Category: Marketing

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Marketing Marketing Reputation Management SEO

What Every Roofer Needs to Know About Online Reputation Management

Roofers What Is SEO And What Does It Stand For

As a roofing contractor, you might find yourself overwhelmed each day, with thousands of things to worry about and manage

But controlling and monitoring what property owners say about your roofing business online should be an easy thing to do.

Every roofing contractor needs a solid online reputation management strategy to dominate the local roofing market.

We live in a digital world where your online reputation can be your significant liability. Property owners are increasingly using Google as their sidekick before deciding whether they are going to hire you for services or go to your competitors.

As a roofer, you need a robust online presence to thrive in the modern digital world.

Why is Online Reputation Management so Crucial for Roofers Today?

When you are starting your roofing business, there is little or no time to manage your online reputation.

More often than not, no customer is talking about your business online at that time.

But here is where the problem comes in.

As your roofing business expands and grows in your area, more property owners will start talking about your business online.

You need to monitor what they say and find.

Property Owners/Customers Care about Your Reviews

If customers are concerned about your reputation, then you should as well.

A recent study found out that over 80% of clients read online reviews to know which roofing contractor they are going to hire, and over more than 70% take an appropriate action based on what information found in those reviews.

 This shows that you could be losing a considerable chunk of roofing leads if your online reputation is not as impressive as it should be.

Online Reputation Management Tips for Roofing Contractors

There are tons of websites where property owners can leave online reviews. Still, this post will provide actionable online reputation tips for your business.

Claim All Your Listings

Your roofing company must claim all its business listing online. As a roofer, you need to go beyond Google My Business Listing. Ensure that your information is accurate across the web so that, regardless of how a prospect finds you, they will have crucial contact details to reach out to you.

Ensuring that your contact details are accurate will help to create trust with clients and make your listing legit in the eyes of the customers. If a prospect finds your business on a review site or directory and finds out the number you have indicated out of service, they will assume that your business is invalid or you are out of business.

Another main reason why consistency across various business listing is crucial is that search engines like Google check for compatibility to determine your roofing company is valid or not. If there are different phone numbers and addresses across Yelp, BBB, Facebook, and Angie’s list plus other directories, Google will not rank your business highly because it will appear more illegitimate.

Finally, after you have claimed all your roofing business listings online, you can control what customers say about your company. Besides giving you a chance to update your contact details, you will be able to optimize your company description, add photos, and respond to client reviews.

Get More Online Reviews

Online reviews are among the first things that property owners look for to determine whether or not they are going to hire your roofing business. Let’s face; several factors need to be considered when hiring a roofing contractor. It is not like going to the beauty parlor or finding a movie shop- the roof is what stands between your family and the elements. You must trust the roofer that you have hired to install, replace, or repair it.

If your roofing business does not have an excellent star rating average, or worse still doesn’t have any reviews, then you are losing an opportunity to acquire new clients online. It means that you need to start working hard to get more positive reviews online.

Although you are not supposed to bribe property owners to give you reviews or tell them what kind of review they should provide you, merely requesting for them is acceptable and an effective method of generating more reports online.

Respond to Reviews

Generating online reviews is a great step towards maintaining your roofing business online reputation. Still, your task is not done yet; you need to all reports (including the negative ones).

When you respond to negative reviews, share your version of the story with the one who left the review plus others who will read it. Unhappy customers always don’t know why things happened the way they did, and explaining it to them may diffuse the situation.

It is crucial, though, to own up the problem, even if you feel that it is not your fault. This does not imply that you have to take responsibility. Still, you should try to apologize for the bad experience they had with your roofing business. Never argue or insult a reviewer; if your tempers are high, given yourself time to cool off before you respond to a negative review.

One of the best methods of dealing with a negative review is to invite the reviewer to resolve the issue offline. This will save you from arguments or set the record straight with your customer on a public forum, and it shows that you are willing to rectify the bad experience.

Register for Google Alerts

When it comes to the online reputation of your roofing business, you cannot manage it properly if you set and leave it to gather dust. An effective online reputation management strategy means real-time, ongoing management, which implies that you have to know what customers are saying about your roofing business online.

One of the best methods to stay on top of what customers are saying about your roofing business online is to sign up for Google alerts. Google alerts are free, and you can use them to manage all types of things, including your roofing brand mentions. You can also use such signals to monitor what customers are saying about your competitors online, giving you the much-needed competitive advantage.

Hire BlackStorm Roofing Marketing to Manage Your Online Reputation 

The priority of every roofing business is its bottom line. Fortunately, our team will help you to develop a unique online review management strategy that will make you a top-rated roofing company in your area. They will automatically ask for reviews from customers after they have transacted with you.

There are several things that you can do to build and maintain your online reputation, and it can be overwhelming if you have other tasks that need your attention. That’s why you need to outsource your online review management to our team. If you need to know more about how you can manage the online reputation of your roofing business, schedule a free strategy session with our experts to see how our team can help you today!

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Growth Strategies Lead Generation Marketing Promotion SEO

The Ultimate Guide for Commercial Roofing Marketing in 2020

Guide for Commercial Roofing Marketing

Increasing roofing sales is the fundamental objective of countless contractors, small and large alike. Finding new prospects to book jobs with your business is a crucial part of the whole sales process. It may be hard for some contractors, but if your goal is to improve your roofing sales, you need to consider which marketing strategy will be ideal for your target clients. 

As a roofing company owner, you know that booking jobs is essential to your success and growth, and many other roofers wonder if there is something specific they can do to improve their close rate. Do you offer exceptional roofing services or products but aren’t attracting the right clients to book jobs with your business? That’s okay. 

This post will provide valuable roofing sales strategies to raise your presentation game so your company can secure more jobs than ever before. 

Professional roofing Image

Convey a Professional Image from the Word Go

An effective roofing sales presentation is much more than offering information about price or services. From the time you drive up to the building, everything about your behavior and appearance matters, including the clothes you wear on a material day. Dress appropriately, show respect to the homeowner and their building and remember to carry all your marketing materials, from video presentations to brochures, ready to go.

Focus on Educating, not booking a Job 

While many roofers focus on closing and pitching, ensure that you take time to educate your client about your services or products. Of course, you want to leave with a signed contract, but also you don’t want to remove the power of deciding for your client. According to a roofing contractor, over 90% of homeowners said the roofer they hired explained the essence of artistry and plan for achieving that objective. 

The client will trust you more if they feel that they are making a well-informed decision regarding your roofing services. Act as an expert and guru-which you are! During your presentation, discuss how the roofing process works, what the property owner can expect, and the benefits of quality materials and artistry.  

Differentiate Your Roofing Business from the Pack 

There has to be something that sets your roofing company apart from the rest out there. If not, why should clients turn to your business for their roofing needs? One of the most effective roofing marketing strategies is to discuss what makes your business a better option than other local roofers, whether you can handle complex projects or your crews.

In the modern business environment, the easiest way of getting ahead of rivals is to specialize. Maybe you can concentrate on using uncommon roofing materials. Perhaps promote a different roofing style. Whatever you opt to specialize in, focus on it as a way of getting ahead of the curve. Make your roofing business visible to your target demographic.

