When Hurricanes Helene and Milton tore through Deland, Florida, the destruction left behind wasn’t just limited to uprooted trees and broken power lines. Homes were flooded, businesses submerged, and entire neighborhoods were caught in the chaotic aftermath. As the storms moved on, the real work began—the difficult process of picking up the pieces. For flood and water damage repair companies, this meant their phones began to ring off the hook with calls from desperate homeowners and business owners in need of immediate help.
That’s where PaperBoat comes in.
At PaperBoat, we specialize in digital marketing and web design for service-based industries, and after the hurricanes hit, it was clear that the water damage repair sector needed our expertise more than ever. With so much chaos and competition, we knew these companies needed more than just a website; they needed a full digital strategy to help them connect with the people who needed their services most, as quickly as possible.
Adapting to the Urgency of Now
In a post-disaster environment like this, time is everything. I remember reaching out to a couple of local water damage repair companies in the days following Hurricane Helene, and they were overwhelmed, to say the least. They were trying to juggle customer calls, schedule assessments, and manage repair teams all while the phones never stopped ringing.
That’s when I realized PaperBoat could be a lifeline for them.
We started by offering rapid website updates. Many businesses had outdated or non-functional websites, which is a disaster in itself when potential customers are frantically searching online for help. Within 24 hours, we had overhauled some of these websites, making them mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. More importantly, we optimized them for local SEO, ensuring that when someone Googled “flood repair near me” or “water damage restoration Deland,” our clients were the first names to pop up.
Search Engine Optimization: Becoming the First Call for Help
SEO is where we shine at PaperBoat, and in a flooded (pun intended) market, being seen first online can mean the difference between landing the job or being forgotten. Many of these water damage companies in Deland didn’t even realize how competitive the digital space was. Sure, they had a basic website, but in times like these, that’s simply not enough.
After Helene and Milton, competition among these companies skyrocketed. As soon as we got involved, we built out landing pages that targeted specific flood and water damage keywords. But we didn’t stop there. We focused on hyper-local content strategies, which meant putting out timely blog posts, updating Google My Business listings, and getting fresh customer testimonials up online. This all helped boost our clients’ visibility when it counted most.
Our SEO strategies were tailored for post-hurricane scenarios. We included keywords that reflected the urgency of their services, phrases like “emergency water extraction,” “24-hour flood repair,” and “immediate mold remediation.” Not only did this improve search rankings, but it also spoke directly to the customer’s most pressing needs.
Building a Reputation on Trust and Transparency
Hurricanes Helene and Milton didn’t just bring floods—they also brought scammers. Many flood victims fell prey to out-of-town contractors who were only there for a quick buck, leaving behind shoddy repairs and broken promises. This made it even more important for local water damage repair companies to build trust with their community.
At PaperBoat, we knew that trust was key, so we helped our clients develop a reputation for reliability. Through detailed case studies, customer reviews, and even video testimonials, we showed how these companies were helping real people get back on their feet. We integrated live chat features into their websites so customers could immediately connect with someone and get a real-time response, which created an instant layer of trust.
And it worked. We saw the flood repair companies we worked with start getting more jobs simply because people trusted them more. They weren’t just another business—our marketing made them feel like a local hero, someone who was part of the same community and who genuinely cared about helping them recover.
Optimized PPC Campaigns to Target Emergency Leads
For businesses where every lead could be life-changing, paid advertising was crucial. But it wasn’t about just throwing money at Google Ads; it was about doing it right. PaperBoat specializes in crafting PPC campaigns that convert, and for these flood repair companies, we created ad campaigns that were laser-focused on capturing emergency leads.
We set up campaigns that targeted specific zip codes hit hardest by the hurricanes, using local language and real-time weather updates to make the ads feel immediately relevant. Our ads didn’t just say, “We fix floods,” they said, “We’re in your neighborhood right now—call us, and we’ll be there today.” We used geo-targeting to zero in on the most affected areas, ensuring that we were only spending money where it mattered most.
The result? The companies we worked with saw an immediate uptick in calls and job bookings. We tracked conversions in real time, adjusted budgets based on demand, and made sure that every dollar spent brought a significant return.
Web Design That Converts Visitors Into Clients
Let’s face it—if your website isn’t converting visitors into clients, it’s just a digital billboard. PaperBoat doesn’t do billboards. We create digital experiences that get results. After the hurricanes, we took a hard look at our clients’ websites and made the necessary adjustments to ensure that every visitor had a seamless experience from start to finish.
We made sure that the contact forms were front and center, that phone numbers were clickable, and that response times were clearly stated. A lot of these websites before we got involved were cluttered with too much information or had hard-to-find contact details. We streamlined everything, cutting out the fluff and focusing on what potential customers needed most: easy access to help.
We also integrated customer review widgets directly into the site, allowing visitors to see real-time feedback from others in the community who had used the service. It was about showing, not just telling, that these companies were the real deal.
Looking Toward the Future
As Deland continues to rebuild after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, PaperBoat is proud to be part of the recovery process. The work we’re doing for these flood and water damage repair companies isn’t just about getting them more business; it’s about helping our community heal. Every new lead they get means another family’s home is being repaired, another business is reopening its doors, and another step is taken toward normalcy.
In a world where digital marketing often feels impersonal, we strive to make it as human as possible