The death care industry has seen radical changes in recent years as they like all businesses become more dependent on technology to run efficiently and competitively. Even if you are the only funeral home in town, your families expect more services such as Video Tributes, effective audio-visual equipment and ability to operate them, a website for announcing services and obituaries, video of the service with DVD copy and now, live streaming via webcast for family band friends that cannot attend.
The personal skills for addressing your families’ needs will never go away. You must learn how to direct arrangements and with sincerity, guide the family through this difficult time. I cannot impress this importance enough. In order for success in any endeavor, especially as a funeral director, you must have compassion and great communication skills. You must care about people and understand the emotional process of death of a loved one.
Technology is an important tool for you to provide a great service to your community. Your first step is to have a website.
Website: Your website must have content that is meaningful and have the right keywords so that your are found in a search string for death care services in your community. Get professional digital marketing help to optimize your website. The site must load quickly and be easy to navigate. Let the viewer easily find your services. Make sure that if you do not provide Video Tributes, Funeral Webcasting or any other services that the industry provides, consider getting on the ball here! Your train may be moving, but others will pass you by and leave you open for acquisition if you do not stay with technological advances.
Ensure that you have contact info on every page. Make it easy for the viewer to reach you!
Email Marketing: Are you collecting emails in your community and offering a newsletter? Sound wierd? Look, you can provide a community service through a newsletter by becoming a center, a pillar of the community and let people know what is happening in the community, make announcements of upcoming events and your involvement such as live streaming the event, provide information on pre-need and insurance, announce new services, the topics are endless.
Up to Date Audio Visual Equipment: You can compete with great service in the arena. You can charge more for having a huge flat screen to play tributes of the deceased or to use your facility for community events. Get new stuff as soon as possible.:-)
Video Tributes: More and more families are either bringing in their own tribute for the funeral director to play, or asking you to do mit for them. Video software comes out every year it seems that makes wonderful video tributes. There is even licensed music available so the family can legally play the video online.
Video of the Service: Again, we see this request by grieving families more and more as awareness of existing technology grows. A pro-sumer camera with a decent microphone, DVD copy software and you can charge a fee for this service.
Funeral Webcasting: Your customers always have family and friends that cannot attend services for a variety of reasons. Having this capability of funeral webcasting is a tremendous service by connecting these grieving people when they need it most. Those that attend the service virtually via live streaming or delayed streaming on the internet feel connected and gain a certain sense of closure.
Soon you will see other advances in technology for the death care industry. Keep abreast; serve your families and remain competitive.
Learn more about funeral webcasting, Online Video Tributes with licensed music, and DVD Copy Software by contacting Robert A. Cuadra Sr. at Email @ Event By Wire.
Robert is the National Sales and Operations Director with Event by Wire, the pioneer of funeral webcasting.