Evoke Scarcity

No property owner wants to hire a roofing contractor who struggles to get by, right? Everyone wants to partner with a roofing company with a consistent business since your customers understand that well-booked roofing contractors do an exceptional job.

Use this line of thought to create scarcity, if applicable, to your roofing company.

Here’s how you can do it.

If you are super busy, then portray that fact off! Show your ever busy schedule in your online profiles, like social media, and even during a conversation with the client. Scarcity can help to increase closing rates dramatically. The point here is to assist your leads to realize that they need your services more than you can offer them.

Referrals to Increase Roofing Sales

Use Referrals to Increase Roofing Sales 

When it comes to booking roofing jobs, never undermine the power of client referrals. Your prospects will be more comfortable partnering with you if you can show the testimonials from previous customers. Referrals are the building blocks for any roofing business that wants to increase sales. Nothing speaks louder to property owners more than the previous customers that you serviced. Make sure that you use such referrals when discussing with the homeowner.

Serve Your Existing Roofing Customers

One of the most straightforward but useful tools in your roofing sales arsenal is your current customers’ list. If you want to increase your closing rate significantly, then pitch to those customers who already know you.

Consider getting in touch with your existing leads through telephone, emails, or even flyers to inform them about any seasonal offers, discounts, or promotions. You have already developed trust with your existing customers, so leverage that network to boost your roofing sales.

Financing on roofing to Attract More Clients

Offer Financing to Attract More Clients 

Roofing is a considerable investment in your commercial or residential property. So to reduce the cost a little bit, provide pre-qualification and financing. Financing is the best option for property owners who need a new roof but don’t have enough money. As a roofer, make sure that you do whatever is possible to fit your client’s budget.

Listen and Understand Your Ideal Roofing Customer

As a roofing contractor, you can learn many things by listening to your customers. Ask yourself this question; what challenges is my ideal customer facing?

Your typical customer is possibly anxious about the state of their roof. 

What anxieties and frustrations do your roofing customers have?

  • Maybe they are frustrated because their roof looks unappealing?
  • Perhaps their family is stressed because of a leaking roof?
  • Maybe snow has spilled on their top, and they need to have it removed fast.

Listening and understanding the problems of your ideal roofing customers puts you in a superior position. You can create a superb sales copy and address the issues in a relevant and super focused way.

Many times, roofers take for granted the power of creating meaningful relationships with their customers. Remember, you are partnering with people on the most crucial belonging; their home.

Show Clients Their Warranty Options

Warranties can be nerve-wracking and confusing for your customers; make sure you educate them about your warranties. Information is the best weapon when it comes to closing a roofing sale. The more details your customers have about your warranties, your process, and what you can offer on the site, the more they can entrust you with their roofing projects. A contract can ease a lot of fears and worries in homeowners. Explain all your warranty options and assure your prospects that you will be there for them always. 

Come Prepared

As a roofing contractor, you already know that your job is inherently visual. In simple terms, your customers want a roof that looks good, and anything that you can do to give them this assurance will go along in closing the sale. This implies that you should come armed with brochures, a portfolio, and other marketing materials so that you can show potential customers what they can expect.

By doing so, you will create trust between your business and the homeowners, assuring them that you are concerned about upgrading their homes. When you come prepared, you place yourself as a more interactive and professional option. This alone will improve your business brand image in customers’ eyes, assisting you in attracting many clients and growing your business.

Sell Your Unique Value

Do you have twenty years of roofing experience? Do you have specific certifications or an excellent portfolio? Always make sure that you build your roofing sales pitch around your unique selling point. Simply put, you want to do everything you can to distinguish yourself from the competition. In doing so, you can rise above other roofers in property owners’ minds and gain the much needed competitive advantage. You want to ensure that your business name is paramount when clients think of roofing services, and an excellent way to do that is to promote your unique value.

If your customers have ever had a poor experience with roofers in the past, make sure that you differentiate yourself from such roofing contractors. Make sure that your meeting with potential customers is professional and educational. 

By promoting yourself as an authority in the field, you will gain your prospects’ trust and utilize your unique selling point to win more customers. 

You can also promote your unique selling point in various ways. For instance, if you use high-grade roofing materials, you want to make this known to property owners. Don’t just mention that you use high-quality materials, but instead discuss what benefits it can offer them. By proving that these materials are the best for their home, you will differentiate from the competition and close a deal.

Provide Amazing Roofing Experience

Always Over-Deliver and Provide Amazing Roofing Experience

Suppose you want to make sure that clients book jobs with your roofing company, again and again, over-delivering is paramount. Providing a terrific service that makes your clients happy is one of the effective ways of improving your closing rate. Why is that so?

Since your leads first do their homework on your company before contacting you, they ask their family and friends, read reviews, and check out your previous completed projects.

When offering an exceptional roofing service to clients, don’t view it as a short-term project. Instead, make a long term investment in your client and establish an opportunity for repeat business. Customers should obtain the same experience, no matter how small or big your roofing company is. Consistency is one other essential element of service to your clients.

Ask For the Roofing Review

Ask For the Review

We live in a society that values social proof. For this reason, your business profiles must show great reviews.

Always remember to let your customers know you appreciate and require reviews from them. Ensure that your happy customers still pen down a check on your online profiles (such as Thumbtack and Yelp).

Give Freebies as Much as You Can

Everyone loves free stuff; the more you give, the more favorably potential clients will likely perceive your brand in a positive light, leading to more roofing sales.

Examine your current offerings. Is there something that you can give out for free? For instance, you can opt to provide free roof inspection after a storm or hail damage to customers. This will tempt such homeowners to book jobs with your company afterward.

Provide Multiple Payment Options

Provide Multiple Payment Options as Possible

Okay, so your roofing company accepts credit cards. What about PayPal? It would be best to give your customers numerous options on how they pay for products or options.

Never allow your customers to get stressed on how they will pay your company! Instead, you want to be a dream roofing contractor with multiple payment options and no stress regarding high-quality workmanship.

Be Real

Potential clients like to book jobs with roofers who feel real. Don’t be afraid to throw your ordinary look into your sales pitch. Perhaps you can give your client a brief history you have with the company. Discuss your passions, hobbies, or family. Come to your client’s level and talk casually.

The Bottom Line

Finding an efficient roofing sales strategy does not have to be an uphill task.

With this post, you will be closer to developing the right sales pitch and win over property owners and grow your business. Whether your roofing company is new or has been operating for some time, you can benefit from the tips given in this post. What’s more, by perfecting your sales pitch, you will attract more customers and grow your roofing brand.

It’s time you get serious with your roofing sales strategy! With the right plan in place, you can take your roofing company to the next level.

If you follow the tips discussed in this post carefully, you will have a chance to boost your closing rate.

If you are hungering for a continuous flow of qualified leads, create a roofing website with powerful SEO strategies. Blackstorm Roofing Marketing is an excellent option to fuel your business growth to the next level. Please schedule a free strategy session online with our growth expert, who will help you develop a clear plan to boost your roofing sales today! 

