Author Archives: Contractor Webmasters

3 Ways to Get Free Appliance Repair Leads in 2023

Free Appliance Repair Leads (Blog Cover)

Contractors can get free appliance repair leads by optimizing their business website and inserting a lead capture form.

Although capturing this information on your website is technically free, various costs are associated with hosting, optimizing, and maintaining a business website.

Other Ways to Generate Free Appliance Repair Leads

At Contractor Webmasters, we’ve been working with contractors for many years, so we understand every sales pitch, marketing trend, and business tactic that can be utilized.

Best of all, we understand each of their context and unintended consequences so we can steer contractors away from costly mistakes and toward a higher and more sustainable ROI.

Below, we outline some additional methods to get free appliance repair leads in 2023:

1) Google My Business (aka Google Business Profile)

Claiming a business listing on Google is completely free. Once your listing is verified, it becomes eligible to rank on Google Maps and the Google Map 3-Pack for relevant search queries.

In theory, a nearby customer could search for “appliance repair near me,” click on your Google Business Profile, and contact your business directly through the listing interface.

Every action in this hypothetical lead generation sequence is free, conceivably making it the best option for contractors.

There’s one problem.

Google My Business listings rarely rank within the 3-Pack if not associated with an optimized business website.

Every Google Business Profile has a button that says “website,” which, when clicked, navigates the user to the URL inserted in your Google My Business settings.

Screenshot of Google Map 3-Pack Showcasing Website URL on GMB Listings

But, the URL’s impact on the listing is far more significant than just a clickable item. Google scans the associated URL for relevant SEO information like keywords, reviews, schema markup, and more.

Google then uses that associated SEO information as a ranking factor for your Google My Business listing. While the user’s proximity to your address and your number of reviews also influence ranking, the website URL factor is very substantial.

As a result, listings without an associated SEO-friendly website are unlikely to rank in the 3-Pack for relevant queries, reducing your projected lead volume to zero.

There are some exceptions to this scenario, such as business listings within low-competition regions that have compiled a substantial amount of customer reviews.

However, these exceptions are sporadic and not something most home appliance repair contractors can count on.

The bottom line is you’ll still need to invest in an optimized business website to generate leads on Google Maps and the Map 3-Pack, which will create associated costs.

2) Referrals

Word-of-mouth referrals do result in free appliance repair leads. However, most contractors regularly generating referrals also invest in marketing, including website optimization.

You’re starting to see a trend of spending money to make money, which means there is an initial cost to creating cost-free lead generation channels.

Your business can only get frequent referrals if you gain visibility online. You can get some initial interest through friends and family members, but those are short-term wins.

You can leverage those wins into customer reviews on your Google Business Profile, but you should use any profits to invest in marketing.

And yes, marketing costs money.

But the initial investment in a branded lead generation channel is far more palatable when you think about the alternatives (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Pay Per Lead, and 3rd Party Lead Sellers).

Ultimately, your cost per lead and acquisition becomes exponentially lower when you follow the tips in this article.

3) DataPins (Not Free but Creates Free Prospects)

One app that can help appliance repair contractors acquire leads in multiple cities is DataPins. While DataPins is not a free app, its impact is even more significant than a standard optimized website.

DataPins allows contractors to generate pins showcasing recent jobs throughout your service areas. Each pin contains geo-coordinates, schema markup, captions, mini-maps, and images to demonstrate proof of work in a specific city, zip code, or town.

As a result, your website immediately demonstrates more expertise and authority in a wide range of cities than your competitors. This can help you rank on organic search and Google Maps (and 3-Pack).

Again, DataPins requires a monthly investment, but it can produce leads from organic sources, which ultimately translates to free leads.

According to internal research from Contractor Webmasters, 77% of clicks go to organic and mapping instead of Ads.

We recommend combining DataPins with an optimized website to maximize your lead frequency and service area coverage while driving down your cost per lead.

Final Thoughts on Appliance Repair Lead Generation

As an appliance repair contractor, you can buy into the BS sales routine and learn the hard way, or you can take the shortest route to success: SEO and website optimization.

Aside from word-of-mouth referrals, organic clicks from Google (including Google Maps and the Map 3-Pack) are the closest thing to free appliance repair leads.

Regarding referrals, they still rely on marketing in some capacity, as family and friend recommendations are short-lived.

You can try an app like DataPins to expand your service area coverage and drive down your cost per lead in 2023.

How To Get Pressure Washing Leads: Top Strategies Revealed

Pressure washing leads are a valuable commodity in 2023. Companies may have to pay Google as much as $9.83 per click to advertise various pressure washing keywords.

The industry is growing with an annual growth rate of 5.7% since 2018, with the market expected to surpass $600 million in the coming years.

However, with over 22,000 active pressure washing companies, there is fierce competition for leads.

Paying Google for clicks is not sustainable because there’s an insufficient profit margin. Instead, you’ll need more innovative and long-term strategies to secure quality leads for pressure washing in 2023.

How To Get Leads for Pressure Washing

SEO
Yard Signs
Referral Networks
Email Marketing
Paid Advertising

How To Get Pressure Washing Leads

You can secure pressure washing job leads by combining traditional and modern marketing tactics. At Contractor Webmasters, we’ll outline the strategies that produce the most significant ROI for your lead generation investment.

1) Pressure Washing SEO

Sure, “SEO is dead” for companies using obsolete tactics like keyword stuffing and exact match domain buying. However, pressure washing companies that rank on Google receive over 70% of search engine clicks for those keywords.

Since the cost per click of Google Ads is exponentially high, getting these clicks “for free” creates a massive profit margin for the companies succeeding on traditional Google search and the Google Map Pack.

You might wonder how you can compete with so many other companies. But in the pressure washing industry, you only have to win locally. The goal is to rank on the Google Map pack for local pressure washing keywords. You can use a tool called DataPins to maximize the number of queries you rank for.

In addition, you’ll want to rank in the top 3 of the traditional organic search results for local keywords. Although SEO for pressure washing can take up to 6 months to produce significant results, the long-term ROI is well worth your effort.

2) Yard Signs

Some circles may consider yard signs outdated, but they still produce a notable ROI for pressure washers. Since companies work with several homeowners in a single neighborhood, the placement of yard signs can passively multiply your company’s leads.

