Prepared forShane McClung — MRI Roofing & Restoration, Inc.
Website Discovery & Concept Proposal — Version 2
Five Paths to Your Digital Foundation.
Five distinct website strategies for MRI Roofing & Restoration — each with honest marketing strengths, realistic pitfalls, and transparent ongoing costs — so you can choose the right foundation and build something that actually works.
Introduction
What You've Built — And What's Missing
You and your team walk homeowners through the entire storm restoration journey — from initial damage assessment to insurance claims navigation, to completion of their fully restored home. That includes roofing, siding, windows, water damage, flooring, and more. That's a comprehensive, client-first model that most contractors can't match. But without a web presence, you're invisible to the homeowners who are searching for exactly what you offer. This proposal starts with a critical first step that needs to happen before any website is built — then gives you five clear paths to choose from.
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Step One — Before We Build Anything
Your Google Business Profile: The Non-Negotiable First Step
What is a Google Business Profile? When someone searches "roofing contractor near me" or "storm damage Malvern AR" on Google, the map with three local business listings that appears is called the Local Pack. Those listings are powered by Google Business Profiles — a free tool that Google provides to local businesses. Think of it as your digital storefront on Google itself, completely separate from your website.
Why it matters more than you might think: Research consistently shows that the Local Pack gets more clicks than any other result on the page — often more than the website results below it. Your Google Business Profile can start generating calls and leads immediately, even before your website launches. It is, without question, the most cost-effective marketing tool available to a local contractor.
What to set up: Name, address, phone number, service area (you can list specific cities and counties rather than a single address), service categories, business hours, description, and photos. This takes roughly 2–3 hours to set up correctly and must be verified by Google via a postcard or phone call.
Ongoing maintenance — and why it can't be ignored: A Google Business Profile is not a "set it and forget it" tool. Google actively rewards businesses that maintain their profile and quietly penalizes those that don't. More importantly, every review a homeowner leaves is visible to every future potential customer. Here's what ongoing maintenance looks like:
Respond to every review — positive and negative — within 48 hours. A thoughtful response to a negative review often impresses future customers more than the five-star reviews do.
Upload new project photos monthly — Google rewards active profiles with higher placement in local search results. Your photo library is a major competitive advantage here.
Post updates weekly or bi-weekly — short posts about completed projects, storm alerts, or seasonal tips. These appear directly in your listing.
Answer customer questions — Google allows anyone to ask questions publicly on your profile. These must be monitored and answered promptly.
Keep information current — hours, phone numbers, and service area must stay accurate, especially around holidays or if you expand your team.
Actively request reviews — after every completed job, ask the homeowner to leave a Google review. A simple text message with a direct link is the most effective method.
⏱ Time commitment estimate: Setting up correctly — 2 to 4 hours. Ongoing maintenance — approximately 30 to 60 minutes per week, or this can be managed by a marketing partner as part of a monthly retainer arrangement. This is strongly recommended to discuss as part of the final proposal. The GBP and website work together — each makes the other more powerful.
About Your Unique Competitive Advantage
Your connection to Arkansas Department of Insurance expertise gives you something almost no other contractor in Central Arkansas has: the ability to speak authoritatively about homeowners insurance regulations, claim filing rights, and policy changes. Most contractors know how to nail shingles. Very few can walk a homeowner through the difference between ACV and RCV settlements, explain the implications of Arkansas Act 1013, or help a customer understand why their claim was underpaid. That knowledge is a marketing asset. The website concept you choose should make a deliberate decision about how prominently that expertise is featured.
Additionally, your extensive photo documentation — with hundreds of images from individual projects — is another rare asset. Most contractors in this space have a handful of phone photos. You have a professional-grade library ready to deploy. The right website concept will make full use of it.
How This Document Works
1
Review the Five Concepts
Read each concept description, visit the benchmark URLs, and review the honest strengths, pitfalls, and cost breakdowns. Take your time — there's no rush.
2
Rate & Complete the Questionnaire
Use the star ratings for each concept and fill out the discovery questionnaire. Your instincts and gut reactions are just as valuable as your deliberate choices.
3
Discovery Call & Formal Proposal
We'll review your answers together, resolve any open questions, and I'll produce a scoped project proposal with specific pricing options within 5 business days.