 

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Local SEO Marketing Paid Advertising SEO

Cut above the Noise and Stand out in Roofing Local Search Listings with these 7 Golden Tips

Stand out in Roofing Local Search Listings with these 7 Golden Tips

Do you want to attain a higher click-through rate that drives qualified leads to your roofing website? With so much to keep up with internet marketing, it is easy to let something like your local search listings to fall through the cracks. Having a strong presence on Search Engine Research Pages (SERP’s) for general keywords and search terms are still incredibly essential. Nevertheless, if you are not ranking in top positions for location-specific terms, you may lose potential customers to your competitors.

Stand out in Roofing Local Search Listings

The competition for local search rankings is stiff, significantly since Google has rolled out numerous changes to its algorithm. These changes lower organic results in favor of videos, images, ads, and local searches, so a standard listing won’t stand out in the market. If you are not ranked high in local search engine results pages for relevant roofing keywords in your service area, then this post is designed for you!

Here are the seven golden tricks to make sure that your roofing company stays on top of local search results in 2020 and beyond:

Google Meta Description

Write Seductive and Full Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions always get ignored in the world of roofing SEO. Well, a keyword-optimized Meta description may not be a vital factor in search rankings as social signals or backlinks, but it can play other crucial roles, such as bumping CTR on SERP’s.

That’s why it is highly recommended that you optimize your Meta descriptions. But what makes a seductive Meta description? And how can you create one that stands out local Google search results?

Here are some tips:

  • Avoid Short Meta descriptions- You have around 160 characters at your disposal. So, try to use as many characters as possible if you can. At least write two lines of content.
  • Include a Compelling Call to Action (CTA) – Your Meta description should persuade prospects/clients to click through;

-Start your tag with an action verb “read about the” or “Discover why…”

-End with action: “Find out now” or “read more.”

-Ask a question: “Ever wondered why…”

  • Use keywords: If the phrases in the prospects search query match words in your title or descriptions, such terms will be highlighted, bringing more focus to your listing.

Use Schema Markup to Help Google Understand Your Roofing Website Better

Schema markup is a code that you insert in your roofing websites to assist search engines in returning informative results for users. It is a powerful tool that enhances your site’s quality in the search engine results pages and helps it stand out from rivals online. When building or updating roofing websites, ensure that you install the correct local roofing business schema markup as one of your priorities. Make sure that you also include the following details in your schema markup: Google Maps links, opening hours, social media profiles, and menus markup. These are typically the kind of information clients are searching for when they look for your roofing company online. 

Write Relevant, Unique Page Titles

Every page of your roofing website is unique and should be handled as such. It is crucial to have descriptive, specific titles for every page in your site. The title should represent the individuality of every page. Unique titles help Google understand that your post is valuable and drive high click-through rates.

Google Reviews

Google Reviews 

One great trick to improve your local search rankings is to request your clients for Google reviews. Make requests for a Google review as part of your marketing strategy. Google reviews can help to improve local search rankings. Although there are various factors involved in ranking your roofing website, Google reviews send a strong signal to communicate authority, expertise, and trust.

Choose and use Location-specific keywords throughout your roofing website. 

If you want to stay ahead of other roofers online, it is crucial to use location keywords in your social media and website content. 

Suppose you are a homeowner searching for roofing services. What search phrases could you use to find a roofing contractor? Make a list of such terms that come into your mind like roofing repair, roofing contractors, roofers, etc.

Next, combine those phrases with local terms a property owner might use to find that service in their particular region. Your list may contain words that your business can rank for including; 

  • (Your local search area) Roofers

For example; Nashville Roofers

  • Roof Installation (Your local search area)

For instance; Roof installation in Middle Tennessee 

  • Roof repair (Your local search area)

For example, Roof repair Tullahoma, TN.

Follow the same process for other services you may provide, such as window installation or gutter replacement.

Once you have prepared a list of roofing keywords, include the terms in your social media and website content. When a prospect types those words in Google, your company will appear higher in the local search listings.

Search Engine Friendly URL’s 

If your website domain name contains roofing keywords in it, it’s a bonus; however, don’t go overboard to purchase an exact domain name and be penalized by Google. Use search engine friendly permalink structures and file names to ensure that your sites remain relevant to web crawlers.

Create and Optimize your Google My Business Profile 

Create and Optimize your Google My Business Profile 

One of the most important things local roofers can do to impact their local search rankings is to create and optimize your Google My Business profile. Google My Business page is a powerful driver for increasing your local search rankings. You must be accurate and consistent across all channels, not just for your GMB and roofing website.

When the details concerning your company, like its name, addresses, and phone number, are the same across the web, Google’s trust in your roofing business grows, and so are your rankings. Do some checks to make sure all contact details are updated across all channels.

From Meta descriptions to optimizing your Google My Business profile, these seven local roofing SEO secrets will make your roofing company stand out in local search results despite the modern distraction. If you implement these strategies, your business will improve in local search results.

If all the above seems too challenging to handle, don’t fret. Blackstorm Roofing Marketing is here to help! We provide part of our search engine optimization package, including optimizing/claiming listings, creating schema markups, reputation, and review management. For more information, kindly schedule a free strategy session with our local SEO experts today.

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Growth Strategies Local SEO Marketing Reputation Management Roofing SEO Website Design

Watch out! The Top 13 Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Roofing Website (And What to Do Instead)

Mistakes to Avoid When Creating a Roofing Website

eady to take your roofing company online?

The first thing you need is a reliable and attractive website to deliver company strategy to clients. 

Nowadays, practically every roofing business – small or large has a website. If you don’t have a roofing website, you could miss out on potential leads and unlimited traffic. Most roofers have no idea where to start when it comes to creating a perfect website. To assist you to avoid their common pitfalls, here are the ten things you must avoid in your roofing website (and what to do instead)

Do Not Try to Make a Sale

Most visitors coming to your roofing website don’t have any clue about your business. They are only researching and are searching for various options.

If you attempt to make a sale right on your roofing website, you will turn away most of these property owners and possibly lose many leads. You want to get the property owner on the phone straight away, and that’s what your website should be created to achieve. 

While it is true that you built your roofing website to book more jobs, you need to have something that makes you unique. Tell your prospects about the “why” and what needs does your service or product fill-in? All of these details will give your customers more of a unique experience and set your business apart in the crowded marketplace.

Roofing Website Call to Action

Call to Action

Now that prospects/ clients have landed on your roofing website, it should be obvious what they require to do next. A classic blunder that most roofers make is failing to offer this vital information. But you must tell prospects/ customers what you are requesting from them. This could be downloading an e-book or booking a job, but you need to persuade them to complete the action carefully. If a visitor has made it this far, it means that you have done a great job to hook their interests with your content and design, but you need to take your relationship with the customer to the next level.

Things Avoid When Creating a Roofing Website

Neglecting the Look of their Website

When looking at the pitfalls to avoid while creating a roofing website, having a cluttered homepage is undoubtedly one of them. A messy website will make your roofing company lose potential leads. Your roofing website should look professional and pleasant. Examine your roofing website from a property owner’s perspective and make sure it portrays the quality and professionalism you can offer as a roofer.

Navigation

When visitors land on your roofing website, they want to find the information they are searching for quickly. This implies that the last thing you should have on your company website is lousy navigation. 

Here are some tips that will help to simplify your client experience:

  • Use a theme; with a reliable CMS and a good theme, your roofing website can look friendly and professional.
  • Stick with the standards; Adhere to the primary navigation standard.
  • Avoid Overwhelming your clients:  Your clients should be able to see your points quickly, and that’s why you should not add too much clutter on your pages.

