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Hello and welcome to Gathered Here’s online marketing course for funeral directors!

It’s no secret that the internet has changed the world we live in. Time and time again, it has changed industries overnight and how they do business. It could be said that the funeral industry has taken a little longer to feel the effects (discussed below), but there’s no doubt now that it’s poised for rapid change.

In this module, we’ll look at how the internet has changed consumer behaviour, what it means for the funeral industry, and what you can do to take advantage of the opportunity this presents.

1. How the Internet Has Changed Consumers

To give you an idea of how pervasive the internet has become, consider this: In Australia, 90% of the population has internet access, 80% own a smartphone, and each person spends an average 56 hours online every month.

So what do Australians do with all of that time online? A big part of it is online shopping – not just for shoes and clothes, but for every product or service you can imagine, from credit cards and hotels to plumbers and dog walkers.

Last year, the web played a role in more than 64% of all sales in Australia.

What Does this Mean for the Funeral Industry?

Australians are now so accustomed to finding detailed information, prices and reviews for every product or service online that they expect nothing less from the funeral industry.

Our website statistics back this up. Since we launched our funeral comparison site earlier this year, we’ve seen 70% month-on-month growth, and now have over 300 customers searching for funeral directors on our website every day.

2. The Online Opportunity for Funeral Directors

Not too long ago, when someone was looking for a funeral director, they would ask friends and family for a recommendation and that would be the end of it. While this meant there was a good chance you would win repeat work from existing customers, it also meant that there were very few channels for you to put your brand in front of new, at-need customers.

However, the game is changing. Customers are spending more time online. Baby Boomers (who are native to the internet) are now the main group planning funerals for their parents, and over the next 5 years will account for 89% of all funerals.

This generational shift presents new and exciting opportunities for funeral directors to engage with customers. But to do so, you’ll need to be where they are: Online.

3. Building an Online Presence

Having an online presence is more than a customer being able to search for your phone number, address and opening hours on the web.

It’s every channel you can utilise to reach and engage with your customers online. It’s an opportunity to amplify awareness, share what your business stands for, create a brand of trust and loyalty, showcase world class service, and ultimately, to both retain and win new clients.

Some of the channels and strategies we’ll explore to build an online presence include:

• Content marketing
• Social media strategy
• SEO best practice
• Email nurturing campaigns
• Paid search and social options
• Website design
• Analytics and calculating digital ROI

It sounds like a lot, but we’ll break it down into practical and actionable steps.

So, What Do You Say?

Do you want to win new customers in cost-effective ways that weren’t previously possible, while your competitors sit back expecting their repeat customers to continue rolling in forever more?

Stay with us and we’ll show you how to transform your business in the online era.

>> Module 2: 10 Mistakes Funeral Directors Make on their Websites >>