The Five Concepts
Five Strategies. One Right Answer for MRI.
These aren't five variations of the same idea. Each concept represents a fundamentally different philosophy about how your website creates business value — what it says, who it speaks to, and how it turns a stranger into a paying customer. Read each one as if it were the only option.
Concept 01
The Full-Service Restoration Authority
"One call covers everything — roof to floor, claim to completion."
This concept positions MRI as the comprehensive, professional restoration firm that no competitor can match for scope. The homepage makes one unmistakable statement: you're not just a roofer. Visitors immediately understand that a single phone call can address their roof, windows, siding, water damage, flooring, and the entire insurance claims process. The design is polished and trust-heavy — closer to a premium service firm than a traditional contractor website. Bold service categories, a prominent "Free Damage Assessment" call-to-action, a visual process walkthrough, and a well-organized before/after gallery all work together to convert visitors who are already sold on MRI before they pick up the phone.
SERVPRO built their brand entirely around comprehensive restoration rather than any single trade. Notice how their homepage immediately communicates broad service scope, leads with a clear action, and uses professional visuals to build trust without quoting a price. You have a powerful advantage SERVPRO can never replicate: you're locally owned, personally invested, and you know Saline County. This concept borrows SERVPRO's authority positioning and applies it with the authenticity of an owner-operated Arkansas business.
Core Website Features
Homepage hero: "What We Restore" visual service map with icons for each category
✦ Best for: Year-round, diverse lead generation✦ Converts: Any homeowner with property damageBlogging: Helpful but not essential at launchTone: Professional · Trustworthy · Comprehensive
Concept 02
The Storm Damage & Insurance Specialist
"A storm hit your home. You don't have to figure out what happens next alone."
This concept is built around one specific customer at one specific moment: the homeowner who just had hail punch through their roof, who has never filed a damage claim, and who doesn't know where to start. Everything about this site — the headline, the color palette, the navigation structure, the calls to action — is engineered for that person. Where Concept 1 is broad and comprehensive, this version is laser-focused on post-storm urgency. Your insurance-industry knowledge becomes the headline differentiator here, with dedicated content about how the claims process works, what adjusters look for, and what your rights are as an Arkansas homeowner. A dynamic storm activity tracker showing recent hail and wind events in your service area would set this site apart from virtually every competitor in the state.
Storm Group built their entire brand around the storm-to-claim experience. Notice the urgency-forward messaging, how "Insurance Claim Help" is a top-level navigation item, and how quickly the site establishes credibility through process clarity rather than just product photos. They convert because they meet a stressed homeowner exactly where they are emotionally. You can do this better with Arkansas-specific insurance regulatory content that no national contractor can match.
Core Website Features
Homepage hero: "Storm Hit Your Home? Start Here." with immediate CTA
Embedded NOAA/hail tracking widget showing recent storm events in your service area
→Highest-intent leads — these homeowners need help NOW
→Storm season creates natural traffic spikes — ideal for canvassing coordination
→Insurance expertise differentiates you from every other roofer in the market
→Storm-event content can be published quickly to capture search traffic within days of a storm
⚠️ Pitfalls
→Traffic and leads are seasonal — slower in winter months without supplemental content
→Requires someone to monitor storm activity and publish new content quickly
→May undersell your full-service capabilities to homeowners not in storm mode
→Storm-keyword ad costs spike immediately after major events — competitors bid aggressively
💰 Ongoing Costs
→Hosting: $15–$40/mo
→Storm-event SEO content: $200–$500/event (if outsourced) or time investment
→Google Ads (optional): $500–$2,000/mo during storm season — high ROI if managed well
→Hail map API: Some services are free (NOAA); premium options ~$50–100/mo
✦ Best for: Peak storm season lead generation✦ Converts: Urgent, post-storm homeownersBlogging: High-value claims content, time-sensitiveTone: Urgent · Expert · Reassuring
Concept 03
The Arkansas Homeowner Resource Hub
"Know your rights. Understand your policy. We'll show you how."