Not Including Testimonials

When a prospect first lands on your roofing website, they don’t have sufficient information to trust your company straight away. You can help them trust your business by including a few testimonials on each page of your roofing website.

Testimonials from your previous clients are influential in creating trust with your potential customers. Ensure that any visitor who comes to your roofing website can read the testimonials without looking for them.

Make the Roofing Website Responsive

Not Making the Website Responsive

All roofing websites should be responsive today. This is because most customers browse more on their tablets and smartphones than on desktops. That said, your website needs to perform and look as good on a small screen as in a large one.

You can do many things to make your roofing website responsive; the easiest one is a partner with a reputable website designer who specializes in responsive sites. Using an experienced web design agency like Blackstorm Roofing Marketing will help you create a unique roofing website that will set your business apart from the competition.

Failing to Update the Roofing Website Regularly 

Nothing is more frustrating than a roofing website that’s not updated. If your last entry to your blog or website was done four months ago, you send signals that you don’t care about prospects that frequent your site. Ensure your contact details are updated, and the hours of operation are clearly stated on your website.

Roofing SEO

Ignoring Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

While some roofers wrongly think that poorly designed websites mean negative user experience, its content can break or make lead and traffic generation. Topnotch content offers exceptional value and makes your site visible to search engines.

Unfortunately, there is no magic recipe to obtain high rankings on the search engines.

What’s more:

High search engine results don’t occur overnight. Conventional SEO is used to mix thin content, stuffed keywords, and lots of haphazard backlinks (whether credible or not)

Search engine algorithms have changed a lot and have incorporated various factors into ranking the site.

If you want your roofing website to be found on top of Google search results, consider the following factors;

  •  Focus on Long-Tail Roofing Keywords

Long-tail keywords are the direction that the prospect’s searches are heading –a more natural approach.

It will be easier for you to rank for long-tail keywords than the shorter ones, and this will bring your business more qualified leads.

For example:

Instead of “roof installation,” you can try this long-tail keyword, “how much does roof installation cost?”

Other examples of roofing long-tail keywords can be found if you do an initial search on Google for the shorter keywords (otherwise known as the head term)

  • Post High-Quality Content Regularly

A stale roofing website will not develop a more substantial relationship with repeat clients or prospects. You must provide informative, fresh, and unique content. This frequent, topnotch content is nowadays regarded as a common SEO practice.

This adage still holds: content is king. 

Consider incorporating an active blog component to your roofing website. 

A blog will help you share helpful expertise and the latest roofing industry trends. Give your prospects value that will, in turn, make them trust you and build your brand. 

Select topics that offer vital information and engage readers, in a well-structured format of at least 1000 words (if not more)

  • Encourage Social Engagement

One thing that can set your small roofing business apart from large brands is the ability to connect with your clients on a personal level.

An excellent way to enhance such relationships is via social network sites like Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. These outlets offer a perfect way to strengthen your customer service recognition and brand identity. Combine regular blog posting and social sharing; you stand a higher chance of showing on top of Google results.Website Contact Details

Tough to Find Contact Details

Your roofing company should be everybody’s business!

Clients and Prospects need to get in touch with your company quickly.

Mostly, roofing website owners do not show their contact details like phone numbers or emails prominently on the footer and header, or a dedicated contact us page.

As a roofer, you should make it easy for clients/prospects to contact you either by phone or email, or both. Have a contact us page or list your contact information at the bottom of your homepage. If contacting you directly is a step towards generating new leads, failing to include contact details could be a huge problem. 

Place a clear call to action in the header with a direct phone number (example, call 700-555-555 for a free estimate today).

Slow Website Loading

Slow Loading Times

If your roofing website loads slowly, you will lose potential leads/clients. By slow, we mean that your roofing website takes more than three seconds to load. In a world of instant gratification that we live in, we expect web pages to load faster and give the required information with ease.

According to Google, over 50% of mobile users leave a site that takes more than three seconds to load. A slow roofing website can negatively impact your search engine rankings.

This website pitfall may be a technical issue. So, it is crucial to get your web designer involved to look for ways of speeding up your website.

For new website design, make sure that having a fast loading website is at the top of your priorities when giving out instructions to your website design agency.

Forgetting the Analytics

A roofing website is not something that you create and forget about. The trends in customer preference and website design are constantly changing, and it is crucial to stay updated on what is happening in your industry. Fortunately, there are many analytical tools, including Google webmaster tools, that can assist in monitoring your roofing website’s performance. The more you understand the pages driving conversions and those slowing your website, the faster your roofing company can grow.

Unclear and Inconsistent Brand Messaging

Brand messaging is a success factor for all the major roofing contractors, but it is starting to gain traction among small roofing business owners.

The key here is storytelling.

This means that you need to create compelling content that connects your audience at an emotional level.

If you are like every other roofer out there; why should prospects or clients care?

To stand out, your messaging has to come from your brand beliefs and values. This is what will set your business apart from the competition.

Here is the most crucial part:

Your roofing website content should address your target audience’s motivations and needs, not your accomplishments or agendas.

 Talk less about yourself and discuss more about solving your client’s pain points. It is a discussion that builds trust, which leads to more booked jobs or increased roofing sales.

Lack of Intuitive Roofing Website Design

Lack of Intuitive Design

The functionality of your roofing website should be intuitive to visitors. This means that they require knowing what and where to click to move to another page on your website.

Your menu should be visible on the home page and have clear icons where visitors can find what they require.

If users require too much effort to find specific information on your site, they will move to another area where the data is readily available.

Reminder: Make Sure You Don’t Have a Poorly Designed Roofing Website.

Generate more roofing leads with these easy and quick solutions to solve significant website design pitfalls. Include these practices when designing a new roofing website;

  • Use a compelling Call to Action that drives prospects down to the conversion funnel.
  • Have Google Analytics installed to monitor the performance of your roofing website
  • Provide crystal messaging to the right target audience
  • Post blog content regularly, focus on long-tail keywords, and share it on social media platforms.
  • Optimize the loading speed of your roofing website and keep prospects/clients engaged.
  • Make sure your roofing website provides an excellent mobile user experience.
  • Place a visible email or phone number in the header and the contact us section of your website.
  • Educate property owners about the benefits they will get by booking a job with your company instead of trying to make a sale.

Build Roofing Website

Build Your Roofing Website Today 

With all the tasks to juggle as a roofing contractor, you should hire a reputable website design agency like Blackstorm Roofing Marketing. We help design roofing websites that generate leads for your company by offering an excellent user experience for your clients. 

And more importantly, avoid all the standard website design pitfalls discussed in this post.

Besides roofing web design and development, we will offer free consultation on content marketing to attract prospects, effective search engine optimization techniques, and a successful reputation management strategy.

If you want to build a new online presence for your roofing brand or revamp an existing roofing website, please schedule a free strategy session with our growth experts today! 

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Marketing

Here Are The Reasons You Should Switch Your Plumbing + HVAC Website to HTTPS -ASAP!

Here Are The Reasons You Should Switch Your Plumbing + HVAC Website to HTTPS - ASAP!

 

Are you wondering whether your plumbing + HVAC business needs HTTPS?

