Most roofers experience slowdowns, but marketing tactics, like lead generation and referral programs, can keep leads coming in
It's a good time to be in the roofing business. The industry has grown an average of 2.7% each year between 2015 and 2020, according to IBISWorld.
But just because the industry is growing doesn't mean your business is growing. Every company experiences slowdowns, but sometimes you hit a rut where you can't seem to find new leads no matter what you do. If you're struggling to find roofer jobs, don't worry—we have a few surefire tips that may help drive some new business into the pipeline right away.
If you’re struggling to find roofing leads right now, it can be hard to pinpoint the reason. A lot of factors can cause a slowdown, including any one of the following reasons:
Good weather: The weather's been great lately, so no one is frantically calling you in desperate need of roof repair.
Not enough reviews: You don't have enough reviews of your business, which means people who look up your business online don't trust you.
Not enough lead sources: You're too dependent on new construction projects and referrals, and haven’t developed a reliable way to find new business.
No targeted ad campaigns: You aren't taking advantage of super-targeted ad campaigns like Google Ads, which allow you to target people searching for roofing contractors in your region.
Bad landing page: Even when you do get these people to go to your site, you don't have a good landing page on your website.
Not offering freebies: You aren't offering free inspections and estimates to entice new customers into starting a relationship with you so you can eventually convince them to hire you.
So what can you do about this slowdown in roofing leads and jobs? There are quite a few marketing tactics contractors can try to get more leads and customers.
Here are a few tips to get job leads for roofers flowing in fast.
When the weather is good, people aren’t too worried about their roofs. A faulty roof doesn’t leak when there’s no rain, after all. However, if a homeowner knows there’s an issue with the roof, they won’t want to wait until the next rainstorm to fix it. Offer free inspections to potential customers in your area to help them spot a potential disaster.
Every homeowner is worried about something going wrong, resulting in an expensive repair that drains their bank account. Use that to your advantage. For example, post Instagram stories showing what can go wrong with a roof that they may not know until it's too late, and then note that you’ll inspect roofs for free.
If you rely on the same old sources for your leads, such as new construction projects and referrals from clients, you should seek to diversify by finding new lead sources. For example, sign up for a free Angi account so millions of homeowners can find you (and hire you).
Use your connections to find more lead sources. Ask some other contractors you often work with where they go to find leads. Offer to partner up and share leads.
Roofer marketing is all about trust, which is why online reviews are essential to businesses in today's digital age. One study found that 91% of customers read at least one product review before buying a product or service. If people are searching for your company online and not seeing any reviews, they may pick a competitor who does have reviews.
Here are a few best practices for getting customers to leave a review:
Offer a reward, such as a small discount or free inspection, in exchange for leaving a review on a site like Angi.
Do not offer the discount or reward in exchange for a positive review, which is typically against the terms of service of review sites (and unethical).
Simply ask your customer politely for a review by email, text, or over the phone.
A tried and true method of drumming up business is undercutting competitors and upselling the clients you currently have.
Many people searching for roofing contractors are focused on price. By offering a one-time discount, you can drum up new business from price-conscious customers and make a connection that could pay off down the road. Examples of discounts include 20% off an entire job or 50% off high-end roofing materials.
Upselling is another great way to increase business. For example: Talk with the customer to find out what their preferences are. Would they like their roof to have a specific appearance? Bring an array of shingle samples for them to choose from, some more expensive than others.
Show them before and after photos of homes where you replaced worn shingles with high-quality materials. Show estimates proving that the new shingles increased the value of the home. By showing a customer options they hadn’t considered before, you increase the likelihood of successfully upselling them.
When storms roll through a neighborhood, they often cause damage or alert homeowners to damage that's already there. As a result, you should constantly watch where storms strike the hardest in your general area.
You can choose from many different weather and storm-tracking apps that will show you which areas are hit the hardest. Then, make a trip to those neighborhoods soon after the storm rolls through and offer free inspections to homeowners inspecting the damage.
The key to increasing your leads as a construction professional is to approach the problem from the customer’s angle. Many of the marketing ideas mentioned above are about solving a customer issue before they even do business with you.
Create an account on Angi to get more roofing leads in your area. Millions of homeowners are searching for contractors like you—make it easy for them to find your business by signing up for Angi today.
