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Oct '21

Roofing Email Templates (w/Free Downloads) | Roofer’s Guild

When it comes to roofing email templates, there’s no magic bullet. Writing effective templates takes practice and attention to detail. Ultimately, you must achieve two things:

Pique the recipient’s interest immediately
Hold the recipient’s interest through the pitch’s duration

No pressure, right? Wrong. Roofing salespeople must achieve both measures in only a couple of sentences and come across as genuine and helpful in the process.

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How To Avoid Low-Performance Email Templates

If your roofing company struggles with email marketing, you aren’t alone. Unfortunately, the numbers don’t lie; less than 25% of prospective customers open sales emails. Moreover, of those that do open emails, less than 15% read through in its entirety. The good news is that avoiding a few common pitfalls can increase that percentage imminently.

Keep it Short & Concise.

A catchy subject line may cause an open but sustaining the reader’s attention becomes challenging. Unfortunately, most roofers fall into the trap of producing long-winded emails that bore the recipient to tears. Many times, such emails get marked as spam, thus blacklisting your address from that user.

Provide a Value Proposition

Email openers must have an incentive to read through the email and take further action. One major pitfall is failing to offer any value to the reader, such as a discount or free estimate/inspection. If the consumers have no incentive to acknowledge your email, they won’t.

Personalize Your Subject Lines

The main reason people don’t open emails is that they look like spam. Lots of roofing companies fall into the trap of not personalizing their subject lines. If you don’t address the recipient by name, they may very likely consider it spam before ever opening your email.

Writing Roofing Emails That Get Opens and Responses

To generate the combination of high open rates and high response rates, roofing companies should follow Roofer’s Guild’s five-part structure system for email templates. Feel free to steal our strategy and make it your own in 2022.

Introduction / Opener

The first line must address recipients by name and clearly inform the reader about the email’s purpose. Focus entirely on the reader, and avoid talking about your roofing company at this point in the email.

Offer / Proposition

Empathize with the prospect’s problem or pain point while simultaneously providing an incentivized solution. For example, acknowledge their roof’s hail damage while offering a free, no-risk inspection.

Trust / Social Proof

In addition, you’ll want to strengthen your value proposition by showcasing your customer reviews on Google My Business and Yelp. Provide direct links to your reviews, which you must acquire before launching your email marketing campaign.

Close / CTA

Conclude your email by closing the deal and providing an urgent call-to-action (CTA) for the reader. Your CTA must be simple and easy to respond to, such as a simple yes or no response, so users don’t have to overthink it and won’t take time to ponder their answer.

Authority Push / Signature

The fourth step is more critical than roofing companies realize because it pushes your pitch over the top. You must establish authority and credibility with your signature by signing your name, company name, and a link to your website. Feel free to include social and review links, as well.

Other Email Template Factors to Consider

Roofing professionals should avoid relying solely on templates when launching their email marketing campaigns. While templates are a great starting point, they can’t solve all your challenges without extra work. So before blindly mass-sending a templated email to your entire list, consider some of the other variables that come into play in 2022.

Adhere To CAN-SPAM Regulations

The CAN-SPAM Act applies to all commercial messages, not just bulk emails. Follow these seven rules to avoid heavy fines and unethical email marketing campaigns.

Don’t Use False Header Info (From, To, Reply-To, Etc.)
Don’t Use Deceptive Subject Lines (Click-Bait)
ID Your Message as an Advertisement
List Your Location
Provide Opt-Out, Unsubscribe Options
Honor Opt-Outs Immediately (Remove Opted-Out Users From Your List)
Monitor 3rd-Party Email Marketing Teams, Tools, and Behaviors

Templates Can Help Scale Your Campaign

Templates work best for messages that you can repeat to a large consumer base. For example, if one of your email lists shares common goals, email templates can save you time and resources while acquiring new hot leads. On the other hand, cold outreach emails are better suited for personalization.

Trial and Error Remains Necessary

Testing your open rates with various templates remains a top priority for any business. However, what works great for one roofing company may not translate across the board. Why? Because roofers operate in different regions with different clientele. Ultimately, it would help if you honed your templates to fit your target audience.

Build On Existing Templates

A template exists to be altered, expanded, and improved. With this in mind, tweak your email templates to get better results and use A/B testing to determine wins and losses. Then, steal our free templates and alter them as you please. Sometimes the most challenging part of an email is the structure, which a template can provide off-the-bat. From there, tweak the language to fit your voice.

A “Perfect Word Count” Does Not Exist

Don’t get caught up in email word counts for your templates. While concise templates produce the best results, the precise word count is irrelevant. If you’ve heard of the 100-word threshold, know that’s simply an arbitrary number made to satisfy the human brain’s need for round numbers. One hundred and one words won’t hurt you, nor will 99.

Free Email Templates for Roofers

Download The Commercial Roofing Email Template

Download The Residential Roofing Email Template

Download The Hail Storm Roofing Email Template

Oct '21

3 Most Popular Roof Shingle Colors (w/Combinations) for 2022

What are the most popular roof shingles colors in 2022? What about the most acclaimed color combinations? In the following post, Roofer’s Guild examines all of your options for the new year.

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1) Natural Tones

The most popular roof shingles among homeowners looking to save a little money were natural tones like tan, khaki, beige and light brown. One of the reasons for the soaring popularity of these kinds of colors is savings. In addition, lighter colors reflect more UV light off your roof and away from your home or place of business.

That means your home will remain cooler naturally since the roof isn’t absorbing so much heat from sunlight. Natural tones also work well if your house has a light, natural color. A slightly darker natural tone of shingle is a popular choice for homes painted off-white, beige, or light tan.

Natural toned shingles also work very well in the desert, dry or hot climates. They tend not to clash with their surroundings and offer an easy, neutral tone to work around. Some people are starting their outside remodeling jobs with tan-colored shingles and working around that – deciding on paint, siding, and fascia later.

Natural tones are a safe bet and can be a good starting point if you aren’t sure which direction you want to go with your new home construction or remodel.

