Earlier this week, we wrote a blog post highlighting some of the top funeral homes in the country that are just killing it at what they do… and yes, we used the same horrible pun in that post, too. (We can’t help it!) But all joking aside… It’s awesome to be able to take a closer look at some of the inspirational people who are making waves in this industry, and to get to the bottom of what it is that makes them so successful.

Check out our last post: 5 Things The Most Successful Funeral Homes Do To Be Great

However, as we were doing our research for the post and uncovering all of the awesome, inspiring things that were helping funeral homes around the country become more successful and better connected with families, we realized that we couldn’t narrow our list down to just 5 tips.

So… we’re back with round 2! Here are 5 more things that some of the most impressive funeral homes in the profession are doing to be successful. And, as they say, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, so be sure to take notes and try incorporating these foolproof tips at your funeral home.

They Don’t Try To “Hush Up” Their Pricing

Pricing is one of those things that no one likes to talk about. Funerals are expensive… we get it. But the truth of the matter is, it’s a big part of the funeral planning process. And just because the cost of a funeral may be pricey for some, that doesn’t mean that you should hide your funeral prices away on a hidden PDF that your families have to find and download. Instead, here are what some of the most successful funeral homes are doing:

1. They put their pricing right on their website, in a place that’s easy to find

Today’s families are all about price shopping ﹘ clicking around to different funeral home websites, talking with family and friends, and reading any review and testimonial they can find, all to uncover their options and the best value for their money. But you’re not doing yourself any favors by hiding your price list from your families just because you’re afraid they may be put off by the cost. In fact, you are doing yourself a disservice. If they can’t find your pricing options, they may just rule out your funeral home all together. Therefore, keep your pricing page easy to find on your website, and be upfront and honest with your families about your costs. They will trust you and respect you more if you do.

Skylawn Funeral Home and Memorial Park offers their families a link to their Price List right on the homepage of their website, next to their funeral home’s informational links. That way, families don’t have to go clicking around a bunch of different pages to find what they’re looking for. It’s right there when they arrive on their website!

2. They present their pricing in a way that showcases value

Your families (Baby Boomers especially) are more than willing to splurge on a product, as long as it promises a good value. Therefore, don’t just list off your prices on your website with no explanation… this will only overwhelm your families and leave them searching for whatever is the least expensive option. Instead, explain the in-depth benefits that each one of your services brings, and show off how they compare to one another. This will help your families get a better idea of which options make most sense for their needs, and it will help explain the value that comes with the higher-priced options. Also, putting your prices and the details of your services right there on your website helps to build a more trustworthy relationship with your potential families, all before you begin talking cost.

O’Connor Mortuary’s pricing page is a perfect example of a price list that utilizes feature comparisons. In the above example, families can quickly scan the different burial options that are available to them, and can see for themselves how much more value the first option offers.

They Understand The Importance Of A Mobile-Friendly Website

We’re sorry to tell you this, but gone are the days where families would pick up the Yellow Pages when they wanted to find out your funeral home’s address or phone number. Instead, we are now living in a world where mobile devices have created a new “on-the-go” consumer who wants all of the information they need to be housed right in their pocket. Luckily, a lot of the top funeral pros in the business have found a way to use this to their advantage through a great mobile-friendly website. Here’s how they are taking advantage of mobile sites:

3. They have a no-frills, fast mobile-friendly website

Did you know that 91% of adults have their mobile phone within an arm’s reach 24/7?! In fact, a quarter of all Americans use their mobile devices as their only way to access the internet. Whether we like it or not, today’s consumers are looking to get fast, convenient information… even when they’re away from home. And because we work in a profession where a loved one could pass away anywhere, at any time, the need to find information is even more urgent when it comes time for families to contact your funeral home. This is because families want to respond immediately when they find out news about their loved one, either by looking for service information or seeking out ways to show support. Therefore, your website needs to meet your family’s mobile needs and provide answers to their urgent questions – without being bogged down by a slow-loading website or a complicated navigation page.

Want to see if your website is mobile-friendly? Google put together a free Mobile-Friendly Test (just click here) to help you find out. (Don’t worry, f1Connect users… you’re covered!)

Wm. Sullivan & Son Funeral Directors understands that a lot of the families who visit their website are looking for service information or are looking for ways to show support for the family. Therefore, these two features are front and center on the mobile version of their website. Families can also quickly locate contact information and helpful resources, all without having to scroll through a complicated webpage.

4. They share personal memorial videos on their mobile site

Here’s another surprising mobile statistic for you – there will be more than 73 million viewers of mobile video this year, and 92% of these viewers will share what they have watched with others. That means, if your funeral home is sharing the beautiful memorial videos that you put together on your mobile site, you are creating a huge opportunity for new families to connect with your funeral home and your services. So make sure you use a website platform, like funeralOne’s f1Connect, that lets you showcase the powerful videos you create with your families who are on the go.

Martin & Castille Funeral Home makes all of the Life Tribute videos they create available right on their website. That way, when family and friends come to a loved one’s social memorial page, they are greeted with a powerful video that helps commemorate the memory of their loved one and creates an emotional connection.

They Focus On Educating, Not Selling

Are you tired of families skipping right to direct cremation for their loved one? As we mentioned earlier, a lot of consumers will opt for the low-cost option when they simply don’t see the value of the other services that are available to them. Therefore, if you are facing a never-ending wave of direct-cremation families, it may be time to take a step back and look at the ways that you are educating families on what you offer. Here’s what some of the  top funeral homes are doing to gain success:

5. They use educational videos to help families understand their value

One of the most effective tools that funeral homes can use to educate their families on their services are educational videos. For example, videos that walk families through the importance of the pre-planning process and help them understand why they should plan ahead. We have found that when it comes to purchasing a funeral service, families are 6x more likely to convert after they have watched an educational video on the product they are purchasing. Therefore, we have built an entire library of informative, engaging videos into our f1Connect Premiere Plan to help you educate your families on the amazing value that you offer at your funeral home.

Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home features an educational pre-planning video right on their Plan Ahead web page, so families can quickly learn about how beneficial it can be to pre-arrange their end-of-life decisions. This is a great success tool for the funeral home, because it helps families understand the value of pre-planning before they even walk through their doors!

If you would like to bring the power of educational videos to your funeral home website, click here to learn more about f1Connect today. Not only do we offer a library of helpful videos that were specifically created with your families in mind, but we can also help you ensure that your funeral home website is mobile-friendly and features a pricing page that is sure to convert.

What have you found to be the biggest success tool that you have at your funeral home? Share with us in the comments below! Also, if you missed Part One of our series on Successful Funeral Home Tips, click here to read it.

Rilee Chastain

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