Consider placing yard signs in prime locations like busy intersections and target neighborhoods within your service area. Much like a website, the quality of your signs, especially the call-to-action (CTA), will determine its performance.

Examples of enticing CTAs to include in your yard sign are specialty discounts and limited-time offers. Once you grab the attention of one local customer, it can lead to a referral network that keeps the ball rolling.

3) Referral Networks

The best-case scenario for getting consistent pressure washer leads is to facilitate a growing referral network. The tactics mentioned above can spark the onset of word-of-mouth referrals for your pressure washing company.

Once you get enough goodwill from your existing customers, you can start offering referral discounts and bonuses based on how many new customers someone refers.

Whether it’s family members, business acquaintances, or close friends, the extended network of your existing client base is a goldmine for future customers.

4) Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most efficient ways to get pressure-washing job leads. You can use a program like AWeber to build, nurture and engage with email subscribers.

Getting new email subscribers is relatively simple if you follow our other lead generation techniques like SEO and referral networks. You can capture your customer’s emails in the sign-up process and ask for their consent to receive promotional emails.

You can also grab email addresses from non-customers through your SEO-optimized website. Consider creating a content asset like a comprehensive blog post or an original statistical report.

Once you have an informational content asset that ranks on search engines, you can insert a lead magnet using a plugin like Thrive Leads. When customers enter your website through Google, they are willing to submit their email addresses in exchange for a discount code or a PDF guide.

The average ROI for email marketing is a $36 profit per $1 spent, so the returns are phenomenal. However, these numbers fluctuate based on the quality and volume of your subscriber list. As a result, it’s vital to utilize email marketing in partnership with other lead-gen techniques.

5) Paid Advertising

While paid advertising is the least profitable method of acquiring Google leads for pressure washing, other advertising platforms can assist your efforts, primarily when used strategically.

For instance, when used in short spurts, Facebook Ads can cheaply bring new customers to your pressure-washing business. The key is creating an appealing advertisement that quickly converts the Facebook user.

As a result, you must invest in quality graphic design and ad copy and pair them with an urgent call to action. You must then correctly target your audience through their interests and location.

Before using Facebook Ads, check out our Facebook Lead Ads Guide for Contractors.

Pressure Washing SEMRush CPC (Screenshot)

source: SEMRush

Types of Pressure Washing Leads

Not all pressure washing leads are the same, and the acquisition cost can vary significantly. For example, commercial pressure washing leads are particularly valuable because they are higher-ticket jobs with a higher profit margin. Check out the different types of leads below:

Commercial Pressure Washing Leads

These leads come from commercial businesses that require pressure washing services. They are higher ticket jobs that turn a more significant profit than the residential variety. As a result, the cost per click is higher on Google Ads and other paid advertising models.

However, ranking for commercial pressure washing keywords with SEO remains very feasible. You only have to outperform competitors within your local service areas to reap the rewards of these keywords.

Exclusive Pressure Washing Leads

Exclusive leads come directly to your company without going through another platform or 3rd party. The result is, of course, a lower cost per acquisition, but that’s not the only benefit.

Exclusive leads also convert at a higher rate than “shared leads,” which further increases their value. Generating exclusive pressure washing leads happens when you establish a robust online presence through SEO.

Free Pressure Washing Leads

Newer companies sometimes seek out “free leads,” which can take them down a path of manipulation and deceit. There is no such thing as “free leads for pressure washing” since websites and other marketing materials require a financial investment.

However, in a technical sense, pressure washing companies can get free leads through organic search results. Every time a potential customer clicks on your website through organic search, you pay nothing for that visit. That’s as close as you’ll get to a free lead.

Local Pressure Washing Leads

In most cases, your company should target local leads, sometimes searched for as “pressure washing leads near me.” As a local provider, targeting national keywords will unlikely result in new customers.

Still, some confusion remains about how to get local pressure washer leads. You don’t want to buy them from third-party providers. Instead, you want to rank your company on the Google Map Pack, showcasing your Google Business Profile (AKA GMB listing).

Final Thoughts on Pressure Washing Lead Generation

There are several effective ways to generate pressure washing leads in 2023. However, thinking about long-term sustainability is essential when approaching lead generation techniques.

Buying leads from 3rd parties is a flawed strategy and is unlikely to result in long-term business growth. The same applies to relying solely on PPC Google Ads to get new customers.

Instead, it would be best to focus on SEO, yard signs, email marketing, and referral networks when streamlining your lead generation process. Once you refine your operations, you’ll be happy with the results.

7 Foolproof Ways to Generate Asphalt Paving Leads in 2023

Generating asphalt paving leads is an essential component of a successful business. However, in a saturated industry, lead generation can be a challenge. At Contractor Webmasters, we’ve launched dozens of effective lead-generation campaigns for asphalt and paving contractors. Check out our seven surefire ways to get asphalt paving leads in 2023.

1) Publish a Lead Generation Website

Your asphalt paving website should be your top lead generation source in 2023. However, if your website is not generating leads, it is not crafted adequately for lead generation. For example, it may lack a call-to-action like a phone number or contact submission form. More commonly, your website may need to be optimized for search engines with SEO and content marketing. Both must be addressed before you can start consistently getting high-quality leads.

Avoid creating doorway sites that exist only for “leads” and focus instead on showcasing your real brand and company.

2) Claim and Optimize Your Google My Business Listing

One of the most untapped lead sources is Google Maps, specifically the Google Map 3-Pack. The 3-Pack appears on SERPs for local queries like asphalt paving contractor near me. To be eligible to rank on Google Maps, you need a Google My Business listing, AKA Google Business Profile. Once you claim your listing and verify your address via postcard, you should optimize your listing by adding service types, unique photos, and up-to-date contact information.

3) Get Google Reviews and Showcase Them

Reputation heavily influences conversion rates, making Google reviews an essential component of lead generation. When users find your business on Google Search or Google Maps, they check out your reviews before deciding to go with your company. Suppose you lack enough reviews to garner credibility (less than 10) or have dozens of negative reviews. In that case, users will move on to the next option.

