It’s been the same story for many years. When a homeowner needs a new roof, they sit down at a desk, or open up a laptop, and go to Google. They type in their search terms and press enter. Then, they browse the latest roofing materials, energy efficiency standards and cost estimates. They weigh their options and think about their budget until they find a company that appeals to them.

With mobile phone usage on the rise, that story is about to change. Currently, 50 percent of roofing searches happen on mobile devices. Homeowners are on their phones all the time. Needless to say, this is an enormous profit opportunity for roofing companies big and small.

In this mobile revolution, roofers need to capture what Google calls “micro moments” — which means creating lead conversions whenever and wherever a mobile user is searching. And since the roofing market is so fractured, making the most out of these mobile moments matters.

Now that Google has set the standard of mobile-first marketing, the rest of the digital world will soon follow. Roofers would be wise to not only follow Google — but also their mobile prospects.

Impress Homeowners with Your Mobile Design

Google officials said in a recent report that there are four types of mobile moments: (1) I-Want-to-Know, (2) I-Want-to-Go, (3) I-Want-to-Do and (4) I-Want-to-Buy. Depending on the product desired, the mobile user may have any combination of these four types of moments.

For roofing, the mobile moment is I-Want-to-Buy, but it comes with a sub-moment: I-Don’t-Want-to-Pay-a-Fortune. The motivation for a mobile roofing search is necessity, not vanity. Mobile users know they need a new roof, but they aren’t exactly thrilled with the potential cost.

With this in mind, the first step to capturing a mobile moment for a roofing lead is having a friction-free, mobile-friendly website. Your site should have a responsive design, tap-friendly actions and easy navigation. Mobile users have little patience for roofers who don’t provide a smooth experience.

Make sure to feature contact forms and calls to action on your mobile site; these lead to more sales visits, which gives your team the opportunity to seal the deal. By beefing up your mobile calls to action and creating easy contact points, you’re going to make the greatest impact on your lead conversions and ultimately on your bottom line.

Yet, what happens after the homeowner makes contact is just as important.

Offline Efforts Impact Online Success

Unlike other types of online users, homeowners are interested in initiating personal contact with a roofer. After all, they’re trusting you with their home. That means they’re taking a risk with their personal information — either by phone call, email or online form. So, reassuring and providing stellar customer service can make all the difference when it comes to nailing the lead.

Respond to mobile inquiries courteously and promptly, and be prepared to give them all the information they need. You want to be there, wherever and whenever they need you. That’s how you create a successful mobile moment. For companies who don’t answer or return phone calls, it’s a much more difficult road forward. The homeowner will simply call a competitor. Then they’ll call another, then another, until they talk to someone who’s responsive.

If you make it a point to go the extra mile offline, there’s a greater chance that the customer will enhance your reputation online. Happy customers write reviews, which improve your Google review rankings and they might even share pictures of their new roof with their friends on Facebook and Twitter.

Targeting is Important

Since homeowners are using smartphones, tablets and desktops to search, you should have a strategy and response path for each device. Different models will continue to flood the market, so you’ll want to make it as easy as possible for every type of user.

Landing pages need to adjust to the screen size of every type of device, menus should be easy to navigate and content should be clear. Users should be able to tap to contact and swipe through. Your site should accommodate every communication preference: phone, email, chat and text. The process should be hassle-free and load times should be fast (3 seconds max).

The bottom line here is to make sure your site is informative and interactive for every type of device: tablet, phone and everything in between. Before you launch, take the time to test your mobile site on tablets and phones of all varieties.

Making the Most of Mobile Moments

The best part of the mobile age is that search can happen anywhere, at any time. A user can contact a roofing contractor as soon as they notice a leak, or call for an inspection before they make an offer on a home. As soon as they make contact, the problem feels on its way to resolution. In a single mobile moment, they’ve taken a step toward a better protected home.

Making those mobile moments count — that’s how you can keep those leads coming in this brave, new mobile-first world. Seize this opportunity to make your company known and leads are sure to follow.