This is the most ambitious long-term play — and potentially the most valuable asset you could build. Rather than leading with services, this concept leads with education. Your unique connection to Arkansas Department of Insurance expertise creates an opportunity that no other contractor in this state can replicate: becoming the trusted public resource that homeowners turn to when they want to understand their rights, their policies, and what they're entitled to after storm damage. The blog becomes the front door. Articles on Arkansas insurance regulations, how to read an adjuster's report, what contractors are legally permitted to do on your behalf, and how to appeal a denied claim all drive organic Google traffic. Homeowners who find your content already trust you before they ever call. The services section exists, but the site's identity is advisor first, contractor second.
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Benchmark Example
Today's Homeowner — Danny Lipford, Contractor Turned Trusted Educator
Danny Lipford is a licensed contractor from Mobile, Alabama who built one of the most trusted home improvement media brands in the country by leading with education rather than sales. His website generates millions of organic visitors through practical, trustworthy guides on home repair, maintenance, and improvement. He didn't abandon contracting — he expanded his authority by becoming a resource. This is exactly the model your Arkansas insurance expertise makes possible. You don't need national scale; you need to be the definitive Arkansas-specific resource for homeowners navigating storm damage and insurance claims.
Core Website Features
Magazine-style homepage with featured articles and content categories above the fold
Content categories: AR Insurance Regulations · Storm Prep · Claims Help · Contractor Tips · Policy News
Free resource library: guides, checklists, AR insurance regulation plain-language summaries
"The Arkansas Homeowner's Insurance Brief" — monthly email newsletter signup
Author bio for you, establishing credentials and community connection
Services section exists but is secondary — education earns the lead first
Community Q&A or comment section on blog posts
Before/after gallery integrated into relevant article content
SEO & Lead Generation Strategy
Long-tail keyword domination: "Arkansas homeowners insurance roof coverage," "how to file a hail claim in Arkansas"
Featured snippet targeting for "what does homeowners insurance cover in Arkansas"
Email list grows monthly — you own this audience regardless of algorithm changes
Backlink magnet: AR news outlets, insurance attorneys, and public adjusters will link to original content
Google E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authority, Trust) optimization — Google rewards this type of content
Partnership content with insurance attorneys or public adjusters (mutual promotion)
Evergreen articles that rank for years and generate leads while you sleep
✅ Strengths
→Compounds over time — each article adds permanent organic traffic
→Creates a moat competitors cannot easily replicate — it takes years to build this kind of content authority
→Email list becomes a direct marketing channel you own outright
→Positions you for media coverage, speaking opportunities, and referral partnerships
⚠️ Pitfalls
→Slowest to show ROI — typically 6–18 months before organic traffic becomes meaningful
→Requires a consistent content commitment — publishing 2–4 articles per month minimum
→If content production stops, the strategy stops. This is not a passive system.
→Harder to explain to a homeowner who just wants to know if you can fix their roof today
💰 Ongoing Costs
→Hosting: $20–$50/mo (content-heavy sites need reliable hosting)
→Content creation: Your time or $150–$400/article if outsourced
→Email platform: $0–$50/mo (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, or similar)
→SEO tools: $50–$150/mo (helpful but not required)
✦ Best for: Long-term organic lead flow & authority✦ Converts: Educated, high-trust homeownersBlogging: Core to the entire strategy — essentialTone: Advisor · Educator · Community Leader
Concept 04
The Visual Portfolio & Social Proof Machine
"Don't take our word for it. See for yourself."
This concept is built entirely around proof. Not claims. Not descriptions. Evidence. Your extensive project photo library — with hundreds of images from individual jobs — is an extraordinary competitive asset that almost no other contractor in Central Arkansas can match. This site puts that library front and center: rich, full-screen before/after comparisons, organized by damage type, location, and scope of work. Customer video testimonials play on the homepage. Real project timelines show the full arc from initial inspection to completed restoration. The design is visual and immersive, built to make a homeowner think: "I've seen their work. I trust them. I'm calling." This site also lives on social media — individual project stories are shareable on Facebook, Nextdoor, and Instagram, and each share drives new traffic back to your site.
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Benchmark Example
Findlay Roofing — Visual Proof & Testimonial-Driven Contractor Site
Findlay Roofing built their reputation through visual evidence and social proof — prominently featuring customer stories, photo galleries, and reviews rather than leading with service descriptions or price points. Notice how quickly you form an impression of quality and trustworthiness from images alone, before reading a single word of their service descriptions. Your photo library gives you the raw material to build something even stronger — but with the added depth of full-scope restoration projects that tell a more complete and compelling story.