Do you know that more than 80% of prospects won’t convert if they realize that they are sending data to an insecure connection?

All plumbing + HVAC websites must put strategies aimed at improving their security. Unfortunately, I still come across many plumbing + HVAC websites that are not using HTTPS protocol.

If you are not using HTTPS on your plumbing + HVAC website, then you are at a high risk of losing plumbing + HVAC leads and sales to the competition.

The sad truth is that web security affects your plumbing + HVAC website performance.

If you think that the difference between HTTPS and HTTP is only one letter, “S,” think again!

Without further ado, let’s discuss HTTPS and the benefits it can bring in your plumbing + HVAC business.

What is HTTPS?

HTTPS (short form for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a safer way to transfer information from the internet browser to the webserver. This protects your clients/ prospects information from being snatched by the bad guys (hackers), who may steal crucial information like login details or bank information.

Historically, the HTTPS protocol was typically used for websites that contained sensitive details, but many plumbing + HVAC websites are switching to HTTPS.

What’s the Deal? Is HTTPS Crucial For Your Plumbing + HVAC Website or not?

Here are Four Reasons why you should switch your plumbing + HVAC website from HTTP to HTTPS Immediately

1) HTTPS Boosts Your Google Rankings

Do you know that more than 40% found on the first page of Google is HTTPS? Well, Google has already stated that it will reward HTTPS sites with higher rankings.

Google wants to improve the user experience of their clients; that’s why they are discouraging them from visiting insecure plumbing + HVAC websites. That said, if your plumbing + HVAC website is not secure, your business will be outranked by competitors who have safe sites.

2) HTTPS Increases Conversions

While your prospects/clients might not have a clear understanding of the technical aspects of HTTPS, they know that it must be installed if they are to provide sensitive information on your plumbing + HVAC website.

Users are likely to trust secure sites moreover non-secure ones. According to a survey by Global sign, 82% of prospects will abandon to call your business for products/services if their information is sent over an insecure connection, and 84% of users will not browse in an insecure plumbing + HVAC website at all.

Make your prospects and clients feel secure when they are browsing your plumbing + HVAC website by installing HTTPS.

This will no doubt boost your conversion rates!

3) HTTPS Adds Trust & Security

One of the major advantages of HTTPS is that it safeguards the client’s information from the bad guys (hackers) who launch attacks on insecure or compromised networks.

With all the hype about HTTPS circulating, more clients are particularly searching for a secure connection when they visit your plumbing + HVAC website.

A secure connection assures your clients that their information is safe and thus gives them peace of mind.

4) HTTPS Boosts Your Plumbing + HVAC Website Traffic

Higher rankings can lead to massive web traffic (the more people visit your site, the more clients you will obtain). Besides, when prospects are looking at your plumbing + HVAC website, an HTTPS sign will help to build authority and trust over another insecure site, thus improving your Click-Through-Rate (CTR).

Bottom line: Having an HTTPS Plumbing + HVAC Website Matters for SEO.

So, you now know the benefits that HTTPS can bring to your plumbing + HVAC website. But how do you switch your current HTTP site into HTTPS?

If you are ready to make that change, then the Blackstorm Plumbing + HVAC Marketing team can help! We are a reputable and trusted company in the plumbing + HVAC industry, and our experts understand the nitty-gritty details of technical SEO (where HTTPS falls under).

As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, you don’t have all the time to manage the technical SEO aspects of your site. That’s why you need to leave that task to the Plumbing + HVAC SEO experts to leverage their many years of experience and skills.

Plumbing + HVAC is a very competitive industry, and thus you must do your best to improve the visibility of your business online. To stay ahead of the curve, make sure that your site is secure to increase customer’s confidence and trust.

If you want to switch your plumbing + HVAC website to HTTPS, then feel free to schedule a free SEO strategy session with us to learn more today!

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Graphic Design Local Marketing Marketing UX Web Design Website Website Design

How User Experience (UX) Design Affects Your Plumbing + HVAC Sales

How User Experience (UX) Design Affects Your Plumbing + HVAC Sales

As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, your customers must always feel that you appreciate them.

Having a responsive plumbing + HVAC website design is one way of making sure that your prospective clients get a good experience from interacting with your site. You will not only keep your website users engaged in your content but also interested to know more about your services.

User experience is a common buzzword in online marketing right now. But what exactly does it mean and how can it benefit your plumbing + HVAC business?

The Meaning of User Experience Design

User experience generally refers to how a person feels when they visit your plumbing + HVAC website.

Companies spend a lot of money and time researching and creating etheric designs for their websites because it is no longer a secret that designs have an impact on sales.

It is a time you also understand that the ultimate success of your plumbing + HVAC website depends on feelings that potential users experience whenever they chek-in.

Why is UX Design Crucial for Plumbing + HVAC?

UX design is essential for plumbing + HVAC websites because it generates positive experiences for visitors and makes them want to know more about the value they can get from your plumbing + HVAC products or services.

Suppose a worried business or homeowner bumps into your plumbing + HVAC website in search of storm damage repair services. Upon landing on your homepage, they find a site that is hastily designed by an amateur (probably the contractor’s cousin) with a poor content plan and full of grammar or spelling errors. As a result, they can barely find sufficient information about storm-damage repairs services on your page. What do you think they will do?

You are right, the swelling sense of disgust and frustration will make them bounce off from your business and find the next most-promising plumbing + HVAC solution provider.

On the flip side, these are the aspects that will give visiting clients pleasant user experiences and earn your plumbing + HVAC company business

  • Pleasant images that showcase your contractor experience
  • A menu that is easy to navigate and identify the required services
  • High-quality content that spots common homeowner problems
  • Visible call to action buttons, including contact information and phone numbers

If your plumbing + HVAC website instantly connects the users with services they require, conversions will rise, and sales will rocket as well. That’s the trick of it.

What Makes a Positive User Experience? 

There is no right answer to this question. The truth is that every user has their unique preferences when it comes to user experiences.

The big question is, how do you ensure users have a great experience with your plumbing + HVAC website?

First, you need to identify what your user needs are. Clients fall into different classes. Some want emergency services from you, while others just want to get information for their upcoming projects.

Secondly, create an environment that connects users with information or services they need most. This is one area that most plumbing + HVAC contractors fail, causing them to lose sales and have high website bounce rates.

Finally, ensure your alternative resource or service pages offer exact information that your targeted users crave for. Most importantly, have a responsive website than all other competing plumbing + HVAC contractor in the neighborhood. Make your business stand out!

BlackStorm Plumbing + HVAC Marketing is always here to ensure your clients get excellent user experience with minimal strain locating relevant information.

Final Thoughts 

Your current plumbing + HVAC website may not be offering a pleasant user experience your business deserves. With proper professional consultation, your plumbing + HVAC website user experience could be enhanced over time, and the results of such interventions will reflect in the increased volumes of sales your business will make through the website.

BlackStorm Plumbing + HVAC Marketing team is always here to give your business a big win!

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Graphic Design Local Marketing Marketing Web Design Website Website Design

5 Reasons Why to Hire a Professional Web Design Agency to Build Your Plumbing + HVAC Website

5 Reasons Why to Hire a Professional Web Design Agency to Build Your Plumbing + HVAC Website

Are you stuck between hiring a professional web design agency to build your plumbing + HVAC website and doing it by yourself?