2) Light Green

The thing with light green shingles is that they don’t look as stark as you would imagine. Some of them only look green in certain lights and at certain angles. Light green colors like forest green and moss green are becoming popular choices because they add unique yet elegant air to your home or place of business.

Plus, the lighter green colors almost look gray in a particular light.

People have been using light green shingles in many ways as of late. They accent red homes with them, add more color to their home, and use them to perfectly contrast siding and fascia. While light green will not be as reflective as a tan or beige color, it will be more reflective than your standard gray or black shingles.

Light green shingles add a unique look to homes and businesses. In addition, manufacturers are coming out with new, exciting hues every day. As a result, many people have flocked towards this shingle color.

3) Light Blue

Light blue colors like sky blue and even a blend of blue and green can instantly beautify your home or commercial property. It adds an almost whimsical flair but without being too flashy. For example, if you have a brown or tan house, light blue shingles can add an instant contrast that will brighten up the colors of your home.

Light blue shingles also work well with gray-painted siding or if your home’s fascia is solid white. It adds an instant charm and almost a welcoming feel to the property.

Shingle and Siding Color Combinations

It’s great to know what shingle colors are trending in 2022, whether you are a homeowner or a roofing contractor – or both. As a contractor, you want to have a ready supply of the most in-demand shingles for your customers. As a homeowner, you want to know what the best options available to you are. However, knowing the roof shingles colors most popular in 2022 will be only half the battle.

The aesthetic appeal of any roof depends mainly on the siding and fascia. The shingles could add a handsome contrast or clash with the siding if you don’t choose carefully. When choosing a shingle color for your roof, you also have to carefully consider the color of your siding or what color you have in mind for your siding.

To help, we have rounded up some of the most popular and attractive siding and shingle color combinations for 2022:

White Goes with Almost Anything: If your siding is solid white, you have many options at your disposal. What will be more important is deciding what colors your fascia, doors, and trim will be. With white siding, a dark blue shingle color works well. You can also starkly contrast white siding with a dark gray or black shingle option. In this scenario, it would be best to match the fascia and trim with the color of the shingles. The only colors that don’t work well with white siding are tans and reds. It’s just an odd combination that very few buildings can pull off.
Gray and Darker Gray: This one isn’t necessarily exclusive to 2022 because it seems that this combination never goes out of style. If your siding is gray, you can’t go wrong with matching it with a darker gray roof. Even black shingles can work very well with gray siding or a gray-painted house. Pretty much the only thing you have to make sure of is that the shingles are darker than the siding. It doesn’t have to be like night and day; be sure that the shingle hue is slightly darker, and you will get a clean, classic look.
Blue and Black: The blue siding and black shingle combination is becoming very popular because of the clean contrast. We have even seen houses that throw in a red or white front door with this combination to great success. This color combination adds a modern flair to your home without clashing. We have even see brown-hued shingles work very well on blue homes if you’re looking for more of a rustic, cottage vibe.
Beige and Brown: If you have a beige home or commercial building, pairing it with brown shingles is a very safe bet. While this color combination won’t break any new ground, it will surely provide your property with a clean and timeless look. It works a lot like the gray combination: pretty much all you have to do is make sure that your brown shingles are a darker hue than your beige siding. Again, this combination works well in drier climates but can be used effectively pretty much anywhere.

Bonus Tips

There’s more to a beautiful home than choosing the right shingle and siding colors. But, no matter what year it is, some general rules of thumb of house colors will always steer you in the right direction. So here are some bonus tips when color-coding your home:

White Fascia is Never a Bad Idea: White is the most contrasting color of all. The only time it’s not a good idea to use white soffits and fascia is if the entire house is white. White soffits and fascia work well with any home and shingle color.
When Dark Shingles are Appropriate: Darker shingles are best used on multi-level homes. These homes tend to have a more dynamic roof design, and the dark colors can call attention to these design elements and give them more depth.
When Light Shingles are Appropriate: People tend to love the look of light shingles on single-story ranch-style homes. It gives the property a more homey feel. Besides, using dark shingles on these homes may call too much attention to the roof and overtake the house itself.

Modern Roof Colors for Shingles

Gone are the days of drab, gray shingles. Today, manufacturers are giving consumers more choices than they ever had before. However, the dilemma has always been this: asphalt shingles are economical and reliable, but they never really offer aesthetic appeal.

The good news is that asphalt shingles are still economical and reliable. The even better news is that they now come in a wide variety of colors and styles. So today, homeowners realize that their asphalt shingling can contribute to the curbside appeal of their homes.

Sep '21

5 Great Roofer Email Marketing Tips That Get Results in 2021

As a roofer, you must attack lead generation from every angle – grass-roots marketing, SEO, word of mouth referrals, and roofer email marketing. For instance, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to keep in touch with your customers and gain new ones.

Consider the following statistic: 99% of people with email accounts look at their inbox every day. In marketing, you want to go where the people are – and email is undoubtedly where they spend their time. Studies show that some people check their email 20 times a day.

So it stands to reason that email is a powerful marketing tool for roofers. Still, you have to know how to use it. Roofer’s Guild shares some of the most effective email marketing strategies for roofers in the following post.

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1) Create an Email List

To get started with roofer email marketing, you must compile a list of email addresses. Then, create valuable content assets like white papers, coupons, or digital downloads and exchange them for users’ email addresses or contact info.

Downloadable content is one of the most effective ways to generate an email list. Finally, offer guides on your website in exchange for user emails.

The guides could be on winterizing your roof or what to look for when inspecting your roof. You can also create a white paper on helpful topics like how much a roofing replacement should cost based on the materials used or how to spot a roofing leak.

Then, once you have people downloading your content, gather all the contact information they submit for the content and create an email list.

If you can, try to track what content the people are downloading. You can use this information to personalize their emails and make your email marketing campaign more effective. Personalized emails are 26% more likely to be opened than non-personalized emails.

