What are the ways to generate leads for a small roofing company? Generating roofing leads can be a difficult task, especially when you are starting. However, with the right strategies, you can acquire reliable leads that you can later convert into active customers.
Most potential leads are likely to look for roofing services online when they are not sure of whom to hire. These potential customers will probably conduct research before selecting the most ideal roofing company. They might look at customer reviews, ratings, website content, or even click on an ad.
Therefore, you should consider gaining the favor of these prospects by creating a strong online presence. However, you can also utilize several offline strategies to acquire viable leads. Read on to find out how you can generate leads for your business.
15 Ways to generate leads for your roofing company
1. Invest in digital assets
If your roofing business does not have an online presence, you should consider investing in digital assets to market your business and capture the attention of your prospects.
Try to take your business where your target audience is. For instance, with a functional roofing website, a prospect can locate your business easily. This way, you have a higher chance of generating more leads.
You can start by hiring an expert to create and design a roofing website. They can include your company’s logo and use attractive colors and themes on your website to attract your prospects.
Your website should be properly organized and each section mapped out clearly to guide your client through once you include the proper content. For instance, you can include the following sections.
- Home page
- About us page
- Services page
- Blog page
- Case studies page
- Contact us page
You can also consider creating accounts on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or even Twitter. You can use these platforms later as marketing channels to get roofing leads.
Most potential clients probably spend their free time browsing through these social media platforms. When you create a business presence here, you might get viable leads. For instance, a homeowner casually browsing through Facebook might come across your page and get interested in your roof repair services.
2. Improve the technical aspects of your website
You might have heard of the term SEO which means making improvements to your website for it to rank higher on search engines and attract more traffic. For your website to rank higher, there are several aspects that search engines consider.
Technical aspects like page speed and mobile friendliness are among the factors that search engines consider when ranking websites.
Technical SEO is making improvements to the technical aspects of your website to improve its ranking and drive more traffic to your website. You can try hiring a technical SEO expert to check whether your site is optimized for mobile phones and whether it loads quickly.
Most website visitors probably use their mobile phones to search for roofing services. If your website is not mobile-friendly, you might lose potential leads. You could have great content but if you overlook this factor, your website could be de-ranked.
Search engines also like providing a seamless experience to their users and if your website loads slowly, your potential clients might get impatient and look for information elsewhere. Consider improving your site’s navigation for users to easily access the information they are looking for. For instance, you can include buttons that link to your service pages on the top of your home page as opposed to the bottom.
3. Create high-quality website content
The content you post on your website can help you acquire more roofing leads for your business. Try to create high-quality content that attracts your prospects, perks their interest, and encourages them to take action. Below are some content types that you can include on your website.
- Videos
- Podcasts
- Blog posts
- Images
- infographics
- Case studies
You can create informational and engaging videos that address your customers’ pain points. For instance, when you create a DIY video that directs your customers on the steps to take after a roof storm damage, they might be interested.
Some clients might not have enough time to read a blog post or watch a video. You can create interesting podcasts that help them identify with your brand. When a prospect regularly listens to your podcasts, the likelihood of converting into a lead can be high.
You can also hire a professional writer to create engaging blog posts, images, and infographics that can help your website rank higher on search results. Highly informational infographics can improve your website’s authority and potentially increase your leads.
You can add case studies of roofing projects that you successfully completed in the past. When your website visitors see that your past clients were satisfied with your work, it could boost their confidence. This could result in generating more leads for your website.
4. Use relevant keywords in your content
Your potential customers use particular search terms when looking for services online. You probably want them to find your website when they key in these search terms on search engines. You can outsource an expert to conduct keyword research for you.
You can generate leads better when you discover their search intent. Discover the needs of your target audience and try to come up with keywords that address their pain points.
For instance, find out the terms they use when they need roof repair. How about when they need to discover why their roof is leaking? Research all the possible terms and use them in your content.
You can also try to study your competitors, particularly those who rank highly on search engines. Analyze the keywords they rank for and devise strategies to improve them and incorporate them into your content.
When determining which keywords to use, your SEO expert can analyze the keyword difficulty. If certain keywords have high competition you can use them and still come up with other keywords with low keyword difficulty to counter competition.
For instance, you can use seed keywords and long tail keywords to grab the attention of clients looking for specific information. An example being, “roof repair” as the seed keyword and “asphalt shingle roof repair services”
You can use these keywords in your blog content, titles, meta titles, infographics, alt texts, etc. let these keywords flow as naturally as possible.
5. Promote your content on social media platforms
You can post content such as videos, photos, podcasts, and short articles on your social media platforms. People most likely spend their free time on these platforms watching entertaining videos, reading articles, and viewing eye-catching images.