You can generate more Google reviews using a Local SEO tool like DataPins to automate requests. From there, you should showcase your Google reviews directly on your company website via an API slider. Luckily, DataPins also comes with an API slider, so it helps you get more Google reviews and allows you to showcase them on your site.

4) Utilize Email Marketing and Segmentation

Use an email marketing platform like Aweber to segment subscribers by specific interests. Of course, the first step is building your email list in the first place. Aside from gathering emails from existing customers, you can also acquire emails from users at the top of the funnel who are still waiting to buy.

The best way to get new subscribers is to build a content asset on your website and create a value proposition. For example, a form with a downloadable guide to the best types of asphalt is something users can download in exchange for their email addresses. You can use AWeber to create your HTML form or a WordPress plugin like Thrive Leads to create popup forms based on website URLs.

An email list serves as a long-term asset as you can leverage new marketing campaigns immediately by sending targeted email blasts.

5) Join Local and Industry Associations

We noted reviews as a great way to build your company’s reputation. Still, another method is to join associations in your industry and region. For example, the National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) is a great platform to become a member. In addition, depending on your location, you can join local institutions like the Chamber of Commerce. Remember that these memberships should result in a link to your website on the respective membership pages.

6) Start an Industry-Related Podcast

Podcasts are an increasingly popular medium and allow creators to distribute content on multiple platforms, from Spotify to YouTube. For example, an asphalt paving contractor podcast would fill a need and likely garner significant attention from listeners. Furthermore, it would allow you to plug your company and other brands without paying for ad space on another person’s podcast. To learn more about starting a podcast, check out this guide from Buzzsprout.

7) Run Asphalt Paving Facebook Ads

Paid ads should be a lead-generation accelerator rather than something you rely on as your primary source of leads. The reason for this is that advertising is expensive. However, Facebook Ads can still be a profitable ad platform because of the refined targeting metrics and the ability to engage prospective customers with high-quality visuals. Learn more about Facebook Lead Ads for contractors from Contractor Webmasters.

Final Thoughts on Asphalt Paving Leads

While it’s tempting to buy asphalt paving leads from 3rd party providers, this behavior keeps you in the gig economy and prevents sustainable business growth. Furthermore, purchased leads are typically “shared,” which means the prospect’s contact information is given to multiple contractors. You can avoid these headaches by creating a branded lead generation process through a website, GMB listing, email marketing, and Facebook Ads campaign.

Kitchen Renovation SEO: The Ultimate (2023) Marketing Guide

Kitchen renovation SEO is the most effective marketing strategy for kitchen remodelers in 2023. SEO is the most cost-efficient investment and provides the most sustainable long-term results. The following SEO guide from Contractor Webmasters outlines the benefits of kitchen remodeling SEO and the strategies that produce the best results.

What is Kitchen Renovation SEO?

Kitchen renovation SEO is the deliberate optimization of a website and other digital entities (i.e., Google My Business listing) to attract organic clicks on search engines like Google and Bing.

Key Takeaway

SEO for kitchen renovation companies involves content, link-building, and local optimization.

SEO Components for Kitchen Renovation Companies

SEO for kitchen remodelers can be as simple or complicated as you make it. However, when you drill down to the nuts and bolts of SEO, it comes down to content and links. Of course, the local portion of SEO also includes Google My Business listings and NAP citations.

SEO Content for Kitchen Renovation

Google and other search engines rank content for user search queries. For example, when a user searches for kitchen renovation company, Google will rank content that fits that user’s intent. In contrast, a user searching for average cost of a kitchen renovation will prompt Google to show a different type of content, like an informative blog post.

Maximizing your organic reach requires creating content that fits the intent of your target consumers. For example, some users may be ready to invest in your services immediately, while others are still in the exploratory phase of the sales funnel. Nevertheless, capturing the attention of everyone in the customer journey is vital for SEO.

Most local business websites have three main types of content: service pages, location pages, and blog posts. Your service pages should focus on specific keywords within your service offerings. For example, new home kitchen design should have a dedicated service page.

Location pages will target specific cities within your service area so that users in that city can find your company. These pages are most valuable when they feature social proof of jobs completed in those areas. A tool like DataPins creates geo-coordinates to validate jobs within that zip code.

Finally, blog posts will target informational keywords, primarily for users not ready to buy your services immediately. These posts should feature data and statistics and help users gain more information about the value of your kitchen renovation services.

Link Building for Kitchen Renovation Businesses

When Google decides which of two similar pieces of content ranks higher on search results, it considers domain authority. The domain authority concept is essentially the website domain’s trust level. This trust factor is based primarily on the site’s backlink profile quality.

Whenever an external website voluntarily links to your website, it is considered an endorsement of your content and brand. As a result, trustworthy websites linking to your content are a massive boost for SEO. However, links can also have a negative impact when sketchy websites decide to link to your content.

Kitchen renovation businesses can build backlinks by producing high-quality content assets, like informational blog posts that feature original data and statistics. Other websites are more likely to link to data as they cite sources within their writing. Kitchen remodelers can also receive backlinks from associated brands and local organizations.

Still, companies must be careful not to violate search quality guidelines by engaging in link schemes or exchanging money for backlinks. These tactics are considered black hat SEO, and while they may provide temporary value, they can result in a manual penalty that removes your entire website from search results.

Local SEO for Kitchen Renovation

The extra SEO compoenent invovled with local busienssses like kitchen remodelers is Local SEO. Local SEO may be the most pivotal component for lead generation for local companies. The local SEO process starts by claiming your Google My Business listing and verifying the address. You can then begin ranking within Google’s Map 3-Pack.

When local users search for phrases like kitchen renovation near me, Google showcases a Map 3-Pack, which features three business listings based on proximity, relevance, and prominence. Optimizing your Google My Business listing and connecting a fully optimized website URL helps you appear in this pack.

Another local ranking factor is customer reviews. You want customers to review your business on Google My Business so that your listing can appear in search results and convert nearby users. You can use a tool like DataPins to send automated review requests after completing a job. Remember that your company will inevitably receive some bad reviews.

