Today, your client families won’t just simply stick to your funeral home because they’ve worked with you in the past. Years ago, when finding answers wasn’t as simple as doing a quick Google search, this may have been the case.  

But now, with all the online resources available at their fingertips, they do research on all the funeral homes in their area. They’re looking at your website and your competitors’ websites to compare offerings, prices, and get an overall feel for your funeral home. 

With all this information readily available to families online, it isn’t as easy to get them to continue to work with your funeral home as it was in the past. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible! By showing them that you’re committed to providing high-quality services, they’re more likely to keep working with your funeral home. 

So, how can you show them that you’re committed to providing them with the best services possible? Let’s go over five ideas to get you started! 

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New 

By trying out new ideas, it shows your client families that you’re continuing to grow and explore ways to give them meaningful funeral experiences. One way to get some inspiration is to attend conventions and webinars to see what new ideas and trends are out there. You also can read industry-related news alerts and articles to learn about ideas that might be worth exploring for your funeral home. But you don’t have to just stop at the funeral profession! There’s a lot to learn from many other related industries, like marketing and event planning. 

New ideas can be small, yet impactful changes or more large-scale projects. For example, if you want to reach younger generations, you can create an Instagram account. You can educate them about the services you offer, post behind-the-scenes photos from your events, and share adorable videos of your grief therapy dog. Or if you want to boost your cremation service offerings, you can turn some of your land into an ash scattering garden. 

Of course, always use your best judgment before trying out something new. Do your research and have a plan to make it happen. If it doesn’t end up working out, now you know and at least you tried. 

2. Continue to Update Your Funeral Technology Solutions 

To keep client families, you need to stay updated with the times. They don’t just want convenient, online solutions; they need them. Per Podium’s The State of Local Business Report, 84.4% of consumers chose to work with a business because of their pandemic-friendly services. This is still relevant even after the pandemic, as the report also found that 8 out of 10 consumers want their local businesses to continue to offer pandemic-friendly services, like contactless payments. 

As you can see, it’s no longer enough to just have a website. It needs to have tools for funeral planning online, like an online payment center and flower ordering feature. With a Frazer-powered website, your funeral home gets that and so much more. You can limit in-person meetings with online payments through Tribute Pay. You can earn extra revenue with flower orders through Tribute Store. Families can begin the funeral planning process online with the online planner and quote builder. They can memorialize their loved ones online with Tribute Walls. By having the right tools, you can lessen your funeral home’s pain points. 

3. Boost Your Funeral Home’s Aftercare Efforts 

Showing families that they’re cared for is another way to establish long-lasting relationships with them. After all, the funeral profession is a relationship business. One way to do this is to continue to follow up with families after the funeral to see how they’re doing. This can be through a phone call, text, video chat, or whatever they prefer. 

To make sure you don’t miss any important follow ups, you can establish some set times for reaching out. For example, you can reach out shortly after the funeral, one month after, six months after, and one year after, along with any important dates and holidays. 

You also can take it a step further by creating care packages with non-perishable food and toiletries. This saves them a trip to the grocery store while they’re processing their loss. If the family has children, you can include a comforting toy for them, like a stuffed animal. And don’t forget to include some grief and memorialization resources! 

4. Get Involved in Your Funeral Home’s Community 

Getting involved in your community is another way to earn your client families’ trust for years to come. Whether that means volunteering at a community event or creating your own, there are many ways that you can get involved. 

If you want to create your own event, it can be something educational about funeral planning and grief or a just-for-fun event. For example, you can host a webinar or seminar about preplanning or a cookout with yard games.  

If event planning is something new for your funeral home, you can start small and work your way up. Hosting an event like this may seem overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone! You can partner with local businesses to split up the tasks. Or consider hiring an event planning intern. It’s a win-win for everyone, as they get real-life work experience while you get help with planning your events. Check out our Event Planning eBook for more tips. 

5. Show Your Client Families Why They Should Continue to Work with You 

By keeping families updated on all the things above, you can continue to show them how you’re growing and adapting to the times. Tell them about the new ideas you’re trying, the new technology you’ve implemented, your aftercare plan, and your community involvement. 

Along with those ideas, don’t be afraid to share your latest accomplishments. Just make sure that it doesn’t come off as bragging, but rather, keeping them updated on the new things you’re doing. Whether that’s an award your funeral home or an employee won, important milestones like employee work anniversaries and your funeral home’s history serving your community, or educational courses you’ve recently completed. It can be anything that shows you’re committed to lifelong learning and providing the best services to your families as possible. 

Not only will this help you keep your current families, but it will also help you find new ones as they’ll spread the word about the amazing care they received for your team.