Core Website Features
Full-screen before/after slider gallery on homepage — first thing visitors see
Project database: filterable by damage type, city, scope, and restoration category
Individual project case study pages: photos, scope of work, timeline, outcome, customer quote
Video testimonials prominently featured — homeowners in their own words
Google Reviews and Facebook Reviews displayed dynamically
"Request a Quote" CTA tied directly to visual evidence of completed work
Social media share buttons on every project page — built for Nextdoor and Facebook sharing
Instagram/Facebook feed integration showing live project updates
SEO & Lead Generation Strategy
Image SEO: every photo tagged with location, damage type, and service category for Google Images traffic
Project pages as local SEO pages: "Hail Damage Roof Repair — Benton, AR — August 2025"
Schema markup for reviews and ratings — generates star ratings in Google search results
Systematic review collection: text template to every completed customer for Google review
Facebook/Instagram ads using your best before/after photos — highest-converting ad creative in home services
Nextdoor advertising integration — before/afters perform extremely well on Nextdoor
YouTube project video channel linked from site — additional Google visibility
Referral program page: incentivize existing customers to share your work
✅ Strengths
→Your massive photo library makes this uniquely powerful compared to most competitors
→Before/after content is the highest-performing social media format in home services — deeply shareable
→Visual proof converts skeptical customers faster than written descriptions
→Each new project adds permanent SEO value and fresh content automatically
⚠️ Pitfalls
→Photo quality matters — low-resolution or poorly composed images undermine the concept
→Heavy image sites require careful performance optimization to load fast on mobile
→Weaker on purely informational searches — someone Googling "what does storm damage look like" may not find you
→Gathering video testimonials from customers requires a systematic follow-up process
💰 Ongoing Costs
→Hosting: $25–$60/mo (image-heavy sites need more storage and bandwidth)
→Photo organizing/uploading: 1–2 hrs/week of your time or a part-time assistant
→Social media ads (optional): $300–$1,000/mo for Facebook/Nextdoor before/after campaigns
✦ Best for: Converting warm leads & social referrals✦ Converts: Neighbors who saw nearby work; Facebook/Nextdoor leadsBlogging: Optional — projects serve as contentTone: Confident · Evidence-based · Community-visible
Concept 05
The Storm Chaser's Digital Sales Multiplier
"The door knock gets the conversation started. The website closes the deal."
This concept is built around MRI's real-world sales model: canvassing after storms. Most storm chasers rely entirely on face-to-face persuasion — the website is an afterthought. This concept flips that. The site is engineered from the ground up to act as your digital sales partner at every stage of the door-to-door process. Every homeowner you knock on a door for gets a QR code that leads to a mobile-optimized "damage assessment request" page. They can submit photos, authorize an inspection, or simply bookmark the site to review later when they're not standing in a doorway. The site also features a streamlined "Your neighbor just filed a claim" urgency system — localized content that activates when you're canvassing a specific neighborhood after a storm event. It integrates with your CRM or lead tracking system so every door knock that doesn't convert immediately gets followed up digitally. This concept treats your website as a sales tool that works 24/7, not just a brochure.
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Benchmark Example
Blue Nail Roofing — Field Sales to Digital Pipeline Integration
Blue Nail Roofing built a site specifically designed to support their storm chasing sales team — with fast mobile load times, quick-submit inspection request forms, and neighborhood-specific storm damage content that mirrors their field operations. What's instructive here is how the digital and field sales channels reinforce each other rather than operating independently. For a canvassing-heavy operation like MRI, a website that's genuinely integrated with your field process can multiply the conversion rate of every door you knock on, turning a "not right now" into a "I went to your site last night and I'm ready."