Other SEO Factors for Kitchen Remodelers

While simplifying the SEO process helps local businesses process its benefits, mentioning other components influencing rankings is essential. On-page optimization is a simple yet important aspect of your campaign. Ensuring title tags, meta descriptions, and header tags have the appropriate keywords is necessary to appear on search results.

Secondly, technical SEO is another critical aspect of your campaign. Search engines must be able to adequately crawl and index your URLs before they can even consider ranking them for keywords. While most CMSs like WordPress automate some aspects of technical SEO, it is crucial to be mindful of things like 301 redirects and XML sitemaps.

Best SEO Keywords for Your Kitchen Renovation Business

Keyword	Search Volume
kitchen remodel	37,506
kitchen remodel ideas	25,087
kitchen design ideas	24,475
kitchens	17,764
kitchen designs	11,144
kitchen remodel cost	11,100
kitchen renovation	6,050
kitchen layout ideas	6,050
small kitchen remodel	4,950
kitchen renovation costs	3,346
how much to remodel a kitchen	3,300
kitchen remodel near me	3,178
kitchen renovation ideas	2,737
how much is a kitchen remodel	2,737
new kitchen	2,700
kitchen remodeling ideas	2,099
kitchen remodel before and after	1,825
how much does a kitchen remodel cost	1,800
kitchen contractors	1,287
kitchen renovation near me	966
kitchen remodel pictures	810
kitchen remodel contractors	704
kitchen remodeling cost	691
kitchen designs photo gallery	669
kitchen upgrade	650
kitchen renovation cost	638
kitchen renovations	625
average kitchen renovation cost	510
kitchen design pictures	440
renovated kitchens	371
new kitchens	371
kitchen renovation before and after	365
how much does a new kitchen cost	365
average cost kitchen remodel	358
kitchen remodeling costs	322
average cost of small kitchen remodel	304
kitchen cabinet renovation	295
kitchen cabinets renovation	295
kitchen design images	295
kitchen renovations before and after	288
small kitchen renovations	263
kitchen makeovers ideas	252
kitchen remodel planner	244
renovating kitchen	240
kitchen remodel on a budget	229
kitchen remodel ideas before and after	224
renovate kitchen	218
10×10 kitchen remodel cost	206
kitchen design gallery	203
kitchen renovations on a budget	191
kitchen renovation budget	191
inexpensive kitchen remodel	183
remodel my kitchen	164
renovation ideas	146
kitchen remodel cost per square foot	137
kitchen remodel calculator	134
how to renovate a kitchen	134
renovating a kitchen	132
home kitchen remodeling	130
full kitchen remodel	110
kitchen remodel design	102

Final Thoughts on Kitchen Renovation SEO

SEO is a vital part of any kitchen renovation marketing strategy. It is the most cost-efficient marketing vertical and yields the most sustainable long-term results. Unlike kitchen remodeling advertising, SEO can produce a high ROI without increasing spending. Best of all, SEO helps build your brand over time, so its effects multiply with tenure.

The main aspects of kitchen remodeling SEO are content, links, and local. The above guide outlines how to approach each of these components. Still, you must also focus on on-page SEO, technical SEO, and website design to maximize your SEO strategy. If you require assistance with your SEO campaign, contact Contractor Webmasters.

6 Outstanding Towing Advertising Ideas for Tow Trucks in 2023

Coming up with towing advertising ideas can be challenging in 2023. However, there is a wide range of promotional techniques tow trucks can utilize to earn more customers. From Google Ads to Facebook Ads, tow truck companies can generate more visibility through online platforms.

Below, Contractor Webmasters outlines six outstanding towing advertising ideas for tow trucks:

Best Towing Advertising Ideas

Google Ads
Facebook Ads
Instagram Ads
Nextdoor Ads
YouTube Ads
DataPins

1) Google Ads for Towing

Google Ads can produce a solid ROI when adequately implemented. However, tow truck companies must avoid common pitfalls associated with Google Ads. For example, you should never target national keyword terms. Instead, focus on local keywords with clear purchaser intent.

Examples of these keywords include:

towing near me
emergency towing near me
tow truck in (city)
towing company (city)

2) Tow Truck Facebook Ads

One of the best platforms for tow truck company advertising is Facebook. The popular social media platform has a comprehensive advertising feature that allows towing companies to capture leads, including phone numbers and locations. Use Facebook’s Lead Ads feature to get quick responses.

3) Instagram Ads

Instagram Ads are part of the Facebook Ads network, so you can run most of your Facebook Ads on the Instagram platform. While the user base is not identical to Facebook, many of your target customers are also on Instagram, where they regularly consume visual content.

Inserting a tow service ad into their Instagram feed could be something your company needs to expand its visibility in 2023.

4) Nextdoor Advertising

The fastest way to reach local consumers online is through Nexdoor advertising. The closest thing to digital word of mouth in 2023 is Nextdoor. Users are speaking with their neighbors who have verified addresses within their neighborhood. You can dominate the area by infiltrating tight-knit communities and earning an endorsement.

Nextdoor ads are a great way to get out in front of real homeowners.

5) YouTube Towing Ads

Video consumption is at an all-time high, and many of your local consumers are spending their time on YouTube. While YouTube’s conversion rate for advertising is at a lower level than Facebook and Google, it is still beneficial for brand recognition and visibility.

The user often skips YouTube ads, particularly if inserted into an unrelated video. Therefore, we advise against using YouTube as your only advertising platform. However, it can enhance your other advertising investments through brand synergy.

6) DataPins

DataPins contrasts other ideas on this list because it is not an advertising platform that requires tow truck companies to purchase ad space. Instead, DataPins is a tool and app that allows towing companies to promote their recent jobs to other local consumers.

DataPins allows towing professionals to pin jobs and geo-coordinates on their website’s service and city pages. These pins also contribute to Google Maps rankings if you properly connect your website URL to your Google My Business Profile. Most importantly, website visitors will see towing jobs in their area, giving them the confidence to utilize your services.

Qualities of an Effective Tow Truck Ad

Regardless of which platform your company advertises on, you will require a strong ad that meets the user’s needs and entices them to contact your business. Below are the most essential qualities of a towing ad:

Ad Copy

Ad copy must be clear and concise while creating urgency for the consumer. Nobody will read a long text block, so it’s crucial to grab the. User’s attention quickly. As a result, focus on the most appealing value proposition that can urge the consumer to take action.