Posting your educational videos on YouTube can provide you a chance to get your content in front of a wider audience. For instance, a homeowner in need of roof repair services might come across your video and decide to contact you. This could mean one more lead! Include your contact information or a link to your website below your video.
You can post photos of your products and services on a platform like Facebook. Since this platform has many users, you might generate more leads. Try to engage your audience in the comment sections. You can answer their questions and strike meaningful conversations that could lead to acquiring more leads.
You can also write high-quality and interesting articles that might prompt a reader to constantly read your content and potentially even become a lead. You can include links to your website to generate more traffic and market your brand.
6. Claim and optimize your GMB profile
Google My Business is an online tool that you can use to acquire leads from your locality. Creating and optimizing your GMB profile can help you acquire more local website traffic. Creating a GMB profile is quite easy and you might not require the help of an expert.
Optimizing your GMB can help you increase your website’s visibility on local searches. Increased visibility could translate to more website visitors and potential leads. Being in the right place at the exact time a prospect is looking for roofing services can help you gain a lead.
Customizing your GMB profile can also increase your chances of appearing in Google’s local pack which consists of the top three local businesses. This can increase your visibility and help you acquire more leads.
Include your contact information and ensure it is consistent across all platforms. For instance, the phone number on your website and social platforms should match that in your GMB account.
Add your location and address to help target customers easily find your business. Pin your location on Google Maps to provide your potential clients with reliable directions to your physical location. If you don’t have a physical store, you can include your service area.
You can also include keywords in your business description. This can help your business appear for relevant local search terms that your prospects use.
Add photos and your operating hours to give your clients a better view of your business and your availability. You can also post links on your social media platforms that point back to your GMB listing.
7. List your business on local listings and directories
You can consider listing your business on local directories to improve visibility and target more potential leads. Furthermore, you can get reviews from these sites to boost the reputation of your brand and generate more viable leads.
Ensure the information on these directories matches with the one on other platforms. Below are several directories that you should consider.
Angi
Angi is a popular business directory that connects customers with the most suitable business for the services they are looking for. Listing your business on this site can help you gain reliable local leads.
Home Advisor
Home Advisor is a directory that can help you connect with prospects looking for roofing services. For this directory, you might be required to pay a fee. Paying this fee could be worthwhile because you might get several leads and customer reviews from this site. Getting a backlink from this site can also help build your website’s authority and generate more roofing leads.
Foursquare
Foursquare is an online listing that can help you connect with your target audience. This site provides local customers with information depending on the services they are looking for. Since the platform has many users, it can help generate local leads for your business.
8. Acquire customer reviews
Most customers will likely read your reviews before deciding to contact you or purchase anything from you. If other customers leave positive reviews, chances are that they were pleased by your services. In this case, a potential customer is likely to have more confidence in your services once they read your reviews.
Without reviews, your prospective customers might be hesitant to work with you. They might even choose to work with your competitors who have several reviews. If you want to generate leads, you can try to acquire customer reviews.
You could request your customers personally to write reviews for you. Alternatively, you can send emails with a link to your GMB account for them to leave a review. Listing your business on online directories can also increase your chances of getting more reviews.
When you provide high-quality roofing services accompanied by great customer service, you are likely to get reviews even without requesting them.
Good customer service includes even responding to these customer reviews. You can respond personally to each of your clients and encourage them to conduct more business with you.
In case of a negative review, you can sympathize with your client and try to make amends. For example, you can apologize and tell them that you will make improvements or even offer a discount on their next purchase.
9. Focus on local content and link building
You are most likely to generate reliable leads from your local area. You can consider creating content that can specifically draw the attention of these local clients. You can create content that addresses the local challenges that your prospects might be experiencing.
For instance, you can get a professional writer to create a blog that provides “the suitable roofing solutions for the harsh weather in Seattle”.
Such a post will probably perk the interest of a homeowner who might have been a victim of harsh weather that left their roof damaged. In these articles, you can incorporate relevant local keywords to increase your possibility of ranking for local searches.
You can add these keywords to your headings, meta descriptions, and your content. You can also use some of these keywords on your service pages, landing page, and in your contact page.
Acquiring high-quality backlinks can also help your lead generation campaign. You can reach out to local website owners and write guest posts for their websites. In these posts, you can include a link to your website. Links from authoritative websites can drive more traffic to your site improving your chances of acquiring more viable local leads.
Writing high-quality content can also help you get natural backlinks. This can help you establish thought leadership in your niche and get more leads for your website. When your website authority increases, you can rank high on search results and drive more traffic to your website.
10. Invest in online advertising
In conjunction with SEO, you can also consider investing in SEM which involves paying a fee for your website to rank higher on search engines or get recognition on social platforms.