Email Marketing Lists — Source: **SendinBlue**

2) Make Personal Content

Personalized content is much more effective in email marketing campaigns. You have to start by segmenting your email contact list—separate email addresses based on the interaction you have already had with the user.

For example, suppose you have someone who downloaded a white paper you offered on the new homeowner roofing checklist. In that case, it’s probably safe to say that the person who downloaded the white paper is a new homeowner.

Or, if you got the email info from someone who recently requested a roofing quote, you can segment those emails based on their apparent interest in upcoming roofing work.

Your categories will indeed vary depending on the kind of content and services you offer. The important thing is that you segment emails so that you can send each segmented list targeted content.

For example, the people who requested a quote for roofing work would probably benefit from emails about upcoming promotions or service discounts.

The point is to create email content that will be useful or of particular interest to the customer based on their interaction with you or your website, making customers more likely to:

Open your email
Click through to your website from the email and,
Convert

3) Follow Up

It’s a bit counter-intuitive to think that “hounding” your customers is an effective email marketing strategy. But the numbers don’t lie: subsequent follow-up emails have a response rate of up to 27%. Follow-up emails typically have higher response rates than the initial email.

While you never want to inundate your customers’ inboxes, sending follow-up emails based on their recent interests is a great way to keep in touch with your customers and increasing your brand recognition. Follow-up emails don’t always have to be personalized – though that is the best strategy.

You can also keep in touch with customers and remind them of your service through a general newsletter.

4) Utilize Automation

If the tips we have discussed up to this point seem a little intimidating and time-consuming, you’re right. The fact is that launching an effective email roofer marketing campaign is an involved process. That’s why it helps to automate things.

Using a professional email marketing platform can be a big help, especially if you are starting with roofer email marketing.

These professional platforms can provide you with email templates that you fill with your content and your company’s information. They can also help automate some of the segmenting duties for your email list.

One of the best things about modern email marketing platforms is scheduling when emails get sent, saving you time and effort.

Just be sure that the platform you choose can handle the volume of emails you send out every month. It’s also helpful to choose a service that provides a robust customer relationship management tool.

Email Automation Options — Source: SendinBlue

5) Leverage Customer Reviews

If you have been in business for more than a year, you probably have several customer reviews. You can use these reviews in your email marketing campaign to boost the perceived credibility of your roofing company.

Including customer reviews in your emails is an effective marketing strategy because consumers will read customer reviews of your business anyway. If they are considering hiring you, they will do their research by reading customer reviews.

So why not bring the reviews to them? It’s a good way of controlling what the consumer reads about your business. You can pull good reviews from your Google My Business page, Yelp, or any other customer review platform.

Implanting customer reviews in emails is also a good linking opportunity. For example, if a particular customer review mentions your roofing inspection service, you can embed a link to your website’s roofing inspection service page.

Of course, you are going to want to make it as personal as possible. So if you can, make sure the reviews pertain to a product or service that the recipient seeks.

Acquiring Roofing Leads Through Email Marketing

Each of the five suggestions above helps roofers achieve success through email marketing. But what does success look like for email marketing campaigns? The answer comes in the form of lead generation.

Of course, metrics like open-rate, unsubscribe rate, and follow-up rate all provide insights into your email marketing campaign; the result is leads. As more people consume well-developed marketing strategies, you will begin to acquire prospective roofing customers.

At Roofer’s Guild, we help roofing contractors acquire exclusive roofing leads using our various systems and techniques, honed over a decade in the highest leverage roofing marketing space on the plant. Contact us today to learn more.

Sep '21

6 (Tips + Ideas) to Master the Art of the Roofing Sales Pitch

Do you have trouble mastering your roofing sales pitch? If so, Roofer’s Guild can help.

Not everyone is a natural-born salesman. However, you can follow a general formula to give yourself the best shot at closing a roofing sale. Some of what we will be discussing in the following post is simply common courtesy – the basic tenets of interpersonal interaction that will at least start you off on the right foot.

Others are unique tactics that your roofing contractors can use to close more roofing sales. In any case, all of the following tips will help you smooth out your roofing sales pitch.

Table of Contents

1) Give a Respectful First Impression

When you drive up to someone’s property to discuss roofing services with them, you really have to be mindful of how you present yourself. It’s one thing to talk to someone on the phone – they can’t see what you’re wearing or your body language. It’s quite another thing to meet with someone face-to-face.

That’s why you have to be mindful of how you are presenting yourself in person. Remember that you are representing your company as a whole when you meet with a potential customer. Face-to-face interaction can go a long way towards establishing your company’s credibility. But, on the other hand, an in-person meeting can be disastrous if you aren’t respectful.

So when you go to meet someone at their home, be sure that you are wearing a clean uniform. Make sure that your truck or business vehicle is clean. Make sure that you’re not blasting loud music out of the car when you pull up to the house. Make sure that any forms or plans you have are ready and that you don’t have to fumble around for them.

2) Don’t Be Too Pushy

The best roofing sales pitch will educate the potential customer – not push products or services on them. When you talk to someone about their roof, listen to their needs. Listen to their pain points, and focus on how your roofing process will help solve that pain point. Avoid embellishing price points or rambling about how great your company is in the market.

It’s also beneficial to focus on the importance of craft in your roofing sales pitch. Explain to the potential customer that your company emphasizes quality that will last. Education is vital in swaying a consumer. When you have thoroughly conveyed the process and feel that they have a good idea of the work, they will feel more comfortable hiring you.

It helps to establish authority as well. That’s why it’s always a good idea to have in-depth knowledge of the service in question. While some people may have good, thoughtful questions for you, do your very best to avoid responding with “I’ll have to get back to you on that” or “I don’t know.” Some perceive that response as a lack of authority and turn to a roofing contractor with all the answers.

3) Highlight the Benefits of Hiring your Company

There are over 100,000 roofing contractor companies active in the United States today. That’s great for the industry, but what does it have to do with your roofing sales pitch? We are trying to emphasize that your potential customers have more than their fair share of choices when it comes to hiring a roofer.