Ad Visuals

Whether using images or videos, the visual portion of your ad must complement the text and grab the user’s attention. As a result, never use stock photos and only incorporate unique images from your staff or recent jobs. Again, the key is fostering expertise and trust with the consumer.

CTA

Your call to action is crucial for ad conversion. Even if your ad captures the user’s attention, it is meaningless unless they take the next step. Your CTA is a button like Call Now, Click Here, or Learn More. You can choose the one that best suits your advertising goal for a specific campaign.

Targeting

Targeting is the most important way to maximize your advertising dollars in 2023. As a result, only target locations that you can service. Otherwise, you are wasting advertising dollars on people you cannot service. Therefore, choose your top service areas and ensure your ads only target those geographic locations.

Final Thoughts on Tow Truck Company Advertising

Contractor Webmasters highlighted several outstanding tow truck advertising methods for 2023, including Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Nextdoor Ads, YouTube Ads, and DataPins. We recommend using each platform to maximize your towing company’s visibility in 2023.

However, we also recommend a long-term marketing strategy like towing SEO to generate the most yearly revenue. Relying strictly on tow truck ads to generate leads is a highly inefficient marketing strategy. Instead, combine various marketing techniques to establish your brand and increase ROI.

Is a Landscaping Business Profitable in 2023? (w/Owner Salary)

Is a Landscaping Business Profitable? (Blog Cover)

A landscaping business can be very profitable under the right business conditions. For example, landscaping companies can produce operating profit margins between 10% and 50%, indicating the company’s revenue after subtracting operational expenses for material, labor, overhead, and equipment.

Nearly a quarter of landscaping professionals are self-employed and work with customers on a contractual basis. As a result, commercial and residential property owners regularly utilize landscaping services, facilitating a healthy industry projection in the future.

Key Takeaway

A Landscaping business is profitable, and business owners can achieve a salary as high as $180,000. However, most owners earn a salary between $54,000 and $115,000.

Calculating Owner Salary

A landscape owner’s salary is 12-35% of the company’s revenue. For example, if the company reaches 500,000 in revenue, the owner’s salary would fall between $60,000 and $175,000

However, the more revenue the company earns, the lower percentage goes to the owner’s salary in most cases. As a result, using a low-end rate of 15% is a conservative calculation of your annual salary.

The excess revenue must be contributed toward employee wages, equipment, and fulfillment. So when calculating how much landscape owners make a year, it’s important to consider those other expenses.

While smaller companies can use higher-end calculations for owner salary, many opt to reduce their yearly pay to $20,000-$25,000, believing they will make that money back (and more) after consistent business growth.

Typical Landscape Owner’s Salary

According to the NALP, landscaping business owners have a typical salary between $54,000 and $115,000.

Landscape Owner Salary By State:

State	Annual	Monthly	Weekly	Hourly
Alabama	$56,912	$4,742	$1,094	$27.36
Alaska	$74,614	$6,217	$1,434	$35.87
Arizona	$65,337	$5,444	$1,256	$31.41
Arkansas	$64,122	$5,343	$1,233	$30.83
California	$67,452	$5,621	$1,297	$32.43
Colorado	$67,596	$5,633	$1,299	$32.50
Connecticut	$77,253	$6,437	$1,485	$37.14
Delaware	$66,866	$5,572	$1,285	$32.15
Florida	$53,607	$4,467	$1,030	$25.77
Georgia	$52,360	$4,363	$1,006	$25.17
Hawaii	$79,269	$6,605	$1,524	$38.11
Idaho	$68,587	$5,715	$1,318	$32.97
Illinois	$63,227	$5,268	$1,215	$30.40
Indiana	$63,086	$5,257	$1,213	$30.33
Iowa	$71,808	$5,984	$1,380	$34.52
Kansas	$66,917	$5,576	$1,286	$32.17
Kentucky	$67,592	$5,632	$1,299	$32.50
Louisiana	$62,468	$5,205	$1,201	$30.03
Maine	$64,051	$5,337	$1,231	$30.79
Maryland	$70,902	$5,908	$1,363	$34.09
Massachusetts	$78,061	$6,505	$1,501	$37.53
Michigan	$63,006	$5,250	$1,211	$30.29
Minnesota	$78,026	$6,502	$1,500	$37.51
Mississippi	$65,672	$5,472	$1,262	$31.57
Missouri	$62,218	$5,184	$1,196	$29.91
Montana	$62,397	$5,199	$1,199	$30.00
Nebraska	$66,608	$5,550	$1,280	$32.02
Nevada	$78,344	$6,528	$1,506	$37.67
New Hampshire	$68,346	$5,695	$1,314	$32.86
New Jersey	$65,340	$5,445	$1,256	$31.41
New Mexico	$57,658	$4,804	$1,108	$27.72
New York	$73,837	$6,153	$1,419	$35.50
North Carolina	$55,322	$4,610	$1,063	$26.60
North Dakota	$73,305	$6,108	$1,409	$35.24
Ohio	$73,966	$6,163	$1,422	$35.56
Oklahoma	$63,645	$5,303	$1,223	$30.60
Oregon	$75,127	$6,260	$1,444	$36.12
Pennsylvania	$60,760	$5,063	$1,168	$29.21
Rhode Island	$75,252	$6,271	$1,447	$36.18
South Carolina	$66,023	$5,501	$1,269	$31.74
South Dakota	$70,296	$5,858	$1,351	$33.80
Tennessee	$81,683	$6,806	$1,570	$39.27
Texas	$60,845	$5,070	$1,170	$29.25
Utah	$72,095	$6,007	$1,386	$34.66
Vermont	$67,076	$5,589	$1,289	$32.25
Virginia	$68,999	$5,749	$1,326	$33.17
Washington	$74,521	$6,210	$1,433	$35.83
West Virginia	$62,240	$5,186	$1,196	$29.92
Wisconsin	$60,901	$5,075	$1,171	$29.28
Wyoming	$64,764	$5,397	$1,245	$31.14

Source: ZipRecruiter

Landscaping Business Challenges in 2023

While a landscaping business is often profitable, they present unique challenges. For instance, getting a landscaping company off the ground requires significant time and effort. Therefore, anyone looking for a quick cash cow should avoid the landscaping industry.

