How to Run Your Roofing Business Digitally

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

As many businesses are forced to work remotely to reduce the spread of coronavirus, many roofers are asking questions about how to maintain productivity and serve their customers. This is an unprecedented situation for most roofers, who are used to being able to meet customers face-to-face, knocking on doors, and closing deals in person. But with new technology that’s already available, a little flexibility, and some creative thinking, it’s possible for you to adapt to remote work without losing steam. Here’s how you can run your roofing business digitally.

Turn to The Internet for Leads

Do you get most of your leads by knocking on doors or leaving behind flyers? Many roofers find their best business by going directly to a neighborhood and interacting with homeowners. How do you get leads when that’s no longer possible?

The Internet is a good source of roofing leads on a regular day. With more people at home and spending more time online, it becomes an even better source of leads. Homeowners are using the Internet to do research that they might otherwise do in person or over the phone. By adapting your outreach to focus on Internet lead sources, you can meet potential customers where they’re at and keep your business moving.

One way to generate leads using the Internet is to take advantage of online search and review sites, like HomeAdvisor or Yelp. Your business likely has accounts with these sites already. Now is the time to make sure all your information on those accounts is up to date and respond to reviews from customers. When homeowners search these sites looking for contractors, they’ll see your company being responsive and addressing customer concerns, which will help them understand why they should trust your roofing business for their repair needs. Roofing software like AccuLynx will allow you to directly import leads from sites like HomeAdvisor into the software system so you can begin tracking them and make sure you follow up with them.

Another great source of online leads is Facebook. Many people will be using Facebook during this time, so it’s a great opportunity to promote your business over this platform. You can do this through promoted posts or purchasing ads. Facebook allows you to target your ads using the information people list about themselves—so you’ll be able to limit the audience for your ads and reach people near your location.

You can target your ads even further by determining where your best leads have historically come from. In the AccuLynx reporting tools, you can create a lead source report to help you understand if there are particular locations or trades that gave you your best leads. Then you can adjust your ad messaging and targeting to reach these lead sources online.

Use Technology to Measure Your Roofs

You may already be using aerial measurement technology like EagleView or GAF QuickMeasure to get roof measurements without climbing a ladder. If you aren’t, now is the ideal time to start. These aerial measurements allow you to get the numbers you need to repair a roof without having to go anywhere near the home. If you had a project in progress when the coronavirus hit, you can still take the needed measurements with this technology and continue the repairs. And if you’re getting calls from homeowners who need repairs but don’t want roofers in their homes, you can reassure them that you have a solution.

The AccuLynx roofing software platform integrates with EagleView and GAF QuickMeasure so that roofers can order aerial measurements directly from the platform. AccuLynx also offers digital document templates for all your roofing paperwork, so once you’ve ordered the measurements, you can use them to automatically populate an estimate. Since the AccuLynx platform is cloud-based, this electronic estimate can be created from anywhere and stored in a single, accessible location. It can be sent to your customers via email so they can approve it without you having to set foot in their home. Starting with aerial measurements, you can use AccuLynx to continue estimating for your customers even if you’re working remotely.

Connect With Homeowners Using Video

Just as most roofers use in-person tactics to get leads, they also usually close deals in person. It’s hard to connect with customers without using this personal touch, and many roofers find they close more deals when they can have a conversation. How can roofers make effective connections if they can’t meet in person?

Luckily, just about everyone has the capability to make a video call these days. Using apps like Skype or FaceTime, you can connect with homeowners to talk about the work you want to do for them, iron out details about repairs, or negotiate services. Being able to have a face-to-face interaction, even if it’s not in-person, can make a big difference in communication. When you talk to customers and prospects via video apps, you can maintain some of the advantages of talking in person. When you’re sending emails or making phone calls, let people know that you’re available on video, too.

You could also record a video with a sales pitch or answering common questions you hear from homeowners, then share this video on social media. It’s an innovative, unique way to connect with potential customers, and gives you the chance to reach people through the Internet.

Make Sure You Can Manage Your Roofing Business From Anywhere

While you’re keeping homeowners and customers safe, make sure to keep yourself safe as well. If you have the right tools in place, your roofing business doesn’t have to be run from your office location. You can do it from home without losing any of your information, and you can communicate with the rest of your team even if you’re not sitting next to them. And there are more tools now than ever before to help roofers do just that.

AccuLynx is a cloud-based software system, which means it can be accessed from anywhere. When you store your business information in software like AccuLynx, all your job files, reports, financial information, leads, documents, and more are available wherever you have an internet connection. Even if you’re working remotely, you can still check on the status of your jobs, update production calendars, keep in touch with your staff, and create estimates and contracts. And AccuLynx tests and maintains our software for the greatest reliability possible, so you don’t have to worry about crashes or losing your information. If your roofing business is trying to figure out how to work remotely without losing productivity, using a cloud-based roofing software system can make it possible.

Adapting to this unprecedented situation can be stressful, but roofers are an innovative bunch. With the right tools and a touch of creativity, your roofing business can keep moving forward and not lose steam as you deal with the challenges brought about by coronavirus.

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