Discuss what makes your company better than the local competition. For example, maybe you offer more roofing material choices. Perhaps you can complete a project faster than other roofers. Perhaps you offer free inspections or better labor warranties than others. Chances are there is something that you do better than the competition – or at least, something that will make working with your company sound enticing.

Take some time to think about what these aspects are before you go to talk to someone. In addition to educating the person on the roofing process, you should also emphasize the benefits of hiring your company.

4) Connect on a Personal Level

Salespeople tend to get a bad rap. One of the reasons people tend to distrust salespeople is that they know they are being paid to sell a product or service. So they feel that any interaction with the salesperson will be disingenuous. After all, they only care about making the sale.

It’s a difficult perception for any salesperson to overcome. However, it certainly can be overcome. The best way to get the customer to let their guard down is by establishing a personal connection with them. Easier said than done, we know, but talking a bit about your personal life is often an effective way to develop a relationship.

Take a look around the property. See anything familiar? A dog? A cat? A basketball court? A car model that you recognize? Integrate these things into your roofing sales pitch. You can also share a bit about yourself, including your history with the company and why you chose to work for them. Even talking about hobbies can be significant for a roofing salesperson.

5) Discuss Financing Options

Believe it or not, many homeowners aren’t even aware that they can finance roofing work. Mention that your company offers financing options, especially to prospects who seem on the fence with their decision.

Many roofing projects will give homeowners a sticker shock right off the bat because, let’s face it, many roofing projects are expensive. However, it can be beneficial to calm that shock by showing the homeowner some monthly payment figures instead of the whole lump sum.

6) Give them Options

The average homeowner is not a roofing expert. Most people don’t know what options are available to them in terms of roofing materials. They may opt not to hire a company because the salesman did not present them with any choices they liked. In most cases, the salesman doesn’t show everything he has in his arsenal.

Your roofing sales pitch should include all the options your company has to offer. If you have many shingle options, be sure that you have pictures and samples at the ready. If you do metal roofing, be prepared to show the homeowner some examples. Offering the right option could be what closes the sale, so don’t forget to show them all the roofing options at your disposal.

Close More Customers

To close more customers, you have to get roofing leads. Here at Roofer’s Guild, we can help boost your lead-generation efforts so you have more opportunities to close sales. We specialize in marketing and lead-generation specifically for small to midsize roofing companies, and we can help you get more customers.

Sep '21

How to Sell Roofs Door to Door (6 Helpful Tips for 2021)

In the following blog post, Roofer’s Guild will explain how to sell roofs door to door in 2021.

Selling roofs door to door in 2021 may seem like an obsolete method, but it is still one of the most effective ways to close roof sales and get your name out there. Sure, it takes literal legwork and some interpersonal skills; but the fact is that a lot of people still appreciate the face-to-face interaction they get from any home service company.

Credibility is vital in the roofing business. People want to feel like you know what you’re talking about and that your company is a reliable source for roofing services. Face-to-face communication is one of the most effective ways to establish credibility. It allows people to see that your words are in tune with your body language.

Still, door-to-door roof sales are notorious for being challenging. Not everyone will react favorably to a stranger ringing their doorbell. So in the following post, Roofer’s Guild will offer some tips for all the door-to-door and potential door-to-door roof salesmen out there. If you want to learn how to sell roofs door to door effectively in 2021, do yourself a favor and read our guide.

Table of Contents

Tip #1: Get To The Point

Don’t take too long to get to your point. Believe it or not, most people aren’t interested in spending a significant portion of their day in idle chatter with a stranger. People will tell you that you are a salesman when you come to the door, so don’t waste their time. State your name, the name of the company, and your sales point right off the bat.

Bonus Tip: it can be constructive to rehearse your pitch – especially the greeting where you state your name, the name of your business, and why you are there.

Tip #2: Adapt as Needed

While it’s a good idea to have part of your pitch rehearsed, don’t be a robot. Remember that one of the most effective door to door sales tactics is finding the pain point of the potential customers. That means you will have to have a conversation with them and listen to their roofing needs. You may be able to steer the conversation a bit by observing certain things about their roofs. In general, though, the goal is to listen to the customer and let them talk about their roofing concerns.

Once they mention their concerns, then it is time to provide your solution. If they can’t remember their last roof inspection, note that you offer a roofing inspection service. If they mention concerns about the effect of extreme weather on their roof, note that you specialize in storm roof repair. Next, take a look at the state of their gutters. If they require cleaning or repair, steer the conversation towards them and mention that your company offers competitive gutter cleaning and repair rates.

The point is to adapt your pitch to the needs of the customer. Of course, you may not always be able to do this. After all, you can’t just lie and say you offer a roofing service that the customer needs even though you don’t. But more often than not, you will find some roofing needs that you can fill for potential customers.

Tip #3: It’s About Getting Leads

Of course, you always want to try and close a sale. However, there is a secondary purpose: generating leads. Leads are vitally important to your roofing business, and you need as many as you can possibly get. You should already be implementing SEO and digital marketing strategies to generate more roofing leads online, but selling roofs door to door is a golden opportunity to generate leads even if you can’t close a sale.

Consider the neighborhood of a worksite you are on. Your customer’s neighbors are excellent lead prospects because, chances are, their roofs are prone to the same problems. They are likely to need roofing services soon, too, right? So go ahead and knock on their doors and ask them about the state of their roofs.

Even if they aren’t interested, you can ask to leave your card with them just in case they need any roofing work in the next year or two.

Tip #4: Be Polite

Being polite when you knock on someone’s door and try to sell them anything is a given. What we’re talking about, though, is to be polite even in the face of rudeness. Remember that many neighborhoods these days have their own social media groups, and word can get around quickly of a rude door-to-door roof salesman.

Plus, if you return rudeness with rudeness, you will have no chance of converting that customer in the future.

