How To Make Your Funeral Home Stand Out

by Brandon Meawasige

October 29, 2018

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Every business, regardless of the industry, faces the challenge of differentiating themselves from the competition. For local businesses, like funeral homes, standing out can be even more difficult. With a limited audience, there is far less room for error when jockeying for position at the top of consumer minds. Every little detail matters and strategy is of paramount importance. A decade ago, funeral home technology, having a website and putting some effort into marketing was enough. For a firm to become a reputable community “go-to”, all it would take is a passive mixture of being online and traditional advertising. These days, in order to stake such a claim, a more progressive approach must be taken. However, this post is not about what to do in order to be different -it is about how to do it.

Standing out from your competition is about being unique. First and foremost you should always strive to be different and own the noteworthy qualities of your business. Despite your best efforts though, there is only so much that can be done without going above and beyond. What do I mean by that? Having a generic funeral home website, a one-size-fits-all management system, and cookie cutter marketing approach will not help you stand out. In fact, it is harmful to your funeral home. The solution, or at least the one you should be seeking, is custom funeral home technology and digital marketing that work for the distinct needs of your business.

Understand The Benefits Of A Custom Funeral Home Website

Ever visited a website and felt like you’ve seen it before? Well, it was not your mind playing tricks on you. Templated websites are the name of the game. According to recent numbers, 50-60% of websites (at least) are built using templated CMS platforms. In actuality, these figures are much higher and growing every day. It isn’t to difficult to understand why, either. Templated websites are easy to implement, simple to use and generally offer a perfectly fine experience for users. Unfortunately, many websites seem to blend together after a while. Before you get concerned about your website, it is important to know that sometimes simpler can be better. However, a custom website can go a long way in helping your firm stand out from the competition.

For families looking for a funeral home, especially in smaller local markets, there is often only a handful of options to choose from. If each firm has a similar website, then capturing consumer attention and staying top of mind is a gamble. A custom website is about more than just design, it is about the way your message is conveyed through content, layout, and navigation. Your website should leave a lasting impression on families. They should not only remember your firm when they are in need of your services but also understand who you are, what you do and how you can help them. If you want to differentiate your funeral home from the others in your service area, it may be time to consider a custom website.

Leave Digital Marketing To The Experts

Now, I do not want to dissuade funeral businesses from doing their own digital marketing. However, it takes time to properly market a business online. From social media to search engine optimization, there are simply not enough hours in a day to run a funeral home and dedicate the necessary time to maintaining an engaging online presence. Just like with a website, the scheduled and pre-molded approach can work. But you will not see any real success until truly investing time into broadcasting the unique benefits of your facility, character or experience of your staff and the reputation of your services. The more worthy investment is working with professionals who can dedicate the appropriate time to your digital marketing. This way, your time can be saved for doing what you do best- serving the community and helping families in need.

Deferring your digital marketing to the experts is not about what they can build for you. It is about how your online presence can be maintained and nurtured to grow moving forward. Imagine having a team at your disposal, who will put effort into helping your funeral home move away from the pack.

Funeral Home Technology Has To Suit Your Needs

Perhaps the most impactful custom solution you could have for your funeral home is a management system that suits the specific needs of your firm. Regardless of how many calls you do in a year or the size of the community you serve, your funeral home technology should be scalable, customizable and streamline your processes. In short, you should have a system that saves you time and money. It should also complement and integrate with your funeral home website.

When deciding on the right option for your funeral home, understand that not all software is created equal and that there are almost always limitations. However, if you would like to find out more about how you can do everything in one place, let us know and we would be happy to show you what our funeral home technology can do for your business.

Getting Started is Easier Than You Think

With so many options available for funeral home technology solutions, websites, and marketing services, the death care industry has become like a modern day gold rush. It seems like every week that a new company pops up with a (not so) different offering. Half the battle for modern-day funeral directors and business owners is understanding how to discern the right choice from just another technology provider. When it comes to standing out from the crowd, it is almost impossible to do so without straying from the beaten path and uniquely branding your funeral home. As families become better versed with the digital world, your presence online needs to move away from the standard. And what is the best advice for any funeral home trying to do this? Lose the templates, forget the normal approach and go custom.

Brandon Meawasige

Brandon is the Marketing Communications Manager at FrontRunner Professional. He holds a Social Sciences degree from McMaster University and a Graduate Certificate in Integrated Marketing Communications from St. Lawrence College. His creative writing and innovative ideas bring new life to the company, FrontRunner’s clients and funeral directors world-wide.