work we’d specialized in, new construction paving, just wasn’t there anymore,” says Ryan Johnson.
Valley Blacktopping has a presence on Facebook and on Twitter with links to the website. “But we’re not working hard at social media,” he says. “Our Facebook page has quite a few people...
Valley Blacktopping has a presence on Facebook and on Twitter with links to the website. “But we’re not working hard at social media,” he says. “Our Facebook page has quite a few people following us so I’ll go on there once in a while to remind people to call us but that’s about it. We did try advertising on Facebook but nothing came of that.”
Valley Blacktopping generates 50% of sales from driveway overlays and remove-and-replace paving jobs, 45% from parking lot work, and 5% from new construction paving (including one or two new driveways...
Valley Blacktopping generates 50% of sales from driveway overlays and remove-and-replace paving jobs, 45% from parking lot work, and 5% from new construction paving (including one or two new driveways every few weeks) and snow removal.

Ryan says that during peak season the website generates five to 10 requests for estimates each week via e-mail and another six or so phone calls from people who say they’ve seen the website and want an estimate. “The majority of calls that come in have already gone to the website before they call us,” he says. “We did a survey and with a 30 percent return rate found that 90 percent of the people said they found us on the Internet.”

Johnson says the website is due for an upgrade again soon, but until then he adds photos at least once a year.

“The website truthfully is invaluable,” he says. “It’s been a huge factor in our successful shift into the residential replacement and repair market.”