Tip #5: Use Storm-Chasing Apps

Part of being an effective salesman is knowing which areas are prime for business. If you want to know how to sell roofs door to door effectively, you have to know where people are most likely to buy. A storm-tracking app could be highly effective. A good storm-tracking app will let you know which areas have been recently hit with hail or other kinds of storms.

Remember that people will be looking to shore up their roofs as soon as possible after the storm, so it could be highly profitable for you to eliminate the need for their search by showing up to their property.

Tip #6: COVID Safety

No matter where you stand on the issue, it’s simply common courtesy to respect people’s concerns – especially if you walk up to people’s doorsteps. In 2021, you have to make people feel as comfortable as possible – especially if you’re in the home services industry. So if you are planning on selling roofs door to door, remember to stand six feet away.

Trust us; people will look through their peephole before opening their door. If they see you are overly aggressive, chances are they won’t even give you the time of day. Another thing you can do to open more doors is to step a few feet away from the door after you knock or ring the doorbell.

Even before COVID, people tend to feel uncomfortable when they look through the peephole or out the window and see a stranger standing right up against their front door. But, again, it’s a personal space and safety thing. Taking a step or two back from the door after ringing or knocking will start your interaction off on the wrong foot because you will be showing people that you respect their personal space and safety.

Sep '21

How To Cut Metal Roofing (Tips, Ideas, and Best Practices)

Disclaimer: Always consult with safety and roofing professionals before performing cuts or any dangerous task. Everything in this post is hypothetical and theoretical and should not be used as a how-to manual.

Whether you are a seasoned or new roofing contractor, it’s essential to know how to cut metal roofing. It’s vital for contractors because metal roofing is becoming a prevalent choice for commercial and residential properties.

You will need to keep up with the demand for metal roofing and know how to work with it effectively. Knowing the best practices for cutting metal roofs is always good, so your project goes as smoothly as possible.

In the following post, Roofer’s Guild will be going over some tips for cutting metal roofing materials.

Tools for Cutting Metal Roofs

Now that you know why so many people opt for metal roofs, it’s time to prepare yourself to install this increasingly popular roofing material. There are a few tools that you will want to keep handy if you plan on cutting metal roofing:

Tin Snips: Tin snips are your basic metal cutting hand tools. They can work well if you are dealing with a particularly thin sheet of metal roofing or if you need to make small, detailed cuts.
Circular Saw: Circular saws work well when you want to cut multiple sheets of the same length. You will want a circular saw around when you need to make long, straight cuts as well.
Nibbler: A nibbler is used to cut through sheet metal. For roofing, it’s best to use a power nibbler so you can make rounded cuts when needed.

Measuring your Cuts

Before you start marking your metal roofing panels for cuts, be sure to lay the panels on a flat, stable surface like the ground or a workbench. Make sure the underside of the panels faces up. The underside will be flatter and, therefore, easier to mark.

Using a tape measure, mark the beginning and endpoint of the intended cut. A permanent marker works best for this. Make sure you mark the start and end points precisely to prevent any gaps between the panels.

Use a combination square to draw a straight line with a permanent marker between the start and end cut points.

Safety Precautions

Now that your cuts are measured and marked off, it’s time to start cutting. Wrong. You need special safety gear, especially if you’re planning on using a circular saw. Your safety gear should include:

Goggles: Cutting metal with a circular saw creates metal fragments that can fly into your eyes.
Dust Mask: A dust mask will prevent metal shards from making it into your mouth or sinuses.
Gloves: Heavy-duty work gloves are ideal because cutting into metal roofing panels can create sharp, dangerous edges.
Earplugs: Earplugs are only necessary if you plan to use a circular saw as the cutting will produce high-decibel noise.

Cutting with Tin Snips

Tin snips are best when making short, small, or detailed cuts. They work the same as scissors, so if your cut begins at the edge of the panel, there’s really not much to it – just be sure to follow the cut lines you made carefully.

However, if your cut needs to begin in the middle of the panel, you will need to drill a pilot hole. Using an electric drill with a ½ inch metal-cutting drill bit, bore a small hole at the starting point of your cut. Then, simply use your snips to get into the pilot hole and begin your cut.

Using a Circular Saw

When cutting metal roofing panels with a circular saw, it’s best to use a steel tooth or carbide tooth blade.

To begin cutting with a circular saw, line the blade up with your cut line very carefully. Keep one hand on the handle and the other on the saw guard at all times. Move the blade slowly along the cut line, keeping your hands steady as possible.

Why are People Choosing Metal Roofs?

Barns, silos, and commercial buildings were traditionally familiar metal roofing candidates. However, that isn’t the case anymore. Hundreds of thousands of homes in the US now feature metal roofs, and their popularity is only on the rise with homeowners. Take a look at the features of metal roofing that make it such an attractive choice for homeowners:

Longevity: A properly installed metal roof will typically last between 40 and 70 years. Of course, specific materials, installation, and weather conditions will factor in how long any roof will last. By and large, though, metal roofs typically last longer than shingle roofing.
Design: Metal roofing has come a long way over the last couple of decades. Metal roofing comes in different colors and can even mimic the look of natural roofing materials.
Flame-Retardant: Metal roofs are safer because they are flame-retardant. They will not spark up and will prevent the spread of flames in case of a house fire.
Impact and Wind Resistant: Metal roofing can withstand wind speeds of up to 140 miles per hour. They are also very impact-resistant, which is a huge plus if you live in an area prone to hail storms.
Lightweight: Metal roofing panels are lighter and less expensive to install than natural stone roofing and even shingle roofing.

Sep '21

6 Best Roofing Directories for Digital Marketing in 2021

What are the best roofing directories in 2021? Roofer’s Guild will outline the best options in the following post.

You might wonder, what’s the big deal about being listed on a roofing directory site in the first place? It’s all about visibility. Having your roofing business listed on as many review sites as possible is just common sense for digital marketing.

But there’s another significant benefit to directory listings, and that’s SEO for roofers. Google and other search engines trust websites more if they establish multiple citations throughout the web.

