Before internet took over the world, every home owner had the YELLOW PAGES delivered to their door. Roofing businesses back then were forced to buy advertising space in that famous publication if they had any hope of telling people how good they were as roofers.
Google took over that advertising space and totally destroyed the YELLOW PAGES. These monster yellow doorstoppers are now extinct. The YELLOW PAGES business took a huge hit and Sensis eventually gave up and sold the giant for the tiny sum of $260 Million to US SMB Software player, Tryv Holdings in 2021.
So, where do the good roofers in Sydney advertise their roofing services?
Roofers in Sydney buy Google ads.
These are the businesses listed on the top and bottom of a Google search result page = paying Google up to $20 EVERY TIME someone clicks on the listing. Sydney roofers must have deep pockets to use this strategy.
Most of the best roofers have their own websites that have a free organic listing on Google search. They get a free ride (although the cost of a good roofing website will cost around $20,000). Micro roofing businesses usually use the online directory platforms like HiPages to feed them roofing enquiry leads at around $35 each.
There are a lot of roofers in Sydney. IBISworld (the business research organisation) estimates 5,030 roofing services businesses in Australia, employing 12,050 roofers. Since Sydney contains 20% of Australia’s population, this works out to around 1,000 roofing companies employing 2,400 roofers.
If you are looking for a roofer in Sydney, you have 2,400 to choose from!
“Word of Mouth” recommendations is a common strategy for homeowners looking for a good roofer. But if a homeowner has a small social circle, they have to extend their reach using facebook groups and similar.
Online reviews have become a substitute for direct ‘word of mouth’. These reviews are good guides – even though businesses can ‘game’ this system using selective bias.
Roofing businesses come up for sale a few times a year. There was a roofing business in Sydney with a sales tag of $1.3 Million in 2021. Most roofing company sales go for less than that.
“THE ROOFING PROFESSIONALS” business was created in the mid 1980s by an Irishman of international intrigue. If you are interested in how creative con artists can be read the story BELOW.
Soon after, only two roofing businesses were left to struggle on. Ron Conrad eventually built ‘’THE ROOFING PROFESSIONALS NORTHSIDE’ into a thriving business situated in Artarmon. He also took on the ‘Eastside’ suffix as his ‘territory’. Sum Yuen persevered with ‘THE ROOFING PROFESSIONALS WESTSIDE’ and was quite successful in covering western Sydney. Since the Shire ‘looks after its own’, there was no push to move into the ‘southside’ territory.
In 2018, after Ron developed vertigo and roof work became too risky, he sold his roofing business. Boris Despot bought ‘THE ROOFING PROFESSIONALS EASTSIDE’ and Brad Butcher took over ‘THE ROOFING PROFESSIONALS NORTHSIDE’.
As of 2021, there are three ‘THE ROOFING PROFESSIONALS’ roofing businesses in operation. All three have different operating methods.
Brad is based on the Central Coast and his obvious Sydney coverage area is Northern Sydney.
Boris lives in the Bayside LGA and is well positioned to service the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.
Jack Lives in Strathfield in the inner west of Sydney. His roofers are spread out in Sydney and are quite flexible with travel.