To properly chart your company’s future, you must keep an eye on the market and its demands. To make this possible, we’ve compiled a list of key moving industry statistics for 2023.
Most cited reasons for a move
Among moving industry statistics for 2023, the reason people choose to move is significant for movers. This info makes it possible to tailor SEO for movers better, attracting more attention and customers. Well, the main reason people are choosing to move this year, at least so far, is simple: better living conditions and lower housing costs. These two account for around 25.6% and 21.4%, respectively. However, 17% of people chose to move closer to loved ones or back home. It’s obvious, but cities with cheaper housing and living costs have become popular. Their popularity has increased since we keenly felt the effects of the pandemic. The fact that people in those cities can afford larger and comfier homes is a significant boon, which causes people to flock to them, first in fear of another long isolation period, and now to lower bills and daily expenses.
Local vs. long-distance moves
As you may have gotten a hint from the previously discussed moving industry trend, local moves have lost some appeal. People who hire moving companies overwhelmingly do so due to needing their help with long-distance moves. This is especially noticeable in ‘expensive’ states, such as New York, where people choose to move to the ‘cheaper’ states. This means that your list of keywords for moving companies should probably focus more on long-distance move-related topics, especially if you plan to use SEO as one of your main ways to promote your business! Companies that have so far declined to include long-distance moves in their roster of services should also look into incorporating them quickly. Of course, local moves still happen, accounting for about 56.7% of the total moves, but the statistics are considerably more even than they used to be. Local moves are used to decisively dominate long-distance moves.
Number of people looking for a move
It is without a doubt fact that fewer people are choosing to move every year. Moving rates have slowly fallen across the US for five to six years. In fact, according to Forbes, the stats in 2021 show that only around 8.4 % of Americans moved during the year. At the same time, the number was as high as 11% in 2017. This is caused by the increased costs of acquiring a new home and people’s difficulties when starting a life elsewhere. The latter problem has, at least, improved since working from home has become more popular. However, the underlying problem, the cost of housing, has not changed. We can’t expect moving rates to improve significantly during 2023, either.
Moving costs in 2023
It is a fact that moving has gotten more expensive, mainly due to the increasing fuel costs. Moving companies are forced to account for the difference in operating expenses by increasing their prices. This has, unfortunately, contributed to the previously mentioned hauling industry statistics for 2023 by making a move less appealing.
A more widespread insistence on DIY moves
Everything we have discussed up to now has led to an exciting development: DIY moves are more popular than they ever have been. Only 22.7% of people hired the complete services of a moving company this past year. 15.7% chose to DIY a move with only moving containers. 24.1% of people opted for a DIY move, and 37.5% decided to rent a moving truck. We can conclude that few people nowadays plan an activity that incorporates all the services of a moving company. People prefer to either plan out and execute the move alone or rent out a moving truck from a company that offers this option. Of course, movers still have considerable interest, with about a quarter of all moves left to moving companies.
The most popular time to move
Following the precedent of the last few years, we can safely conclude that summer is the most popular time of the year to move. Around 45% of the previous year’s moves happened during summer, between May and August. This is partly because most people have some free time during summer holidays, and families with kids find it the least disruptive option to their children’s lives. This is all particularly applicable when we consider the surge in DIY popularity. The warm weather enables people to plan and complete their leisurely relocation correctly. So, the marketing experts from Movers Development recommend focusing your efforts primarily on this season but leaving enough budget for the off-season, too. You should prepare enough exciting content, ad budgets, and similar. To push your moving company into the limelight slightly before and during the summer months.
Most effective marketing strategies for movers
The final of the moving industry statistics for 2023 we’d like to bring up is the effectiveness of various marketing methods. It should be no surprise that online marketing is the most prevalent. If you are wondering, ‘what’s the best way to advertise my moving company?’, you should invest in a blog first! Statistics show that blog content is one of the biggest draws on moving company sites, and they are the best method to ensure long-term interest and customer loyalty. Following that, the following most effective marketing method for movers is location-targeted PPC ads. The cost-effective nature of PPC ads, coupled with better targeting, makes them far more effective than most paid alternatives. Finally, social media marketing has garnered excellent results these past few years. And it continues to be a relevant and cheap marketing solution for movers.
Planning out the year 2023 for your moving company
As you can tell from the key moving industry statistics for 2023, it is becoming more important to boost the image and appeal of your company to stand out among competitors and get hired. You can do this by investing more in marketing, of course. Or, interestingly enough, by increasing your range of services that make DIY moves easier. Whatever route you choose, you’ll need to open up long-distance move options for your company if you don’t offer them.