It’s wise to be present on as many directories as possible, but there are specific directories that you should allot more of your time and efforts to.

Let’s take a look at the top five directories for roofing companies in 2021:

Table of Contents

1) Google My Business

In 2021, Google My Business is still the most important directory for roofers and most other industry professionals. The reason it’s still so important is quite simple: 246 million Americans use Google every day. And if you don’t think that Google prioritizes its services and directories on relevant searches, you are sorely mistaken.

The sheer number of Google users makes Google My Business a must for roofers. For example, consider the following statistic: the local Map Pack appears on the first page of search engine results nearly 30% of the time.

Why is that important? Because your Google My Business profile is the surest way to make it into the local map pack for relevant local searches. Having a Google My Business profile will almost certainly increase the online visibility of your roofing company.

Like with the other best roofing directories, it helps to have as many reviews on Google My Business as possible. In addition, uploading high-quality photos relevant to your business and services, providing a thorough description of your company, listing service hours, service areas, and contact information will also help your company appear on more searches.

2) Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau may not have a fancy website or allow you to customize your business profile very much. However, people still turn to the BBB for honest information about businesses. The reason the BBB is on our list of the best roofing directories is that it is reputable. People know that it’s respected and use it to do the necessary research on companies they are thinking of working with or patronizing.

The BBB uses a grade scale (A to F) based on specific customer complaints criteria. They also allow for customers to submit a star rating (1-5 stars). In addition, the BBB directory will enable customers to leave reviews of a company. The company can also respond to these reviews.

Being listed on the BBB website is an excellent way to make your roofing company appear more reputable. People tend to be suspicious of companies not listed on the BBB directory as the BBB serves as the standard in reporting on business practices. Not being listed with the BBB could be costing you leads and customers.

3) Houzz

Houzz is an excellent directory if you are in the home services industry. Initially, Houzz helped consumers connect with reliable home service professionals. Since its inception, Houzz has evolved to almost a social media platform for the home service industry.

Not only can customers leave reviews of your company on Houzz, but you can also use it to network with other home service professionals. For example, you can reach out to other roofers or home service companies on Houzz and ask that they display some of your images on their profile.

Houzz also allows for direct discussion between consumers and service providers, and anyone can participate. So you can answer a question a customer may have on another company’s profile and gain more leads that way.

Of course, your Houzz profile will allow you to upload your images and allow your customers to leave reviews. There are 2.5 million unique users on Houzz, making it one of the most popular home service directories on the internet. The community is bustling which means it’s a rich source for leads and a must for roofers.

4) Angi

Remember Angie’s List? Angi works the same way – the company re-branded. Angi is one of the best roofing directories for you to be on because customers have to be verified to leave a review. That means you can’t falsify reviews on this directory.

Verification is beneficial for both consumers and companies. For consumers, it means that they can rely on the information in reviews submitted on Angi. It means that companies don’t have to worry about being reamed by a spam bot or an ill-willed consumer.

Angi does an excellent job of keeping everyone honest, and it’s free and easy to set up an account. The platform grades businesses on an A-F scale, and of course, Angi allows users to provide detailed descriptions of their experience with a given company.

5) Facebook

Facebook is a powerful forum, much in the same way that Google is: the sheer volume of users. For example, Facebook Ratings & Reviews appear on your business’s Facebook page (your business does have a Facebook page, doesn’t it?). It allows people to give your company a star rating and leave an optional review.

In 2021, 15% of Facebook users reported using the platform to get information on businesses. That may not seem like a lot, but Facebook still boasts more than 2.8 billion monthly users. Encouraging your followers and customers to leave a review for your company on Facebook Ratings & Reviews is a good strategy for social media marketing. It will help establish authority for your business and increase visibility among the friends and family members of your current customers and followers.

6) Porch

Porch is a unique directory because it focuses on the specific projects of its users. So, for example, someone can post a project for their home, and you can reach out to them and offer your services.

Users can also reach out to you directly when you set up your account, even if you have not offered your services for their project. Setting up your profile is free, but they also have paid subscriptions that give you access to more features.

More Roofing Directories for Contractors and Companies

While the top six directories provide the most value to your roofing company, it also helps to list your business information on additional directory platforms. Below you can find a list of several more of the best roofing directories which accept submissions from legitimate roofers.

EBusinessPages
Apple Maps
HubSpot’s Solutions Directory
Hub.biz
LinkedIn Company Directory
Finduslocal.com
Yelp
Spoke
Foursquare
Fyple.com
Nextdoor
eLocal.com
GoLocal247
YellowBook.com
2FindLocal
MapQuest
Just Landed
Local.com
USdirectory.com
My Huckleberry
Cylex US
BOTW
Lacartes
Brownbook.net
Dun & Bradstreet Business Directory
Call Up Contact
Hotfrog
Cybo
Opendi.us
Yellow.Place
ExpressBusinessDirectory.com
n49.com
City Squares
Bizhwy.com
Bing
Merchant Circle
Yahoo! Local
Yellow Pages
iBegin
Tuugo.us
Thumbtack
ChamberofCommerce.com
EZlocal
Manta
Neustar Localeze

Sep '21

5 Methods to Generate Roofing Leads in Denver, CO

As a roofing company based in Denver, Colorado, your goal is to generate roofing leads.

Most companies invest in some online presence, whether SEO, PPC, or Facebook Ads, to get more prospective customers.

But every one of your competitors is doing something too, so standing out becomes a challenge.

The more leads you have, the more able you will be to get through the slow months. And in Denver, the quiet months could feel like years.

Generating leads is one of the most important and challenging things to do in 2021. If you feel that you have tapped out your lead-generating potential, take a look at the following list of tips for drumming up more roofing leads in Denver.

1) Partner Up

Forming business partnerships can open you up to a whole new demographic of leads. Think about local businesses that you often come across in your work as a roofer. Real estate agents and local hardware stores are a good place to start.

