Marketing your roofing business can seem like a challenge—especially if you’re on a budget. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re an experienced roofer, here are some creative ways to market a roofing business that are sure to give you an advantage over competitors.
Search Engine Optimization
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a free online marketing strategy used to boost search engine rankings and drive organic traffic. To incorporate SEO into your online marketing strategy, start by creating an SEO-friendly website for your roofing business.
Today, the majority of consumers prefer to interact with businesses online. Creating a website for your business can help you drive more business and reach a broader demographic. Make sure to create a website that you’ll be able to scale as your business grows and keep up with the latest changes in Google algorithms.
More than half of all website traffic comes from organic searches, so optimizing your search engine rankings is a must. For instance, if you’re a roofing company near Raleigh, NC, you should aim to be within the first few results when users type “roofing companies in Raleigh NC“ into their search bars. Since Google tends to rank websites that users prefer higher, engaging potential users with seamless navigation and a mobile-friendly layout is a must.
If you’re not sure how to start, free website building platforms like Wix.com offer professional website layouts for businesses, and no knowledge of coding is required to build an SEO-friendly website. To further optimize your website, consider enlisting the help of SEO professionals.
Geofencing
Geofencing involves marketing location-based ads to users located within a specific location target. Users participate in location targeting when programs or applications ask them to enter their location online or when they allow a web service to use their location. Many businesses utilize geofencing to implement specific advertisements based on their audience’s exact location.
Geofencing marketing can help your roofing business find potential leads based on their exact locations and market “hyper-local” ads. Additionally, geofencing campaigns can be implemented across different types of online ad campaigns, including search engine advertising, remarketing, and video advertising.
Geofencing ads are supported by Google Adwords, Facebook, and Instagram. Neither Facebook nor Google Adwords charges additional fees for geofencing advertisements, so creating a geofencing campaign is an extremely affordable way to reach new consumers. For local roofing businesses, the more locally targeted your ads are, the more successful your campaign will be.
Encourage Referrals
Despite all of the available digital marketing strategies, word-of-mouth is still one of the most effective forms of advertising. To encourage referrals and customer engagement, consider offering incentives to customers who refer others to your roofing business. While a discount for a future service may incentivize consumers to refer their friends and family, you can also offer a cash prize to the customer who refers the most people to your business.
In addition to referrals, ask customers for online reviews. First, claim your business on Google My Business and create an account for your business on Yelp. Online reviews can help optimize your SEO, and can also show potential leads that your business is reputable. According to a 2017 survey, 84 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as a recommendation from a close friend. Meanwhile, 74 percent of consumers report that positive reviews increase their trust in a brand.
All in all, utilizing both non-digital and digital marketing strategies can help your roofing business stand out among the competition. Incorporating the above-mentioned tactics into your marketing strategy can generate more leads and sales for your business, and they all require little to no money to start.