If so, this article intends to give you numerous reasons why hiring a professional web designer for your plumbing + HVAC website is worth your money.

According to the US Small Business Administration, more than 97% of business owners that try to build websites on their own fail at the job and never launch a site at all.

In today’s plumbing + HVAC market, your website could be the only place that customers can get to interact with your business intimately. Therefore, without a responsive and professional website, your plumbing + HVAC company stands to lose out on interacting with tones of potential clients surfing through the web. You should focus on making a plumbing + HVAC website that appeals to your prospects as much as possible.

But before you decide to go the DIY (do-it-yourself) route, consider the following top 6 reasons why hiring a professional web design agency can do the trick much better.

1. Hiring a Web Design Agency Will Give You a Professional and High-quality Plumbing + HVAC Website

This is one of the main reasons to hire a professional web design agency.

Sure, there are countless free plumbing + HVAC site templates out there. But they are too basic, to mention the least. You can’t expect to come up with a unique, best-converting plumbing + HVAC website with these DIY cookie-cutter tools, can you?

So why make your plumbing + HVAC business lose out on potential clients to competition because they have a high-quality site than yours?

Truth be told, having an unprofessional plumbing + HVAC website outlook is worse than having a site at all. A professionally designed plumbing + HVAC website will show potential customers your identity, core values, and how you run your business.

A reputable plumbing + HVAC web design agency will create for you an attractive, dynamic, and custom site- that will offer a unique user experience to your clients.

Considering that your site is the lifeblood of your plumbing + HVAC business, you should hire a professional web design agency to build a functional, responsive, and appealing website and help you stand out from the crowd.

2. Hiring a Plumbing + HVAC Web Design Agency Saves Time and Money

As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, your primary concern should be to run your business and not to design your plumbing + HVAC website. The plumbing + HVAC website will definitely bring customers near to you, but you cannot concentrate on building your site while neglecting the running of your business.

To avoid such conflicting issues, you should hire a reputable Plumbing + HVAC website design agency that will get your plumbing + HVAC site running without any hassle.

A plumbing + HVAC web design agency works typically in a fixed-bid estimate. This means that the selected bidder will do everything possible to build your site as fast as possible and at minimized costs. But the bidder takes longer than planned to design the project then the agency stands to lose credits.

If you factor in all the effort and time involved when creating a site on your own, you will found out that hiring a professional plumbing + HVAC web design agency will be worth the time and money!

3. Hiring a Web Design Agency Will Give Your Plumbing + HVAC Business a Competitive Advantage

By hiring a professional web designer instead of designing the plumbing + HVAC website yourself, you give your plumbing + HVAC business the much-needed competitive advantage in the form of a properly functioning and professional website.

The sad truth is that most plumbing + HVAC contractors try to build sites on their own to save money. The challenge, though, is that they lack experience in this area, and it reflects on their final site.

Your professionally created plumbing + HVAC website will surpass what your rivals have on the Internet. That will assist you to stay ahead of the competition in the plumbing + HVAC industry.

4. Hiring a Professional Web Design Agency Will Give You a Mobile- Compatible Plumbing + HVAC Website

Building a responsive, mobile-compatible site is no easy feat. If in doubt, try to do it on your own or hire an amateur!

With the rising number of web users using iPads and smartphones to access the internet, you need to make sure that your plumbing + HVAC website is compatible with modern mobile technologies.

If your plumbing + HVAC website is not mobile-friendly, then your prospects will “bounce off” never to return to your site.

According to Google, more than 60% of clients will not come back to your mobile site if they face challenges of accessing or navigating through it, and 40% of them will go to your rivals.

That means you will be losing sales to your competitors. Fortunately, hiring a professional web design agency will help to build your site using responsive design technology, thus making it easier to load on mobile devices.

Faster load times on mobile devices translate to more money for your plumbing + HVAC business in the long-run.

5. Hiring a Professional Web Design Agency Will Enhance Your Plumbing + HVAC Website User Experience

When it comes to plumbing + HVAC website design, knowing where to place addresses, contact forms, calls-to-action, and navigation bars is a necessary procedure. The purpose of a plumbing + HVAC website is to attract prospects to delve deeper and know how your business can help them solve their problems.

These are some of the issues that web design agencies deal with daily. They understand what makes your site user experience pleasant and what puts clients off. They later use that information to create a plumbing + HVAC website that will attract more attention from your potential clients.

So What Should You Do Next?

The post above outlines the significant benefits of hiring a professional web design agency overdoing it on your own that every plumbing + HVAC contractor needs to know. Hiring a reputable web design agency is the best thing you can do to your plumbing + HVAC website. Without a functional website, no client will trust the legitimacy and credibility of your plumbing + HVAC business

Are you interested in hiring a web design agency for your plumbing + HVAC business? If so, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free quote today!

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Landing Page Marketing Web Design Website Website Design Website Design

Is a Landing Page Crucial For Your Plumbing + HVAC Business?

Is a Landing Page Crucial For Your Plumbing + HVAC Business?

Increase Conversions and Pay Less Per lead with A Proper High-quality Plumbing + HVAC Landing Page(s)

Are you paying for ads and searching for the best way of converting your plumbing + HVAC leads to clients?

Do you want to increase your plumbing + HVAC leads through advertising campaigns?

If so, this post will explain how an entire landing page will help your plumbing + HVAC business generate leads and drive conversions.

As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, converting your site’s visitors into leads is the initial stage of establishing a relationship between your business and prospects.

If you are directing your entire plumbing + HVAC website traffic to the homepage, then you are losing leads and sales to your competition.

Without further ado, let us dive into the basics!

What is a plumbing + HVAC service Landing Page?

In plumbing + HVAC marketing, a landing page is any web page that is mainly designed for an advertising campaign. Plumbing + HVAC landing page is a follow up to any offer or promise you have made on your website.

Unlike other web pages, which have several goals to achieve, a landing has only one objective of converting visitors into leads. It is for this reason that landing pages are considered the best option for boosting conversion rates of your plumbing + HVAC advertising campaigns and minimizing the cost of conversion or acquiring leads.

A landing page is a very first page a prospect’s land when they click on your plumbing + HVAC PPC advertising campaign.

Why Should Your Plumbing + HVAC Website have a well-designed Landing Page?

Landing Page helps your Business to Generate Exclusive Plumbing + HVAC leads.

If you are conducting a digital advertising campaign for your plumbing + HVAC company, then landing pages are the best tools to generate leads. So, if you have not included a landing page on your plumbing + HVAC website, then you are wasting your marketing dollars. Besides, paying for many clicks that don’t convert into leads/clients and increasing the bounce rates of your plumbing + HVAC website.

Moreover, prospects click on your ads since they are eager to learn more about your business. If those prospects land on a page that does not persuade them to take action, they will leave and go to your competitors.

For example, imagine that a prospect is looking on Google for “Plumbing + HVAC Repair Near me” He gets several results. He decides to click on the ad. But, unfortunately, the click directs him to some other plumbing + HVAC homepage, where a plumbing + HVAC repair is not discussed. What would he do? He will immediately leave the page.

