Roofing Website vs. Roofer Leads (Or Both?)

Many roofing contractors are relying solely on a roofing leads service to not only generate leads, but to represent their company on the internet. Roofers who use only a leads program may end up finding themselves without a web presence in the near future, and relying on a leads-only approach may be a big mistake.

Roofing Leads Programs:

Roofing leads programs can be a great way to generate more business for your company as long as the lead generation company is good at what they do. It can be very difficult to break into an area that is heavily populated with many other contractors. Lots of competition means lots of work to get to the top of search rankings.

But here’s the catch: With so many lead generating companies hitting the market, how difficult will it be to maintain the rankings they promise? And what happens when a lead generation service can no longer compete? Your site goes down and your internet marketing is gone. Therefore, relying solely on lead generation is a mistake.

A Roofing Website (and domain name) You Own:

We always tell every client to be sure that your domain name is as important as your phone number, and to never give control of it to anyone else. This means that should your lead generation company fail to deliver, you still have a website to use for your own efforts.

As we established in previous blogs, one of the best things you can do to gain ranking is to “age” your domain. That means the longer your domain name is active with a website, the better it will rank. Obviously this is just a portion of the algorithm, but it is still important. Therefore having a long-term website in place, that you own, with a domain name that you own should be first.

Having your own website means that you have total control of the content placed on that site. You can ensure that it is accurate, timely, and that you can update your site with new information anytime you like.

NEVER pay for Roofing Leads that you Generate Yourself:

If you hire a lead generation service to get leads for you, you should never post that website’s domain name on your vehicles, cards or documents. If a person visits your lead generation website from advertising you are paying for already, then you are paying twice for that lead. This is just another way that having your own website comes in. If a lead generation company suggests that you put their domain name on your advertising, run from them. If you are not satisfied with the leads they are providing and cancel the service, chances are that they still own the domain, and your advertising efforts will then be going to the competitor they found to replace you.

Our Suggestions:

1. Buy a domain name if you don’t already have one, and maintain control of that domain name as long as you are in business.
2. Build (or have built) a roofing website under that domain name.
3. See where you rank and make adjustments.
4. If you add a roofing lead generation service, they should use a different domain name, and build a separate website.
5. The website they build should ultimately outrank yours if they are doing their job.
6. Never use a lead generation service that doesn’t promise (in writing) that you have exclusive rights to every lead that comes in.
7. Find out their policy on bad or false leads before signing up for their service.
8. Under no circumstances should you ever release control of your own domain or website. Keep them as safe as your phone number so that you don’t end up like so many of the clients who call us because their site has been stolen by an unscrupulous company. We try to help them get them back, but in most cases it doesn’t work out.

There is no replacement for a good website of your own that represents your company accurately. Lead generation services should always be considered an addition to your online efforts, not the primary. And using a little common sense can go a long way to help you navigate the latest promises that fill the internet. So remember, if it sounds too good to be true…