Core Website Features
QR-code-ready mobile landing page for instant homeowner hand-off during canvassing
One-tap "Schedule My Free Inspection" form — no more than 3 fields, optimized for phone screens
Neighborhood storm activity page: "Recent hail in [ZIP CODE] — here's what to do next"
Digital business card profile page for sharing your personal contact and credentials
"What to expect from your free inspection" page — answers every objection homeowners raise at the door
Live chat or SMS chat widget for immediate follow-up on site visitors
Customer portal concept: "Check your claim status" — even a simple form creates loyalty
Seasonal canvassing market pages updated before each major storm deployment
SEO & Lead Generation Strategy
Hyper-local zip code pages deployed rapidly after storm events to match canvassing territories
Google Ads with location targeting — turn on/off based on where you're canvassing that week
Retargeting: homeowners who visit but don't convert get followed by display ads for 30 days
"Storm hit [neighborhood name]" content published within 24 hours of a weather event
Lead tracking integration (JobNimbus, AccuLynx, or similar) — website leads fed directly into your workflow
Facebook "lookalike audience" ads targeting people similar to your existing customers in your canvassing zones
Text message follow-up automation: homeowners who submit their number get a same-day follow-up text
Review collection tied to completed jobs — automated request 3 days after project completion
✅ Strengths
→Directly multiplies your existing door-to-door sales model — built around how you already work
→Highest conversion rate of any concept for leads already introduced to MRI in person
→QR code hand-off makes you look more professional than any competitor at the door
→Flexible — deploy new neighborhood pages quickly as you move between canvassing areas
⚠️ Pitfalls
→Lower organic search visibility than other concepts — relies more on canvassing activity to drive traffic
→Requires integration with a lead management system to get full value — adds setup complexity
→Less effective in off-seasons when canvassing slows down
→Depends on your team consistently using the QR code and digital hand-off process in the field
💰 Ongoing Costs
→Hosting: $15–$35/mo
→CRM/lead management: $75–$250/mo (JobNimbus, AccuLynx, or HubSpot)
→SMS follow-up tool: $50–$150/mo (Podium, Birdeye, or similar)
→Targeted Google/Facebook Ads: $300–$1,000/mo during active canvassing season
✦ Best for: Amplifying door-to-door & canvassing operations✦ Converts: Homeowners who've already met you in personBlogging: Minimal — neighborhood storm pages replace blog contentTone: Efficient · Action-oriented · Field-integrated
Client Discovery Questionnaire
Your Turn, Shane.
Work through each section honestly. There are no wrong answers. The more specific you are, the better your final proposal will be. If a question doesn't apply, skip it — but try to answer everything you can. Your gut reactions are just as valuable as your deliberate choices.
A
Concept Reactions & Initial Impressions
First impressions and instincts about the five approaches
Section A — Concept Ratings
Rate Your Initial Reaction to Each Concept
Click the stars to rate each concept from 1 (not a fit) to 5 (strongly resonates). Don't overthink it — first impression is fine here.
Concept 01
Full-Service Authority
★★★★★
Concept 02
Storm Specialist
★★★★★
Concept 03
Resource Hub
★★★★★
Concept 04
Visual Portfolio
★★★★★
Concept 05
Sales Multiplier
★★★★★
Section A — Open Reactions
What Stood Out, What Didn't Fit
B
Your Business Today
Understanding your current operation, customers, and market position
Section B
Who You Serve & Where You Work
C
Lead Generation & Sales Process
How customers move from first contact to signed contract
Section C
How You Win Business Today — And How the Site Should Help
D
Content, Photography & Social Proof
The raw material your website will be built from
Section D
Your Visual Assets & Proof Library
Not at all (1)Fully committed (5)
Why this matters: Content-driven strategies (Concept 3 especially) are powerful but require consistent effort. A blog that goes quiet for 3 months sends negative signals to Google and disappoints returning visitors. There is no shame in a rating of 2 — it just means we design a strategy that doesn't depend on frequent content creation.
E
Brand Identity & Visual Direction
How MRI should look, feel, and speak online
Section E
Look, Feel, Voice & Identity
F
Budget, Timeline & Technical Preferences
Scope, investment expectations, and practical constraints
Section F
Investment, Scope & Ongoing Partnership
G
Open Floor
Anything else you want me to know before building your proposal
Section G — Your Words
Anything Goes Here
Let's Build Something That Works.
Once you've completed this questionnaire, we'll schedule a 30-minute discovery call to review your answers together. I'll prepare your formal scoped proposal — with pricing options for multiple investment levels — within 5 business days of our call.
