People are realizing the benefits of working in a skilled trade and competition is becoming fierce. To become successful, and beat your competition you will need to market your services both online and offline. There are a lot of strategies to get your roofing business found by customers and one of them is SEO. But the question is, do you need to hire an SEO service provider to help get your business get found online?

I'm sure you've heard the term Search Engine Optimization. Which is the process of getting your site ranked on search engines. A website is not just the face of your business, it's a way to get new customers to your business. But before you can get any new customers through your website, your company (website) will need to rank on search engines. Ultimately your goal should be to get on the first page of Google. Ranking on the first page of Google is easier said than done but to do it, you can deploy two SEO methodologies.

Any business owner or sales person can tell you that: NO new leads = NO new business. Without sales, you don't exist.

Lead Generation is tough for any business, especially when they have little experience or time to execute a proper strategy. Advertising is questionable, cold calling doesn't work and the only certainty is a business needs new leads to survive and grow.

Unfortunately, since most new businesses have little experience in generating new leads, they make the mistake of signing up for online service directories or buying space in one of those coupon publications in hopes that it will help in generating leads. Sadly, only after spending their money on these services, will they realize how poor the quality and consistency of these supposed "leads" are. 

Inbound vs SEO, which is better? Businesses, both large and small know that having a website is an absolute must. And in order for that website to be found in search engines, it must be properly promoted and/or optimized. If you're a business owner or work in a marketing capacity then you've heard the terms SEO (search engine optimization) and inbound marketing. 

Both are online marketing strategies that can be used to promote your business and help you get found online.

Is your firm or considering a spending change in SEO, advertising or web services? Avanti Vision has some great tips on making a transition to a new agency or consultant as easy as possible.

Why Talk About Inbound Marketing?
Before we get into what inbound marketing is all about, it is important to understand how buyer habits have changed in recent years.

Inbound marketing is important because of the continuing shift toward self-reliance in consumer decision-making. With the rise of digital technology, access to information is increasingly right at our fingertips. Today, when buyers identify a problem, they increasingly arrive at a solution through their own online research. Rather than calling a friend or going to check out a local company in person, they likely turn straight to their smartphone or computer. The internet allows for buyers to compare companies with similar products and services and then select one that they feel most fits their needs. So how do you get a potential customer to pick you out of the crowd?

Anyone who runs a business, or simply anyone who peruses the internet nowadays, knows there is a shift happening in the marketing world (Well, at least we hope you know this if you're a business owner). The power is increasingly in the hands of the consumer. Today’s top marketing companies and top consumer brands know that modern marketing is about providing great educational content for their consumers rather than giving the hard sell.

Local SEO is a powerful way to promote your business, especially if you are a service provider. Local SEO can help you attract leads and reach potential customers.

Though that's a bold title, it may not be as crazy as it sounds. Millions of people search online for products or services and companies spend billions every year on getting found. But for some, that is turning against them.

One question we get often when talking to business owners is. Should I invest in SEO or content marketing?