10 Essential FAQ to Add to Your Roofing Company Website

In the business of roofing, you probably get hundreds of different questions from clients, potential customers, and even people on the street. Fortunately, there’s an easy way to answer them all: your FAQ page. This isn’t just any FAQ page, though. It needs to be a well-planned, dynamic resource that provides your audience with the self-service that they demand and the answers they seek. 

In this guide, we’ll help you understand more about how to set up an effective FAQ database for your audience, as well as what questions you need to be asking along the way. First though, for those who need a little help getting started, we’ll also go over setting up your page and creating an effective strategy to ensure that your FAQs are the best that they can be. In today’s economy, that’s essential. 

• As many as 89% of consumers expect brands to have online self-service tools and resources. 
• 64% of those people want real-time assistance. 
• Most consumers expect responses immediately, with the definition of “immediate” usually ranging from one to five minutes. 

This might sound like a lot, but your FAQ page has a lot more power here than you think. Here’s our favorite statistic regarding self-service in today’s Internet: the FAQ page is the single most-used self-service tool available today. 

Thus, the design, structure, and answers offered on yours could very well make or break the experience for your audience. 

The Internet has changed the way people think about services and solutions and it has changed their expectations drastically. Consumer demands are increasingly focused on a personalized, one-on-one connection with brands through social media and other channels where the consumer is comfortable. That means that you have to keep up with a strong online marketing and branding strategy. Part of that comes in brushing up on your self-service tools. 

The FAQ page isn’t just about your audience. Sure, it will provide them insight and answers that they can use. However, it’s also a way to boost your SEO efforts. As with any page on your website, the FAQs section can generate better search rankings and boost your SEO when it is done correctly. Unfortunately, that also means it can hurt your rankings when it’s done poorly. 

Let’s talk about proper structure and how to set up your page for success, and then we’ll dive into the questions that every roofing company needs to help you get started. 

Structure and setup for your FAQ page 

As with anything, you can’t have a good product if the “bones” aren’t well-planned and properly supportive of the rest of the content. There isn’t a single way to build an FAQ page that everyone must follow, but there are some best practices to keep in mind. To begin with, you’ll want to take the time to do a little research and see what people are asking—use Google and search for something like “roofing company FAQs” and see what results come up. You’ll find three things:

1. Companies with FAQ pages that you can take notes from
2. Suggested FAQs and advice content on how to build an effective FAQ page
3. The beloved Google Answer Box that generates four or five questions related to what you searched, allowing you to simply click the drop-down and get information from the SERPs instead of visiting the site. (SERPs = Search Engine Results Pages)

There’s one big element in setting up your page structure that you need to decide early on: a single FAQ page vs. multiple pages separated by topic or category. 

There’s no right or wrong answer here. It’s about what is going to be best for your roofing company. Some people prefer to start with a single page and then grow from there, while others already have an arsenal of Q&As to build a dynamic FAQ database that will empower users for days. Where do you want to begin? What makes sense for you?

Make sure that you do categorize and organize your FAQs so that they’re easy to follow. Consider adding a Table of Contents at the top of the page or using hyperlinks to make it easy for people to get to the questions and answers that they seek. Just as you would with any business effort, make sure that you get a strategy outlined and get it in writing so that you can start and follow the process accordingly. This isn’t something that you can just dive into and be done with. It takes time and planning, along with some education. 

Speaking of education, it’s time to learn which FAQs your roofing company website can’t live without. Not only will these help you see what people are looking for, but they will make it easy for you to get your page set up and generate the leads that you’ve been looking for by providing people with the informational resources that they demand. 

The 10 FAQs all roofing companies need to have 

1. Do you charge hourly or by the job?

This is a big one for roofing contractors and other building professionals. People like to know how you charge for the job and how long jobs will take. For the most part, people aren’t familiar with the difference except that they might think job rates are cheaper and that hourly rates could be exploited by less-than-reputable contractors. Regardless, it is a common question and it’s a great way for you to explain to people how things work and what they can expect from you. The transparency about your costs and how you charge is more valuable than the actual answer, in most cases. 

2. Are you licensed and insured?

When it comes to roofing, there are a lot of safety concerns (and we’ll cover that next, too). The one thing that people want to be sure of is that you’re properly insured and licensed to protect them and your own employees from anything that could go wrong on the job. Again, it’s about transparency and professionalism here. You should explain what type of certifications you have, any insurance coverage, and licensing, or other credentials that can prove your expertise and give people the reassurance that they need. 