So, if your plumbing + HVAC business lacks a well-designed landing page, then you are losing many potential clients to the competition. Therefore, a landing page is essential for successful plumbing + HVAC advertising campaigns since it converts clicks into qualified leads and drives relevant traffic to your plumbing + HVAC website.

A Well-Designed Landing page boosts your Plumbing + HVAC SEO Efforts

Google quickly indexes well-designed plumbing + HVAC landing page. Also, Google shows them for the relevant keywords for your plumbing + HVAC company. Having unique landing pages for various plumbing + HVAC products or services improves your online visibility with high-quality content.

This helps to position your plumbing & HVAC website on top of the search engine results. It also assists prospects in finding you online due to the posts published on your landing page. This enhances their experience, prompting them to convert more.

Well-optimized plumbing + HVAC landing pages will improve the quality rating of your page. Prospects can easily find what they are searching for on your page. So, optimizing your landing page with SEO can help your plumbing + HVAC company in the long term.

Plumbing + HVAC SEO is not an overnight affair since it takes time for Google to reward your efforts. However, the results are accurate and cost less than paid search advertising campaigns. Thus it saves you a lot of marketing dollars because you will not require paid marketing programs to skyrocket your plumbing + HVAC business.

How Do You Get Most Leads/Clients Out Of Your Plumbing + HVAC Landing Page

Conversion Focused Design

If you want your plumbing + HVAC landing page to generate great results, then make it simple to understand and help them to convert. It should clearly state what your plumbing + HVAC company has to offer or call-to-action button. If your plumbing + HVAC website lacks this specific information, prospects will read through your site and go back to your competition for service. This will adversely reduce your conversion rates.

A conversion-focused landing page is what gets results for your plumbing + HVAC advertising campaigns. Whether you are encouraging prospects to sign up for free plumbing + HVAC estimates or inspections, your landing page should redirect them to your objectives.

Messaging Consistency

Generally, the message of your plumbing + HVAC advertisement should match the information given by the landing page. This is the primary reason why these pages are created. Plumbing + HVAC advertising campaigns deliver exceptional results when they offer a consistent experience.

If your PPC advertisement promises something and your landing page delivers a different thing, then you are confusing potential clients.

Final Thoughts

A well-designed landing page can differentiate between effective plumbing + HVAC advertising campaigns from mediocre ones. Luckily, by applying the tips in this post to your landing pages, you can craft a compelling landing page for your plumbing + HVAC company.

If you are advertising your plumbing + HVAC business online in Google Ads or other PPC platforms, then having a well-designed plumbing + HVAC web page is incredibly essential. It can differentiate between acquiring leads and wasting your marketing dollars online.

Need Help with Your Plumbing + HVAC PPC Campaigns?

According to recent statistics, Google Ads earned over 116 Billion dollars in income. This clearly shows that most businesses strongly believe in online advertising.

If your plumbing + HVAC company can learn to serve its client better with simplified PPC ads, then you are going to have high conversion rates and plumbing + HVAC sales. Pairing a well-designed landing page with any of your plumbing + HVAC PPC campaigns will significantly boost the revenue base of your business.

Our team at Blackstorm Plumbing + HVAC marketing is willing to help your business to develop deeper customer relationships and make your plumbing + HVAC business to grow.

If you want to learn more about our plumbing + HVAC PPC services, kindly schedule a free strategy session with us today.

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Google Google Algorithm Marketing

A History of Major Google Algorithm Updates/Changes Plumbing + HVAC Should Know

A History of Major Google Algorithm Updates Changes Plumbing + HVAC Should Know

Every year, Google makes several changes to search. In 2018, they reported an incredible 3,234 updates — an average of almost 9 per day, and more than eight times the number of updates in 2009. While most of these changes are minor, Google occasionally rolls out a major algorithmic update (such as Panda and Penguin) that affects search results in significant ways.

For business owners and search marketers, knowing when major Google updates happen can help you improve your SEO efforts to increase your organic traffic and also might help explain current changes your seeing in rankings or traffic. 

Here is a list below of the most significant and noteworthy Google algorithm changes that have sculpted the landscape we are currently seeing today in search engine optimization efforts.

Recent Google Changes That Impact SEO

Panda Update – February 2011

Panda launched on February 24, 2011. It was aimed at dealing with quality and optimization issues that the search engine identified in several websites indexed at the time. It assigns a quality score to webpages, which are then used as a ranking factor. The Panda Update is also known as the Farmer Update. When this update was implemented, it had a significant impact on a broad range of companies that operated online. Panda was introduced to improve search quality by eliminating prevailing content farms as well as spam sites that were designed to take advantage of Google’s vulnerabilities.

Panda has done excellent at cleaning up low-quality sites that occupy valuable SERP real estate. The update did not come without its share of problems, especially for companies with e-commerce initiatives. Websites, both big and small, started disappearing from the usual keyword ranks they had previously owned for years. Lots of companies were impacted negatively and were utterly unable to recover traffic.

Numerous updates have been made to the Panda Update, with most of them focusing on eliminating obstructive spam sites. These Panda updates have concentrated on getting advertisers to achieve their maximum search potential.

Penguin Update – April 2012

This was launched on April 24, 2012. This update specifically targeted link spam as well as manipulative link building practices. Matt Cutts, head of the Google webspam team, officially announced the update via Twitter as the Penguin Algorithm Update. It was an extension to the Panda Update and was Google’s response to the increasing practice of black hat search engine optimization techniques, which are used to gain higher search rankings in ways that violate search engine guidelines. Many updates were made to the Penguin algorithm since its launch in 2012 including;

Google Penguin 1.1(March 26, 2012)

Google Penguin 1.2 (October 5, 2012)

Google Penguin 2.0 (May 22, 2013)

Google Penguin 2.1 (October 4, 2013)

Google Penguin3.0 (October 17, 2014)

Google Penguin 4.O (September 23, 2016)

With the last update, Penguin became a part of the core algorithm, meaning it evaluates websites and links in real-time.

Hummingbird Update – August 2013

The Hummingbird Update was launched on August 22, 2013. The name Hummingbird came from the speed and precision of the update. This new algorithm allows Google to understand phrases better, providing precise results to complex search queries. It expands the brand content strategy to have more informational content on their site. Also, it gives substitutions as a user enters the query. It also brings out results far more complex search queries. Google’s knowledge graph also appears more often than it did previously, giving more direct answers in search results.

Hummingbird has improved how users are sent to a specific page and directed to the information they are seeking. Hummingbird has also promoted voice-powered searches, helping to create a smarter search engine that can better decipher user intent. Hummingbird update has been branded “the heart of Google’s search engine” as it can filter billions of pages to find the most relevant search results.

Pigeon Update – July 2014

Google’s Pigeon was released on July 24, 2014. This Google algorithm update, unlike its predecessors, was designed to give more accurate and relevant local search results. Google rewarded local businesses that had a strong organic presence with better visibility in traditional search results. Several updates on Pigeon have been made since 2014.

In many ways, Pigeon can be described as not being punitive; rather, it serves a specific group of users best.

Mobile Update – April 2015

This was launched on April 21, 2015. This update ensures that when users use the search engine on their mobile phones, mobile-friendly pages rank closer to the top. This is to provide optimum usability and speed.