Owners of smaller landscaping companies may take home a salary of around $60,000. Furthermore, while the industry is relatively insulated from economic downturns, the consistency of high-end jobs can fluctuate.

Labor

Landscaping is hard work, and you must be able to perform the labor and hire others who can do so. Unfortunately, many people cannot perform high-end landscape work because of the physical toll it takes. Heat may also be a consideration in warmer climates, as temperatures can increase to a level unsuitable for people in poor physical condition.

Standard landscaping services include:

lawnmowing
chemical application
tree trimming
fertilizing
landscape maintenance
landscape design

Employee Retention

Finding quality employees capable of performing the labor is one thing, and keeping them around is even more challenging. As a result, you must offer a competitive salary to retain quality labor.

Unfortunately, it’s common for high-end landscaping employees to bolt for a higher salary and superior working conditions. As a business owner, you must take these matters seriously.

Marketing

Landscape marketing is an essential component of a profitable business. Still, only some startups fully grasp the intricacies of effective marketing. For example, the top landscape companies in 2023 have a presence on Google stemming from SEO and Local Mapping. So please market your business to avoid its sudden demise.

Competition

One main reason you need marketing is the competition level within the landscaping industry. Depending on your market, dozens of high-end competitors can monopolize your high-end job opportunities. As a result, having a competitive mindset is required to enter this realm, particularly in populated markets with high demand.

Final Thoughts on Landscaping Business Profitability

A landscaping business can be highly profitable under the right business conditions. However, you should understand the challenges ahead before getting into the industry. For instance, landscaping is competitive and requires significant labor to generate revenue.

Despite the clear challenges, landscaping is an excellent opportunity for those willing to meet the requirements. Once you get your business off the ground, you can earn an owner’s salary approaching the $200,000 mark. In addition, entrepreneurs with a passion for lawn care can achieve their goals in landscaping.

SEO for Tour Companies: The #1 Marketing Guide for 2023

SEO for tour companies is an excellent method to acquire new customers in 2023. SEO has changed marketing for every industry – including the tourist and entertainment industries. SEO presents a great opportunity if you run a tour company and want to know how to get more customers.

For some tour companies, SEO is a very new concept. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, a form of marketing that promotes your service through search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Luckily, tour companies have a lot to gain from SEO. In the following guide, Contractor Webmasters outlines the fundamentals of SEO for tour companies and how you can get started today. Most of all, the guide teaches you how to outrank competitors on Google search results.

Leveraging Travel Blogs for SEO

When you consider what ranks on Google search results, it’s a combination of service pages, product pages, and blog posts. Tour companies can leverage travel blogs to maximize organic traffic. Once customers read your high-quality content, signing up for your services is a natural next step.

Writing blog posts for SEO purposes requires in-depth keyword research. You want metrics on keywords users search for and build your articles around these terms. You’ll find that the highest-volume keywords have informational intent, which is great for travel blogs.

For example, queries like best places to travel or best travel tours 2023 will generate a ton of volume. You can also drill down to more granular keywords that relate to specific cities, states, or countries, which also create a good amount of traffic.

Use YouTube to Boost SEO

YouTube is the largest and most frequently-used video viewing platform on the internet. And it is the perfect opportunity for you to reach a new audience. Create rich videos about the cities that you tour in to entice customers.

When people travel, they want to see images and videos of what they may experience in a particular area or city. That’s why creating high-quality videos and posting them on YouTube can introduce your city and your tour company to a vast audience. How extensive, you ask? YouTube boasts 2.6 billion active users.

We know what you may think, “those figures have to be from around the world,” and you’re right. But as a tour company, you aren’t just targeting people in your city, county, state, or even country. Instead, you can reach a global audience that will still likely hire your tour company when they’re in town. And YouTube videos are a great way to show off what your cities offer and make your company’s name more visible.

Another way YouTube contributes to SEO is through video embeds. YouTube makes it easy to copy the HTML embed code from any video and paste it into your website HTML. As a result, you can enhance blog posts and service pages with embedded YouTube videos that keep visitors engaged and contribute to your overall website rankings.

Nurture SEO Leads with Facebook Groups

When users find your company, they might not buy something immediately. So you’ll want to nurture these leads by inviting them to your Facebook Group. You can link to your Facebook Group from your website, YouTube videos, and Google Business Profile.

As a tour company, many people are concerned about how knowledgeable you are about the cities you tour. Starting a Facebook group specifically about visiting the cities you tour is a great way to connect with consumers thinking about visiting your cities.

With this strategy, you want to build communities of people who like to travel and experience new areas. Then, you can offer your expertise in your cities to people who are thinking of visiting. The best part about Facebook Groups for tour companies is that you can start one for every town you tour to reach even more potential customers.

Again, you aren’t trying to be too sales-oriented with this SEO for tour companies strategy. Instead, your goals with this strategy are two-fold:

1) Connect with people likely to use your services and create a community for them to connect with like-minded consumers.
2) Increase brand awareness for your company.

You still want them to know that you run or are affiliated with a tour company, but you don’t want to be a shameless self-promoter. So consistent branding will be necessary. Make the profile image of your group the logo of your tour company and include links to your site within the group information pages.

HARO

HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out. It is essentially a platform where anyone with expert knowledge about anything can make their expertise available to journalists and reporters who are writing about that topic. So, for instance, if a travel writer wants to do an article about Austin, TX, you can become a source for them by registering with HARO.

But, ‘how does that help my tour company?’ you may be asking yourself. First, it is a tremendous help to SEO for tour companies because it generates quality backlinks for your company’s site.

Any link that leads to your website and appears in another website’s content is considered a backlink. You want as many backlinks out there as possible because it will increase your web traffic. These backlinks lead people to your site even when they are near yours.

Backlinks are one of the most important aspects of SEO. That’s because Google considers a website with many quality backlinks to be highly authoritative and will give it a prioritized ranking on relevant searches.

And signing up for HARO is a great way to build more quality backlinks. Once you are used as a source, you will be cited within the article, and a link to your site can be placed on the article publisher’s site.