Reach out to these business owners and offer your services and promotion. For instance, you can ask the local mom-and-pop hardware store that you frequent for your supplies if you could leave your cards on their checkout stands or if they can include a link to your site on their website.

Partnering up with real estate agents or companies can be incredibly lucrative. For example, you could offer their services for roofing inspections, and in return, they could refer their clients to you. But, of course, real estate agents are always in need of roofing services anyway, so reaching out to a local agent or two is a good lead-generation tactic in and of itself.

2) Get More Reviews

Online reviews have become a commodity for businesses in the digital age. Studies have shown that most consumers will read at least one review before purchasing a product or service – some polled consumers reported that they read more than ten reviews before making a decision.

People look to online reviews to see what kind of experience they can expect from roofing companies. In addition, reviews help with visibility; the more reviews you have to read online, the more people will see your business.

But how do you get more reviews? It would help if you started by starting a Google My Business profile for your roofing company. It’s free, easy, and will instantly increase the online visibility of your business if you don’t already have a profile.

Of course, it helps to be as present as possible on review sites like Houzz, Angie’s List, and Yelp. However, investing in reputation management tools is also a great way to get more reviews and leverage your current ones to generate more Denver roofing leads.

3) Invest in PPC

PPC stands for Pay Per Click. It’s a form of online advertising in which you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. While PPC advertising has caught some flack over the years for being “unsustainable” or a black hat form of marketing, it can give your company a shot in the arm in terms of leads.

PPC ad campaigns can be beneficial if your roofing business is new. PPC ads are a great way to increase visibility in your local market. The best thing about them is that they can target specific audiences. In other words, you can make it so that your PPC ads show up only for people who have searched for or otherwise showed interest in roofing services.

Another good thing about most PPC ad services like Google Adwords is setting a strict budget. This way, there’s no chance of accidentally going over your advertising budget. Setting a low budget at first is an excellent way to save money and see how effective your PPC ad campaign is.

If you are getting a good return on your low-budget PPC ad campaign, you can think about increasing the budget for even more leads.

4) Trade Shows

The old ways aren’t dead. Trade shows are still a hotbed for roofing leads. While you have to be more careful with them now that we live through a pandemic, trade shows are still a great way to establish industry connections and get B2B leads.

Trade shows can be beneficial if you happen to specialize in commercial roofing. Many other businesses attend trade shows, and you may find that most of your leads come from exhibitors rather than attendees. The Colorado Roofing Association still holds annual trade shows that are a must-attend for roofers in Denver.

You don’t even have to be an exhibitor to get roofing leads from trade shows. Just showing up and talking to other attendees and exhibitors could be enough to spark valuable business connections and gain Denver roofing leads.

5) Local SEO

Roofing is most certainly a local business. So if your current SEO strategy doesn’t emphasize your local market, you are probably wasting money. Targeting longtail keywords that include “Denver, CO” or an even more specific neighborhood is an excellent first step for local SEO. Here are some other ways you can optimize for local SEO:

Create blog content that focuses on local news or events
Create different location pages for every area that you service
Get backlinks from local businesses and organizations
Optimize your site for mobile web browsers

There’s much more to local SEO, so it’s usually a good idea to partner up with an SEO agency to help you with the technical details.

Get More Denver Roofing Leads

Here at Roofer’s Guild, it’s our job to provide roofers in the Denver area and beyond with helpful resources. Our experience in the industry means that we can craft a specialized digital marketing campaign that will help you get more leads and convert more leads. In addition, we provide lead generation services to Denver-area roofing companies. So contact us today to get started.

Sep '21

How To Write a Good Review for a Roofing Company in 2021

You might be wondering how to write a good review for a roofing company in 2021.

How much should you say about the service? Also, how specific should you get about the business? These are questions that consumers often ponder but don’t know for sure.

Many innovative roofing companies have review templates ready for their customers who have been satisfied by their services, making it easier for you to leave a review. When it is easy for a customer to leave a review, they are more likely to do so.

A template may be an excellent way to get more reviews for roofing businesses, but how should you approach these as a customer?

Learning how to write a good review for a roofing company could be beneficial. So in the following post, Roofer’s Guild will show you how to do just that.

1) Don’t Overdo It

Did you know that most people are suspicious of companies that have a perfect 5-star rating? When people scroll through reviews and read nothing but saccharine sweetness and lofty praise about a business, they inherently think something is up.

At this point, people are aware that reviews can be manipulated or coaxed out of people through special discounts and offers.

The ideal star rating is somewhere around 4.5 stars. So in your reviews, don’t go overboard with your praise. Instead, it’s best to mention the business’s specific services you were pleased with, which lends credibility to your review.

2) Include Pertinent Details

Reviews go wrong when they leave out essential details or put in unnecessary ones. We get it; most people don’t want to read an essay, but they also don’t care what kind of jacket you were wearing when a roofing company came out to your property. So include the pertinent details only.

Pertinent details include:

The date that the roofer came to your property.
The time they arrived when they finished.
The service rendered.
Anything else having to do with the service experience.

If the company was exceptionally responsive, include how long it took for them to call or email you back.

3) Omit Names When Possible

Inherently, there is nothing wrong with heaping praise upon a specific roofing company employee by naming them. The only problem with this is that it may date your review in the long run. Not every employee will stay with a company long-term. So when someone reads that Mitch from Grade A Roofing did a great job and was courteous, they will hope for Mitch when they hire Grade A Roofing.

But maybe Mitch isn’t with the company anymore or got promoted or was just a seasonal employee in the first place. So is it ever appropriate to name names in a roofing company review?

It’s typically a safe bet to name the owner of the business when appropriate. People love hearing that the owner of the company was on-site and hands-on with the project. In addition, ownership of roofing companies doesn’t change hands very often, so it’s a generally safe practice if you want to call a specific person out.

