Before online reviews were common, homeowners needed a way to vet contractors before they hired them. And one of the main companies that helped homeowners find trusted service providers was the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
For a few years, and even decades, it was highly recommended for roofers and contractors to get accredited by the BBB so that they could gain more business by establishing their trustworthiness. But now in the age of online reviews, is a BBB accreditation still necessary? Would not being accredited hurt your reputation as a contractor?
We rounded up a handful of opinions from expert contractors who shared their opinions on this topic on Facebook.
The Verdict Is In
Dozens of contractors have weighed in about BBB accreditation. It seems that the majority consensus is that most contractors know the BBB is a pay-to-play set-up, which can feel scammy. But ultimately, most homeowners don’t know that.
The fee to join the BBB isn’t tremendous, so even if you get one deal from having a BBB accreditation, You’ll have made your money back easily. Plus, many elderly homeowners greatly rely on the BBB as a trust factor, and getting a backlink from their website is great for your website’s SEO strategy.
Here are our final takeaways:
- BBB accreditation doesn’t really hurt you one way or the other.
- If you don’t want to pay the fee for the accreditation, many homeowners won’t even notice as long as you have great online reviews and other trust factors.
- However, paying the small fee for accreditation also can be helpful. It may bring in a few extra leads or deals a year, making your ROI worth it.
- You don’t have to be a member to have an A+ rating, so you can always just pay the minimum amount!
Other Ways to Gain Credibility as a Contractor
Having an A+ rating with the BBB can definitely boost your creditability as a contractor. But whether you’re accredited or not, there are numerous other ways you can demonstrate that you’re a trustworthy company. One of the main ones is having numerous 5-star reviews. Be sure to always ask your happy customers to leave you a review after you complete their job.
Other trust factors include:
- Having an optimized, well-formatted, and personalized website design makes you look far more professional than if you have a cheap, clunky website built on a generic theme.
- Investing in a solid Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy will help you show up at the top of Google, which is where people are mostly looking for roofing and contracting services. If Google thinks you’re trustworthy, then so will homeowners.
- Set up strategic PPC ads (pay-per-click) on Google. Great website authority and a smart ad manager will have you raking in leads in no time.
If you’re not sure where to start with those extra trust-building strategies, you can leave the heavy-lifting to the Google Specialized Team at Hook Agency! Contact us anytime with any questions you have about digital marketing!