Long Tail Keywords

Tour companies depend on local searches. Therefore, it would be best if you attracted the people interested in visiting the cities you tour. One of the most effective ways to draw the attention of travelers is with long tail keywords.

Long tail keywords entail many types of keywords, but for tour companies, they should have a specific local intent. For instance, “things to do in Zion, Utah” specifies an exact geographic location so that it will draw the attention of anyone interested in Zion, Utah.

It would help if you came up with a list of long tail keywords based on your company’s locations and the cities you tour. Then, include them in your site’s written content, social media posts, and video descriptions.

Get Help with SEO Marketing

If you need assistance with your tour company SEO campaign, consider investing in Contractor Webmasters. We offer full-service digital marketing, including custom web design, on-page SEO, content marketing, and reputation management. With thousands of clients and rich history of excellent services, you can’t go wrong with our SEO service.

Fire Protection SEO: The (Ultimate) Marketing Guide for 2023

Fire protection SEO is a fantastic way to generate leads in 2023. Fire protection companies provide an essential service. They help give peace of mind to home and business owners looking to secure their assets and prevent catastrophic property damage.

Research shows that 97% of consumers use search engines to find local businesses. As a result, your fire protection services must appear on Google’s Local Map 3-Pack and standard organic results.

In the following guide, Contractor Webmasters outlines how to earn more customers online with SEO marketing.

Google Business Profile

The fastest way to rank on Google is through a Google Business Profile. Claiming your business on Google is free and easy, requiring only a postcard verification at your business address. You can start by claiming your business on Google Business Profile.

Being present on Google My Business allows your listing to appear on Google Maps and the Google Map 3-Pack. You don’t even need a website to rank on the Google Map Pack though it certainly helps to have one.

Getting set up on Google My Business is pretty straightforward. Still, you must verify your business with Google by sending them a postcard with some information about your business. But the service is free and will significantly improve the online visibility of your fire protection business.

Setting up a GMB listing helps your business rank locally.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to adjustments made to your website pages and posts. For example, editing title tags, enhancing content, and inserting target keywords all aid on-page SEO. You can take a closer look at the primary on-page SEO elements below:

Keyword Placement

To rank for relevant keywords, they must be present in your title tags, header tags, and body content. Keywords inform search engines that your website has information relevant to user searches.

Keyword research tools will help you find the right keywords for your services. But then, it’s just a matter of incorporating those keywords into your site’s written content, titles, and headers.

Image Optimization

You should have at least one high-quality image on each of the pages of your website, as images certainly help with SEO. Just be sure that you add alt text (a description of what the image portrays) to each image and that each image is HD, in focus, and relevant to the content on the page.

Internal Links

Internal links are on-page links that lead to other pages on your site. Every website page needs at least one internal link as they allow web crawlers to scan the entirety of your site. Of course, internal links should also benefit the user by providing topically relevant resources.

Review Management

Online reviews are critical to your business. Not only because they generate consumer buzz about your company; but because they are great for SEO too. You must start by being present on multiple review websites like Angi, Yelp, and HomeAdvisor.

Once you start getting more reviews, you must manage them and respond. Try to reply to every review, whether good or bad. DataPins offers a beneficial tool to help you manage reviews across multiple platforms and display feedback on your website from 3rd party sites.

Remember to ask for reviews in person when it’s appropriate. Accumulating consistent reviews boosts credibility and makes your business more attractive to prospective customers. Most people will leave a review if they are asked three times.

Yelp Reviews Screenshot for Restoration Company

Social Media

Social media is a powerful marketing tool to increase brand awareness and generate leads for your fire protection business. So make sure your business has a Facebook Business page and is present on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Instagram and Facebook are beneficial for actually engaging customers. Of course, paying for targeted Facebook Ads will speed up the lead generation process. Still, you should be present on Facebook for SEO purposes, even if you have no intention of paying for social media ads.

Consider starting a Facebook group where locals can join and ask you important questions about fire protection for their homes and businesses. In addition, you can share your expertise on various insurance procedures and other industry knowledge.

Remember, though, that groups aren’t meant for you to push your services on consumers. Instead, they build goodwill between you and your community, which may indirectly result in customer acquisition.

Social media signals contribute to SEO rankings, especially for local businesses.

Content Marketing

These days, content is what gets you noticed online. And there are ways you can generate content centered around your niche that will drastically improve fire protection SEO. In many ways, content is SEO currency, as high-quality pages and posts help you rank for keywords and earn backlinks. Here are just a couple of ideas to invest in content marketing:

Screenshot of Custom Website for Fire Restoration Company

Content is the currency in the SEO landscape, so creating great assets pays dividends.

YouTube Content

Making a YouTube account for your company is free. You can use the forum to post videos that answer consumers’ burning (no pun intended) questions about fire protection.

Blog Content

Blog posts present an opportunity to target high-volume informational keywords. Unlike service pages, which target a narrow scope of consumers, blog posts target a wide variety of readers. Few of these users will buy your services initially, but they may enter your sales funnel.

City Pages

Most fire protection companies serve more than one city. Even though your primary address is located in a town, you also serve nearby zip codes. Therefore, you need city pages to attract customers on the outskirts of your primary location. You can enhance these pages by adding DataPins software.

Link Building

Building links is integral to SEO for fire protection services in 2023. You can earn links by creating great content, as mentioned above. The more high-quality blog posts you produce, the more links you earn. Other ways to get links include using HARO to pitch information to reporters. These reporters will provide a link back to your main website.

Fire Protection Link Metrics (Majestic Screenshot)

Hire a Fire Protection SEO Agency

Fire protection SEO can be time-consuming, but we’re always here to help. Find out how Contractor Webmasters can generate more leads and customers for your fire protection business through our powerful SEO marketing system.

7 (Effective) Glass Repair Local SEO Tips to Implement in 2023

Glass repair local SEO is an excellent opportunity to bring in new customers at a low cost. Ranking on Google means consumers will find your business searching for glass repair near me or auto glass replacement. In addition, SEO rankings are free, so you won’t have to pay for ads.

However, SEO is only effective if you can land on page one of search results. Unfortunately, only 4.8% of search engine users click through to the second page of search results. As a result, it is critical to rank in the Local Map 3-Pack and on top of traditional organic results.