4) Include your Own Experience

Another pitfall that many reviewers fall into is including the experiences of others in their reviews. Even when you are leaving a good review, refrain from referencing the experience of friends or neighbors, including:

Experiences you have heard of firsthand from friends and family
Other reviews you have read about the company

The former can be incredibly tempting. After all, how much harm can it do to say, “my brother told me about the great service of so and so roofing company”? However, in most cases, it simply sounds like you are echoing the opinions of others or that you were biased in the first place. Other consumers don’t care who referred you to a roofing company or how much your friends like them.

The latter point is even more detrimental. Instead of referencing your own experience in earnest, you are echoing the secondhand opinions of people you have never even met. Nobody will take these kinds of reviews seriously, and some may question their validity.

Instead, include only your own experience with the company. Then, let people know what they can expect based on firsthand accounts.

5) Be Specific

The worst positive reviews read something like this “I liked so and so roofing company. They were great. I will be hiring them again.” Unfortunately, this kind of review (even though it is clearly in praise of the company in question) offers no helpful information to other consumers.

And as a roofing contractor, it does not tell other consumers what they can expect from you. Remember that people read reviews to help them make a purchasing decision based on other people’s experiences with a company.

Showering a roofing company with non-specific praise doesn’t help anyone. So in your review or your review template, be sure to include specific details about what you liked about the company.

For instance, if you appreciated that the crew showed up on time, mention that. Mention the scheduled time and what time they arrived. Or, if you noticed how quickly the job got done, give details. State in your review the timeframe the company gave you, when you started the project and when you finished it.

6) Check Grammar

Many people want to write a review and get it over with, which is understandable. But, unfortunately, few people have the time to spend writing a good review for every company that did a good job. As much as possible, though, try to keep your reviews free of spelling errors and grammar mistakes.

It can be helpful to write up your review in a word processor program like Office or Google Docs. That way, you can have the program check for spelling and grammar. Then you can copy and paste the review into the appropriate field.

A review rife with spelling and grammar errors comes off as less credible. It could be genuine, but it could make the review harder to read for other consumers too.

Aug '21

Does How Long a Roofing Company is in Business Matter?

How long do roofing companies stay in business? The answer to that question may shock you. After all, when you look up roofers in your area on Google, you are guaranteed to have no shortage of choices. However, the sheer volume of roofing companies currently in operation in any given city in the United States belies the average lifespan of companies in this industry.

The average roofing company only stays in business for four years. As a consumer, this may not seem important to you; but it is just as important to you as it is to anyone considering becoming a roofing contractor. That’s because experience matters when it comes time to choose a roofing contractor. So, whether you are a contractor, prospective contractor, or consumer, you should be concerned with the question: how long do roofing companies stay in business?

In the following post, Roofer’s Guild will show you why. So if you are a roofing contractor with the ambition to make it past that elusive 4-year mark, we can help.

Does Business Age Matter?

The simple answer is yes. It absolutely matters how long your roofing company has been operational for several reasons that concern both the consumer and the contractor.

Inexperienced Pricing

In one way or another, it all boils down to experience. This point, however, has to do more specifically with how a new contracting company prices jobs. Many people don’t realize that roofing has a slow season in most regions of the United States. A seasoned roofer will know how to price jobs so that their company makes it through those quiet months.

A newer contractor may offer lower prices for a roofing job, but that may only be because they haven’t been around long enough to know that they need to retain enough earnings to carry them through the slow season.

You may still be wondering why this matters as a consumer. For example, let’s say you hire a roofer in the summer to build your new roof. The company has been in business a couple of years and just happened to give you the lowest bid. Now let’s say there’s a problem with your roof that arises in the following January.

Unless the roofer you hired was wise beyond their years, they might not even be in business anymore. The fact is that many new roofing companies fail during the slow season because they didn’t price jobs prudently. So that warranty you got from your roofer in the summer will mean nothing if the business doesn’t last past the winter.

You will be left high and dry – or in the case of a leaking roof in the winter, high and wet.

Local Inexperience

Being an experienced roofer is essential. More specifically, however, you need experience with your local market. Not every region of the country deals with the same kinds of roofing problems as others. For instance, some of the most common roofing problems entail intense UV rays deteriorating roof shingles.

While on the other side of the country, the most common problems have to do with hail storm damage in Florida. Where a roofer has experience is vital to the contractor and the consumer.

A roofing company may have been in business for 20+ years but have only been operating in your local area for one or two years. So if they lack the expertise to address your problems, it may be a regional ignorance.

On the other side of the coin, as a contractor, your foray into a new market may cost your company if you don’t have specialized experience.

As a consumer, you have to ask how long the company has been in business; but how long they have been in business in your area. As a contractor, you have to carefully weigh the pros and cons of breaking into a new market. Hiring local roofers could be a way to negate this danger, however.

Experience Talks

Last but certainly not least, it matters how long a roofing company has been in business because it speaks volumes to the quality of their work. Think about it; would you hire a company that has been in business for 50 years or 15 years to build your roof?

Experience matters because the longer you’ve been in business, the more consumers will perceive your company as one of quality. Longevity speaks to a commitment to quality roofing work, good customer service, and responsibility. However, building trust and credibility takes years to establish.

That’s not to say that there aren’t any good and new roofing companies. On the contrary, the roofers, who are now considered 50-year veterans, started in year one, just like the latest contractors on the market. Still, a lack of experience requires the consumer to take a more considerable risk.

Bonus Point

Experience can matter from a digital marketing standpoint too. For example, it can be challenging for new companies to get enough online reviews for customers to feel comfortable pursuing their services.

Online reviews go hand-in-hand with consumer trust. Most consumers read at least four online reviews before deciding which product or service they should use. Unfortunately, the fact is that newer roofing companies may not be able to get enough reviews to sway first-time customers.

Marketing Experience Matters, Too

If we have impressed anything upon you in this post, we hope this simple sentiment is that experience matters! Here at Roofer’s Guild, we have vast digital marketing experience in the specific market of roofing. How long do roofing companies stay in business? The answer to that could be the difference between an effective and ineffective digital marketing strategy.