Roofing companies are some of our absolute favorite types of clients. Because, there are tried and true things that apply to almost every roofing company that will bring in more customers.
We’ve created the top 5 list that we see as the most valuable.
Most roofing companies that we see are utilizing some of these already but none of our clients started with all. If you’re not using all 5 of these items, your loosing business.
In the title, I say ‘tools’ lightly because this list contains strategies, tools, and advertising techniques in one, most important list. In no particular order – but all necessary: Number 1, a hammer. Number 2 – just kidding.
1. The “Rainy Day” Fund
Depending on the size of the company and in proportion with the overall marketing budget, funds should be retained to increase your presence during the rainy seasons, damaging storms, and tornados. Not only for inbound search (SEM/PPC/Google Search) but facebook and display ads can be targeted to neighborhoods that were hit the hardest with damage.
All of these ads can be setup in advance with budgets already allotted. Then we simply set the targeting (if damage was suffered more in certain areas) and enable it. This can be enabled and ads delivered within 30 minutes after we’ve been notified to run them!
2. Inbound Search Ads
Along with a “Rainy Day” fund, a budget should be assigned to generic roof repair and roof replacement SEM ads. These are the ads that show up as the first few results when a person searches something like “roofing companies near me.” These customers are very valuable because if they are searching for a roof, they need a roof.
As opposed to “outbound marketing” which will target many audiences that may or may not be ready to replace a roof. Outbound marketing is still VERY valuable, it’s just that the SEM ads are like the foundation for a roofing company’s marketing.
3. Simple, IN YOUR FACE, Quote Form
When people are visiting your website, they shouldn’t need to click a link to visit another page.
They just want a quote already!
So, put it right up there at the top of the homepage. It may not be quite as pretty as placing it further down the page. But, I promise, it will perform better.
4. High Online (and offline) Reputation
You might think this is solely a result of other people’s impression of you and how your employees treat their customers. But, it’s not. Bad reviews and unhappy customers are the nature of the beast. They happen with ever company in every industry. It’s how you manage them that counts. If you’re a small roofing company, your rating on the Google Map Pack (local listing) will affect you heavily.
Second from word of mouth, that rating is the most important thing in considering a company to use. You may not be able to stop the bad reviews but responses to poor reviews are necessary to remain reputable.
Also, we can setup a system to encourage your previous customers to leave reviews for you. It can be as simple as formulating a followup email after (almost) every job that says thank you and asks them to review you. They’re not going to flood Google with reviews, but the ones that trickle in are very valuable.
5. Word of Mouth – Refer a Friend – Followups
Tacking onto the previous item, in your follow up emails that are either done manually or automatically (we can set that up for you), remind people how much you love referrals and offer them a token of your appreciation for them.
Word of mouth remains to be the biggest source of many businesses and that will never go away.
Roofs have been around a while and many roofing companies have too. They maintain a long history of clients in their books. These clients are a gold mine. After a period of time, they’re going to need another roof. Or, they may need a repair after a storm more frequently. This list should be contacted at set intervals over time to follow up (after 5 years, or 10 years).
Also, after each storm, an email offering tips about checking their roof and reminding them that you’re here for them can go a long ways.
They’re much more likely to do business with you again (assuming you have good business practices).
But wait, there’s more…
Of course there are many other advertising tools and techniques that should will lower your overall return on investment of your digital advertising efforts, but these 5 are what we would consider absolutely necessary for every roofing company to thrive.
