Marketing for roofing contractors: how to gain more customers.

Whether you’re an independent local roofer or a nationwide empire, your problem is the same: you need to attract and convert new customers. But how do you market a roofing company? Is word of mouth marketing still the most effective way to find new customers? Sure, but the competition isn’t what it used to be.

We now live in a world where people can simply reach into their pockets for a device that allows them to search for the best roofing contractor near them. That’s why it’s a good idea to add some digital marketing strategies to your word-of-mouth marketing. Not to worry—this article will help you formulate your very own digital marketing strategy for your roofing company. 

How can a roofing contractor utilize SEO? 

Let’s face it—your roofing business is a needle in a haystack. You’re likely competing against many other roofing contractors for the same potential customers. So how do you make sure those potential customers find your business? Without an SEO strategy, most of them probably won’t find you. But with a little bit of time and planning, you can begin to attract more and more people to your website and your business. 

Understanding search engine optimization (SEO) helps to understand that there are two different approaches to getting web traffic: paid and organic. Organic is essentially any effort that brings you web traffic without paying directly for that traffic (this is where SEO comes in). Paid, on the other hand, is any search ad that you pay for directly. For example, pay per click (PPC) is paid advertising. Because you’re paying for those ads, they produce immediate results. Additionally, they allow you to more precisely target the type of person you’re looking for. 

But along with these benefits come some drawbacks. Once you stop paying, they stop producing. On the other hand, organic SEO takes more effort upfront but continues to pay off well into the future without perpetually throwing money at it. 

To start, optimize your website for local keywords as you want to compete locally for keywords like “roofers near me,” “roofing contractor (insert city),” or if you specialize in repairs, you might focus on “roof repairs,” etc. Incorporating keywords into your website and social media profiles make you easier to find online. Reviews can be another great way to start improving your SEO.  Google uses review signals that favor businesses based on review quantity, velocity, and diversity, so try to keep a healthy balance of these different review signals.

What does lead generation look like for a roofing contractor?

With your new and improved SEO optimization bringing more traffic to your website, you’ll need to figure out how to capture that traffic and bring it into your sales funnel. Lead generation is simply how you identify which prospects are interested in learning more about your offering. It’s the process of gradually warming prospects up so that they move closer to making a purchase. Some examples include blog posts, guides, and website chat tools.  

To start, get your contact page and business listings on Google and other search engines up to date. This not only makes it easier for customers to reach you but also signals to Google that you’re a reputable business. When someone reaches out, respond as quickly as possible. If needed, set up an automated message responder letting customers know that their message has been received and that you’ll be with them shortly. 

As shown in the image below, many roofing contractors have added an online chat function, like Podium Webchat, to their websites. Why? Because it’s a much faster and more convenient way for prospects and customers to reach you. Plus, because Webchat collects their name and phone number up front, you don’t have to worry about collecting much needed lead information. Instead, you can focus on answering their questions immediately over text. Below is a screenshot of the homepage for AIC Roofing & Construction. Notice how clean their website is, how well they’ve used photography, and how inviting their site looks with Webchat in the bottom-right corner. 

If you’re interested in learning more, check out these three lead generation tips for local businesses. 

How should a roofing contractor optimize Google My Business?

People turn to search engines before anything else, and nearly 90 percent of all search engine traffic goes through Google. Google’s “spiders” are continually crawling the web in search of the most relevant businesses to serve at the top of their results. And since the first three listings of a Google search get 60 percent of the clicks, you simply can’t afford to show up anywhere else. As the main starting point for millions of customers worldwide, it’s more important than ever that business owners play ball with the all-powerful search engine.

Look at the image below. If you were searching for a roofing company in Milford, Michigan, which would you choose? You’re probably not going anywhere near a business that doesn’t have any reviews, and one review is only slightly better. You are most likely going to click on the 180 Contractors website or listing to contact them. 180 Contractors not only has 44 five-star reviews but also provides up-to-date information about their business, including hours, phone number, and offerings like onsite services and online estimates. 

The question is, what does your GMB page need in order to help you show up in the top three and get chosen? Make sure you include quality photos of your completed jobs, your team, and any other relevant details. Businesses that use photos receive 35% more clicks. Another critical aspect of GMB is your business description. Describe what’s different about your business, avoiding sales pitches. Your description is another place where you’ll want to add keywords so that Google considers your listing more relevant to searchers. The below image shows a good example of what a roofing contractor’s GMB listing should look like. Wanting to go deeper? Check out this in-depth guide to Google My Business. 

How should a roofing contractor approach reputation management?

Your marketing strategy absolutely must include online reviews. Why? Because 87% of consumers say reviews influence them in discovering a local business. Further, 23% of consumers have read an online review in the last day, and 65% have read one in the last week.

But it’s not just your average rating that matters—83% of consumers say that reviews must be recent and relevant to care about them. The question is, how are you collecting reviews? Managing your online reputation can be time-consuming for your staff—unless you have the right approach and the proper tools to make it all easier. 

Focus on getting reviews on Google, Yelp, and other relevant review sites like Thumbtack, Angie’s List, and Houzz. If you’re interested in learning more about Google reviews, try this starter guide. Check out this guide to getting more reviews on Angie’s List. And this professional guide to Houzz reviews. While collecting and managing reviews can be time-consuming, tools like Podium Reviews make it a breeze. With Podium, you can send review invites via text. And since the open rate for text is 98% (as opposed to email’s 20%), your success rate in getting reviews will skyrocket. 

How can a roofing contractor win with video marketing?

Video has become one of the most powerful marketing tools out there. 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. Further, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text. 

Below is a screenshot of West Coast Roofer’s YouTube account. West Coast Roofer is a great example of how a roofing contractor can successfully invest in video. Their YouTube account has many videos, some with hundreds of thousands of views, and one with nearly 4 million views. Instead of telling people about their expertise in roofing, they’re showing it in action. If you’re interested in going deeper into video marketing, check out HubSpot’s ultimate guide to video marketing. 

Conclusion: roofing contractor marketing is easier than you think.

While digital marketing can be intimidating, it’s much easier than it seems. And with the resources provided in this article, you’re already well on your way to transforming how you attract and convert new customers. If you’re still feeling intimidated, start by focusing on one strategy each month or quarter. For example, this month you might focus on organic SEO. You might break that down even further by focusing this week on optimizing your website with keywords. Trying to do it all at once is overwhelming, so break it down into manageable steps. And remember, you’ve got this.