With this form of advertising, you can increase traffic increase brand awareness, and generate more leads. You can use different advertising platforms to increase brand visibility. These advertising channels include:
Social media platforms
You can advertise your roofing services on social media platforms such as:
- Nextdoor
- YouTube
You can pay a fee to advertise on Facebook which has many users. On this platform, you can generate leads from older homeowners who are more likely to spend their time here. You can also advertise to younger property owners on Instagram or YouTube.
Pay Per Click Advertising (PPC)
This is where you pay a certain fee each time a user clicks on your ad. PPC ads are mostly displayed above organic results on search engines and appear as an ad. You can bid for the most relevant keywords which Google considers a ranking factor.
Local Service Ads
This type of advertising is suitable for generating local leads. You are required to pay a fee every time you get a lead. For instance, when a customer contacts you directly through an ad, you pay a fee. This is a reliable lead generation tactic because the results appear on top of both PPC and organic search results.
11. Email marketing
Email marketing can also help you convert your prospects into promising leads. You can encourage users to sign up for your email list by providing them with a form online. Since most people will not just subscribe to an email list, you can provide a lead magnet. For instance, discounts or coupons.
Once they are on the list, you can send them emails that showcase your new services, discounts, coupons, etc. This might encourage them to take action or even make purchases.
You can also send them informational content that educates them on several topics that they might be interested in. Email marketing lets you directly contact your customers and can help you generate more roofing leads.
When sending emails, you can try a more personal approach that shows your readers you identify with them and understand their needs. For example, you can use their names when introducing your emails.
Before you send emails to your subscribers, ensure that your content will add value to them. Let your content be of high quality, engaging, and interesting to keep your readers interested in your brand.
Whenever a subscriber has questions, ensure you respond promptly to improve customer service and encourage them to enquire more. Whenever you have new products or services, you can send emails to users informing them of the new arrivals.
12. Attend local trade shows
Another effective way of generating viable roofing leads is through attending trade shows. Think of all the potential clients and contractors you can meet on such avenues. Try to pick the most relevant trade shows that relate to your niche. You can even increase your chances of building the reputation of your brand in your locality.
You can set up a booth and attract potential clients using eye-catching banners. Demonstrate your knowledge and skills to the potential clients who show an interest in your business.
Try to offer them useful information that can help them solve their roofing problems. In case, they don’t require your services right away, you can request their contact and hand them a brochure.
You can also interact with other contractors that can help you generate leads for your roofing business. For instance, a plumber or a building contractor can link you to potential clients.
13. Canvassing
Interacting with potential clients face-to-face can help you acquire several roofing leads for your business. You can use the door-to-door technique to try and convert homeowners and commercial property owners into leads.
Try to walk through several neighborhoods and engage clients, pitch your services, and clearly communicate how the prospects will benefit from your services. You could even target customers after a storm since their roofs most likely need attention during this period.
The direct contact between you and your potential clients provides an avenue where you can create a comfortable environment for your potential clients. Canvassing can also provide you with an opportunity to clearly communicate and address your prospect’s concerns.
The direct interaction also provides a personal touch that online lead generation tactics lack.
For instance, your prospect is likely to be more at ease and trusting when communicating physically than when chatting on Facebook or other online forums. Through canvassing you can get contact information from prospects willing to work with you in the future.
14. Network with other contractors in your niche
Try to reach out to other contractors like plumbers, real estate contractors, building contractors, and supply companies. Creating associations with these contractors and suppliers can increase your chances of generating more leads for your business.
For instance, reputable roofing product suppliers can refer their clients to you which can help you generate viable leads. You could even request a backlink from the suppliers’ website which can attract more leads.
Try to join roofing podcasts and offer helpful information which could lead to more exposure for your business and increased leads.
You can also consider joining the local community contractor groups and actively interacting and engaging with them. These contractors can refer you to their clients, friends, or even family.
15. Direct mail
With most businesses focusing on digital channels of generating leads, direct mail can be overlooked. This doesn’t mean that direct mail is not an effective lead generation channel. You can take advantage of the less competition in direct mail and acquire more roofing leads.
You can send postcards, letters, and flyers to your potential customers. Include your logo and contact information to help your prospects easily reach you. Try to include captivating photos of your work in the flyers and postcards. For instance, you can send a photo of a damaged roof and the results after you replaced the roof.
Physical evidence of your services can help you gain your prospects’ trust and generate more viable leads. Most people also tend to go through their direct mail more than their emails and are also likely to respond.
Generating roofing leads can be tasking and you might be unsure of the strategies to implement. However, when you identify the most effective lead generation channels you can acquire more leads for your customers. Combining both traditional and digital lead generation tactics can help you reach a wide audience and generate leads. In case you require more assistance, feel free to contact us today.