May 2, 2008	Published by Dianna Huff	Volume 8, Number 11

Welcome!

You can find lots of articles and blog posts debating the old rules of marketing versus the new rules: direct mail is dead, people prefer "self-service" marketing (i.e. blogs and Websites) rather than "interruption marketing," (TV or radio commercials) or the contrary -- direct mail and interruption marketing are not dead and RSS and other new media technologies, while effective, will never take their place.

What's my opinion? Yes, no, maybe. My husband and I needed to replace the roof on our house -- and I ran smack into this whole debate while trying to find roofing contractors. What follows is a synopsis on how I developed my short list of contractors via "old marketing" tactics.

Regards,

Dianna Huff

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How I found a Roofing Contractor -- Without Using Google

By Dianna Huff

You would think finding roofing contractors would be pretty easy. I thought so, until I typed "Roofing Contractors, Plaistow NH" into Google and came up with less than stellar results.

"Hmmmmm," I thought. I tried a few more search phrases and still couldn't find listings for roofing companies that did work in or near my town. (Almost every single listing went to the online yellow pages.)

I'm one of those crazy people that actually keeps a telephone directory on hand, so I flipped open the pages to "roofing contractors" and hit the jackpot in terms of finding companies who do business in my area.

But, I'm also a firm believer in the effectiveness of online marketing and new media, so I was surprised to see the plethora of ads in the phone directory. Why? Many of my neighbors ignore their directories or throw them away.

Days after they are delivered, I see them languishing, water logged and dirty, by the roadside mailboxes where they were dropped by the delivery person or residing in recycling bins on trash day.

Radio ads and word of mouth also prove effective

Before consulting the phone directory, I already had two roofing companies on my "short list": CTBA Siding and Roofing and Absolute Roofing.

CTBA I had heard about via "interruption marketing" -- aka the radio. Talk show host Michael Graham of WTKK Boston endorses them. "The great thing about CTBA," gushed Graham a few weeks ago, "is that I found only two nails in the grass after they left, and when I told the project foreman, he was embarrassed I had found those two."

(When I called CTBA to set up the appointment, the receptionist said, "Yes, Michael Graham has been very good to us.")

Absolute Roofing, on the other hand, is quite visible in my town. I've seen their trucks everywhere, and plus, my next-door neighbors know the owner of the company and highly recommended him. Excellent, as Mr. Burns would say.

Alas, actually finding a way to contact the company proved difficult. Absolute lacked a phone directory listing and a Website. I knew where one of the crew parked his truck every night, so I ended up driving to the guy's house in order to get the phone number off the side of the truck!

When I mentioned that I couldn't find his company in the directory, the Absolute guy replied, "The phone directory is a waste of money. I get all my jobs from referrals."

Long story short -- "Old rules" aren't dead but . . .

Roofing contractors -- or any type of service business that relies on a "considered purchase" by consumers or businesses -- should definitely consider multiple marketing tactics, including an optimized Website, in order to ensure their message is heard or seen by more than a few people.

Obviously, radio and Yellow Pages advertising aren't dead, as evidenced by my experience, but how many leads -- especially leads from commercial businesses needing a new roof? -- are roofing companies losing by not having a Website?

When developing a Website, roofing companies should consider the following tips. The Website should:

• Be optimized for the towns and states in which they do business. A roofing contractor can develop optimized landing pages for each specific town and include photos / success stories from recent jobs in that town and customer testimonials -- making it easier to find the company via search engines.
• Include sections for residential and commercial work if applicable. A couple of the contractors who gave me estimates also do projects for commercial buildings. A separate section of the Website should feature information that companies need in order to hire the right roofing contractor.
  
  To save consumers and businesses time, Websites should state the company's license number, the amount of insurance for various projects, any certifications, if the company is a member of the Better Business Bureau, etc.
• Answer unspoken questions. The contractors who visited my home threw around a lot of lingo -- "ridge vent," "soffit," "boards," etc. A Website for a roofing contractor should also include information about the roofing process and explain all terms as well as the process itself, and any state mandated regulations. (For example, it's against code in New Hampshire to have more than two layers of shingles on a roof.)
  
  CTBA Siding and Roofing does a reasonably good job with educating consumers on its roofing Web page.
• Include "new media" technologies -- This is where video would be perfect. I'd love to see short videos of why or when a roof needs replacing, common problems roofers encounter and how they fix them, and an explanation of the different types of materials used.
• Be professional looking and complete. Having a URL with an "under construction" sign is useless -- as is having blank pages that state the same thing.

Although I did end up finding a roofing contractor -- without benefit of Google -- it would have saved me considerable time if each contractor who gave me an estimate had an optimized Website that included the information listed above.

What do you think? Should "offline" companies such as roofing contractors have a Website? Can they benefit from "new marketing" tactics? Send your replies to me at info@dhcommunications.com.

What can Dianna Huff do for you?

Are you redesigning and/or rewriting your corporate Website because your company has grown or you're changing direction? Don't struggle with defining who you are! As a professional and experienced Web-based marketer, I'll help you:

• Determine your Website's objective (i.e.: what do you want prospects to do once they get to your site?).
• Develop your messages by interviewing key people within your organization and researching your competitors and industry.
• Determine the right keywords for your site and optimize it accordingly.
• Write clean, energetic copy that compels site visitors (your prospects) to take action.

To learn more, take a look at my Web Content and SEO Copywriting Services pages to see how you can put my award-winning expertise to work for you. Dianna Huff has won Gold MarCom Awards for her work with the Inca Gold Products and Helaine Smith DMD Websites.

Contact DH Communications

Telephone: 603-382-8093
Email: info@dhcommunications.com

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