Rank Brain Updates – October 2015

These updates were launched on October 26, 2015. It worked like a refresh to Google’s Hummingbird algorithm. It helped Google to understand user queries better than before.

Possum Updates – September 2016

It was launched on September 1, 2016. It basically helped to ensure that locations given to the users were as accurate to the users’ current location as possible

Fred Update – March 2017

This was launched on March 8, 2017, and is one of the latest of Google’s major confirmed updates. It helps to ensure that Google’s webmaster guidelines are adhered to by targeting violations.

Core Update – June 2019

In a rare move, Google announced they would be releasing a new update prior to rolling it out. The update is thought to have affected low-quality news sites while boosting trusted aggregator sites. It may have also affected video carousels, with many YouTube channels seeing 25% increases in traffic.

Broad Core Algorithm Update – September 2019

Broad updates don’t tend to target anything specific; instead, they improve the overall effectiveness of Google’s systems. This can lead to drops or gains in the ranking, and the main advice from Google is to focus on producing quality content. These updates won’t penalize any websites, but they will reassess any new content featured in search results since the last update, and possibly rank quality content higher. Content improvements can aid recovery from any drop in ranking.

BERT Update – October 2019

Allegedly one of the most significant changes to Google search in the past five years, the BERT update focused on better understanding search queries. Google’s official explanation was:

“These improvements are oriented around improving language understanding, particularly for more natural language/conversational queries, as BERT can help Search better understand the nuance and context of words in Searches and better match those queries with helpful results.

Particularly for longer, more conversational queries, or searches where prepositions like “for” and “to” matter a lot to the meaning, Search will be able to understand the context of the words in your query. You can search in a way that feels natural for you.”

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Branding Content Marketing Local Marketing Local SEO Marketing Off-Page SEO On-Page SEO SEO Web Design Website Website Design

10 Features to Look Out For in a Great Plumbing + HVAC Website

10 Features to Look Out For in a Great Plumbing + HVAC Website

 

Is Your Plumbing + HVAC Website In Need for Repairs?

Here are the top 10 Qualities of a Great Plumbing + HVAC Website You Need to Know!

Is your plumbing + HVAC website due for an update?

If your website is not generating desired results, this post will discuss the top qualities that will make your site get more plumbing + HVAC leads and outrank the competition.

Truth be told.

As a plumbing + HVAC contractor, you require the best and useful tools to complete any task at hand. For instance, you cannot use a broken wrench to do plumbing + HVAC repairs. Similarly, you cannot use a poorly-designed site for marketing your plumbing + HVAC services.

That said, focusing on improving the plumbing + HVAC website and making it appealing to prospects is essential.

Here are the top 10 features that will help your plumbing + HVAC site convert more prospects into leads.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

Feature 1) Testimonials on Every Page

In our modern digital world, many clients rely on the reviews of others to make a purchasing decision.

According to a recent survey by Bright Local, more than 80% of plumbing + HVAC clients rely on personal recommendations and online reviews.

Reviews from a customer or client feel more genuine than a sales copy found on your plumbing + HVAC website.

Therefore, you need to include such testimonials on each web page to remain competitive in the plumbing + HVAC market.

Feature 2) Simple & Attractive Design

Your plumbing + HVAC website usually is the first point of contact between your business and potential clients.

If prospects make their way to your site, they expect to find web pages that are appropriately designed and full of engaging, informative content

Thus, your plumbing + HVAC website design should be catchy enough to draw their attention closer and not flashy to make them leave your site after a few seconds.

Feature 3) Clear Calls-To-Actions (CTA)

Modern web surfers have a shorter concentration span; therefore, don’t make your clients dig deeper, trying to find ways of contacting your business. Your prospects should know at a glance what your site entails by just visiting your homepage.

Ideally, your call-to-action buttons should be located on each page- with various points of contact- like emails, simple-to-fill contact forms, and phone numbers. If you have a physical presence, then you can include Google Maps as a bonus.

Feature 4) Well Designed & Functional

Your site portrays the face of your brand and, ultimately, your plumbing + HVAC business. So, your plumbing + HVAC website needs to be polished, professional, and visually-appealing. Allow uncluttered layouts with high-quality images, white space, and pass your message effectively.

Equally crucial, the plumbing + HVAC site must work faster and adequately as expected. Slow, broken, and poorly designed areas will make your prospects embarrassed and thus encourage them to click off your site.

Feature 5) Performance

One of the essential performance metrics for any plumbing + HVAC website is page speed. The longer your site takes to load, the more your prospects will leave your site to look for other local plumbing + HVAC contractors.

Page speed also determines how high your page with rank with Facebook and Google; these engines will penalize your page for loading slowly by placing your business below your competition.

Feature 6) Optimized for Mobile

It is not a secret today that your plumbing + HVAC website must work well on every mobile device to attain high organic search rankings in Google.

With the growing number of tablets and mobile phones produced every day, optimizing your site for mobile will improve your SEO rankings and user experience of your visitors.

Look at your plumbing + HVAC site on your phone, is it simple to navigate and read through? Does it load faster? If not, that shows that users are clicking off your site before they convert.

Feature 7) Request for an Estimate Form on each page

This is a similar concept to putting testimonials on each page.

The more your prospects, see something, the higher the chances of taking action. We recommend that you include a small contact form on every page of your plumbing + HVAC website.

It works out great because you never know when a prospect is ready to contact your business.

Feature 8) Fresh, High-quality Content

Your Plumbing + HVAC website must always have accurate, exciting, and well-crafted content. Use a language that will resonate with your potential audience- avoid technical jargon, acronyms, and corporate speak.

Web-users today have shorter attention capacity:  thus, spell correctly and remain relevant throughout your post. Take your time to craft high-value content that will eventually pay off through increased rankings in search engines.

Feature 9) Optimized for Search and Social Media

It is not enough to create a nice-looking plumbing + HVAC website that is easy to navigate. It needs to get some traffic. Otherwise, all your efforts in developing content, design, and UX will be rendered fruitless.

Here are some tips that will help you to optimize your page for search:

  • Use Meta tags and page titles on each page and alt tags on each image
  • Optimize content so that it can solve questions that real users are searching for answers for.
  • Use links and keywords properly in the content
  • Keep your HTML code free from clutter.

These tips will make your content easily sharable across different social media platforms and thus boost your organic traffic.

Feature 10) Secure

Security is a crucial concern for modern web surfers. You need to ensure that your plumbing + HVAC website follows the laid-down industry standards and guidelines. For instance, if you have a client registration portal, make sure that all the passwords are encrypted and not shown plain text. Make sure that your client’s sensitive information is safeguarded at all costs.

Do You Need a High-quality site for Your Plumbing + HVAC Business?

If your plumbing + HVAC website does not possess any of the features discussed above, your business will lose prospects to competitors.

Robust plumbing + HVAC websites require on-page optimization, clear call-to-action, and engaging content.

How we can help

At Blackstorm Plumbing + HVAC Marketing, we can build a high-quality plumbing + HVAC website that will generate more leads to your business. Our professional team will implement all the features discussed above to give your business the much-needed competitive advantage.

We have helped countless plumbing + HVAC contractors to win on Google. If you think that your plumbing + HVAC website is not performing as it should, then contact our team for plumbing + HVAC web design solutions today.

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