3. What are your safety practices?

As we said, safety is a big deal with roofing. People want to know that you aren’t going to be falling off their house or crashing into their living room in the middle of tear-off. They also want to know that you’re experienced enough to understand the importance of safety in roofing. Explain how you keep your team safe, including protective gear, safety tethers, and other practices that you use to ensure that the job is done in the safest and most professional way possible. This information gives people peace of mind, and it helps them see that you are a reputable, professional choice for their roofing needs. 

4. How long will my roof last?

Everyone wants to ask about numbers and timelines and things you might not be able to answer on a general basis. Fortunately, this is a question that you can answer, and you should. Explain to people how long different roofing materials typically last, including when you factor in the environment and climate of the region, along with any other specific factors that may affect longevity. Most roofs last between 15 and 30 years these days, but some can last longer. Cheaper materials may have a shorter lifespan, but they may be more cost-effective in certain situations. 

Explain all this and then invite people to reach out to you for more specific information based on the type of roof they’re considering. 

5. How much does a new roof cost?

People also want to know what they’re spending. It’s hard to price a roofing job generically, but you can tell your audience that most people spend between $8,000 and $20,000 on a new roof. You can also explain here about prices per square foot and hourly rates, as well as how you charge per job, and refer them back to the question above regarding that. You can also link to your pricing page and invite people to contact you for an exact quote on what a new roof would cost for their home. While the prices are valuable, people are often more interested in your transparency with this question. 

6. Do you require a deposit or partial upfront payment?

Some roofing jobs require a deposit or down payment, and rightfully so. This is a big job, and no contractor wants to get stuck holding the bill when the homeowner or business doesn’t pay. Consumers are going to ask what your partial payment or deposit requirements are, and they want to know as much information as you can provide. Explain what you charge and why, and how the deposit is applied or refunded at the end of the job. This is another place you can ask people to contact you directly to discuss custom terms. 

7. Should I repair or replace my roof?

This question is so generic that it’s impossible to answer. However, you can provide people with useful information to help them decide on the best course of action. Plus, you can use it as a place to insert a call-to-action for people to contact you for an in-person inspection to determine what’s right for their roofing situation. Explain to people that depending on the severity and type of damage, replacement is sometimes more cost-effective than repair. If the roof is older, it may also be a better idea to replace it than just fix the issues that are present. These factors all vary and will be different for every client, so be sure to offer to help people determine what’s best for their needs. 

8. How long have you been in business?

You don’t have to be a company with 50 years of experience, but people want to know that you’ve been doing this for a while. In addition to explaining how long you’ve been doing roofing, use this space to talk about your education, training, and any special licenses or expertise that you have in the industry. You can also highlight employees with special training or expertise, and promote other aspects of your business that prove that you have the reputation to back up the services that you offer. 

Even if you’re a newer company, if you’re confident and reassure people that you know what you’re doing, this question will work in your favor. 

9. What kind of roofing materials do you work with?

Not all contractors work with all materials. Therefore, people will need to know what you can and can’t do. This is a fairly straightforward question. You can beef it up by adding the pros and cons of each material to help people decide if you want, but you can also just list the materials that you can work with and then link to your product or services pages. 

10. What options do I have for a new roof?

We like this question because it informs and promotes your business. You should use this space to explain to people all of the choices that they have for re-roofing their home, including replacing their current material with the same thing or choosing a new roof material entirely. Explain the pros and cons of different products and how you can help them make the best decision. Advise them to do some research on different roof types and to contact you when they’re ready to discuss what new roof would be best for their home. It’s a great way to give information and get a little promotion in there, too. 

Stay on top of your roofing company when you partner with Smith.ai 

If you’re looking at the statistics, people want real-time answers, and they want them from real people. But when you’re busy doing roofing jobs, dealing with business matters, and trying to keep everything moving, who’s there to answer the calls, chats, and other needs? 

Fortunately, you don’t have to do it all. When you hire the virtual receptionists at Smith.ai to act as the face of your roofing company, you’ll trust that every chat, call, message, and other need is answered immediately and appropriately, with issues escalated to you as needed. Plus, we’ll integrate with your CRM and other software to help streamline everything and keep you in the loop and collaborate to create a dynamic strategy to manage all of it. 

If you want to learn more, schedule a consultation to discuss how our 24/7 virtual receptionists can deliver what your company needs, from after-hours calls and chats to intake, scheduling, and so much more. You can also reach us at hello@smith.ai or (650) 727-6484.