When a homeowner needs a roofing contractor, the first place they look is online. They hunt through all the search results, investigating each company’s credentials, reviews posted by previous customers, and the services provided by different companies. Make sure you are the most reliable and qualified company they find in their search by following these tips below.

Reviews and Recommendations

One of the biggest things homeowners look for when searching online for a roofing contractor is reviews and recommendations from previous customers. These reviews might be on your own website or on a site like Yelp, Angie’s List or HomeAdvisor. Regardless of where they are posted, they can mean the difference between gaining or losing a potential customer. Homeowners scan reviews to see how many stars people give you, what things you did well, and what things upset your customers. Bad reviews will turn customers away in a heartbeat, while good ones can boost you above the competition.

Read: How to Handle a Bad Customer Review

In order to use these reviews and recommendations to your advantage, encourage customers to leave reviews after you complete a job and be sure to respond to the comments. If you know you did a job very well, make sure you ask your customer to leave a recommendation. Angry customers will readily post a review, but sometimes a content customer will not think twice about it. Kindly reminding them that their feedback would be appreciated can do wonders.

Responding to comments can help show new customers you are involved with your clients and that your company actively works to improve your service. Commenting on a bad review to clarify any issues the client experienced and show how you resolved the issue shows homeowners you truly care about what your clients think and that you are willing to go the extra mile to ensure their satisfaction.

Credentials

Another component homeowners are looking for online is your credentials. Homeowners want the most qualified companies working on their house and credentials are proof you know what you are doing. Make sure these credentials are posted clearly on your website, so that homeowners are sure to see them while they are researching. Credentials homeowners might be looking for are state and federal licensing, as well as professional trade organizations you belong to. If you have employees with specific certifications be sure to include those as well, because homeowners may be looking for contractors who specialize in a particular brand or product. Making your credentials easy to find is sure to set you apart from the competition, as homeowners can immediately tell you are a qualified company.

Warranties

Make sure the warranties you offer appear somewhere on your website. For example, if you provide a year-based warranty on particular roof type and materials, tell that on your website. Roofing repairs can be very expensive and customers want to know their investment is insured in the event that something goes wrong. Make it easy for the customer to see their money is well spent and safe.

Services

One of the easiest ways to set yourself above other roofing contractors online is to make sure all of the services you provide are listed on your website. Homeowners know that you do roofing installations and repairs, but do you install skylights? Is your company specifically trained in a certain product line they are interested in? Can you install siding and gutters? Homeowners are not roofing experts, so they do not know all of the jobs that fall under the roofing contractor umbrella. Make it obvious to them what kind of jobs you do by clearly posting it on your website. Your site will be a relief compared to others they look at because they can find exactly what they are looking for. They will know that you are the answer to their roofing problem without having to do additional research, placing you first on their list of contractors to call.

Read: 3 Ways Automations Can Take Your Customer Service Game to the Next Level

The internet is a powerful research tool and homeowners will certainly be using it to look up roofing contractor companies. Make sure you are the company that customers are looking for online by encouraging previous customers to leave reviews and then responding to them, including your credentials and warranties on your website, and clearly listing the services you provide. All of these components will make your company more appealing to customers than the competition and reassure them that you are the perfect choice for their roofing needs.