So the real question is, how do you rank higher? The answer to that question is glass repair SEO, and in the following post, we will be giving you some practical tips to rank higher.

1) Optimize for Google Users

Both machines and humans will be reading your on-site content. The humans refer to the people who visit your site. The machines refer to search engine web crawlers. However, the goal of the crawlers is to identify the content most helpful to its users.

Of course, the web crawler must scan through billions of information pages. They see code. They use code signals to let them know what information is on your website.

To make it easier for them to scan your site and determine that it has something to offer the searcher, you have to optimize the content on your site. There are a couple of crucial ways to do this:

On-Page SEO helps Google and its users identify your page’s topic, which fosters a superior user experience.

Meta Titles

Every page or post should have an SEO title, AKA a meta title. The title immediately reveals the page’s primary topic to the web crawlers and the users. WordPress plugins like Yoast or RankMath make adding SEO titles easy and outline the number of characters required for optimal display.

Meta Descriptions

Meta descriptions appear beneath the title tag on search results. Like titles, crawlers, and users see the description and assess its relevance to the page and query. Writing an enticing meta description can improve click-through rate (CTR), a presumed Google ranking factor.

Header Tags

Inserting H tags to organize your written content will make it easier for web crawlers and human readers to understand what is on your pages. You should be using at least H1, H2, and H3 tags on your service pages and blog posts to make the content easily readable for humans.

Internal Links

Help crawlers and users navigate your content with internal links. For example, when you write a service page about auto glass repair, you may want to reference an informational blog post like the best type of auto glass in 2023.

By inserting a link from your page to your post, you help Google and its users recognize your website’s topical relevance.

2) Optimize Images for SEO

It seems like a no-brainer in 2023, but you would be surprised at how many small businesses leave out images on one or all of their website pages. Images are essential to SEO, but you must be smart about how you use them. Here are a few crucial tips for optimizing the images you use on your website:

Images with alt text boost a page’s SEO score while enhancing user experience and establishing topical relevance. Google crawlers scan alt text to learn more about the image’s purpose in context to the page.

Relevance

The pictures you add on a particular page must be relevant to the content. For example, when people click on your auto glass repair service page, they look for examples of your repair work rather than stock images. Alternatively, they look for pictures of your team on the about us page.

HD Images

Of course, you don’t want any grainy, out-of-focus, or low-definition images on your website. It will make you look unprofessional and may not convey the message you’re trying to send. So instead, use only HD images, and be sure to have at least one image on each of your site’s pages.

You don’t want to overstuff pictures, but make sure there is at least one per page.

Alt Text

All images on your website should have an alt tag, basically a picture description. Again, this is mainly a signal to web crawlers that the media on your site may have some relevance to a search query. It will also help boost your glass repair local SEO if you add the page’s primary keyword in the alt text.

3) Perform Extensive Keyword Research

A long-tail keyword is more specific than a standard keyword. For example, a traditional keyword would be glass crack repair. An example of a long-tail keyword would be something like glass crack repair seattle.

Adding a geographic location to your keywords targets local consumers and weeds out irrelevant users. Long-tail keywords also have much lower competition, meaning fewer people optimize for them. As a result, these keywords are easier to rank with a basic SEO strategy.

Incorporating long-tail keywords based on your services and service areas is very effective. Insert keywords in your content, title tags, and headers to rank quickly. Long-tail keywords are essential to glass repair local SEO and represent a tactic you can use right now.

Glass Repair Keyword Suggestions (Google Screenshot)

Long-tail keywords have lower competition and are generally easier to rank for. Furthermore, more than 50% of Google clicks are estimated to come from these types of keywords.

4) Install DataPins

Glass repair is one industry where social proof makes a difference. Most consumers want examples of your work and evidence of verified jobs in their area. The DataPins plugin automates social proof for your website via schema pins. Use the mobile app to snap a photo of your job and write a short caption describing the work. DataPins does the rest for SEO.

In addition to tagging pins by service type, DataPins also adds geo-coordinates to tag the city or town. As a result, your city pages get unique content every time you perform a job. This helps capture users outside of your primary service area who are looking for proof of work in their area.

Pins establish social proof for various services and cities, increasing your conversion rates and expanding your regional ranking coverage.

5) Claim Your Google Business Profile

If you’ve yet to claim your Google Business Profile, the time is now. Rankin on Google’s Local Map 3-Pack requires an active Google My Business profile. Depending on the competition in your area, you will need to generate reviews, add photos, and attach your company website URL.

The Map 3-Pack ranks profiles using a separate algorithm that values proximity, relevance, and prominence. Your proximity score stems from your map marker in relation to the user’s location. Your relevance score is based on your company name and on-site content. Finally, your prominence score is based on reviews and your website’s link authority.

An optimized GMB listing allows you to rank in Google’s Local Map 3-Pack, which is the most consistent spot to generate local clicks.

6) Acquire Local Backlinks

Backlinks are a known Google ranking factor, and local links have a powerful impact on local rankings. For example, getting links from local newspapers, sports teams, or organizations builds trust within your local service areas. Google can detect the local relevance of the links.

Another way to build local backlinks is to submit NAP citations. Each citation contains your company name, address, and phone number, validating your contact information across the web. Make sure your citations match the information at the bottom of your website and your Google Business Profile.

Screenshot of Angi Citation from Glass Window Business

NAP Citations are an easy way to build local backlinks that legitimize your contact information. Sure, they are nofollow links, but they still send positive signals to your website.

7) Actively Increase Reviews

Every time you perform a service, you should ask for a review on Google. You can use DataPins to automate review requests via email and text. Still, you should also ask the customer in person. Reviews not only help you rank on local searches, but they also help convert users into customers.

Of course, you should never incentivize reviews with discounts or other favors, as it violates Google’s guidelines. However, research shows that most satisfied customers will leave a review if asked three times. Sending them a short link to your profile makes the process convenient.

Acquiring legitimate customer reviews is the best way to boost your online reputation, which is why you should send as many requests as possible.

We hope you use these glass repair local SEO tips to grow your business in 2023. For help with your SEO campaign, contact Contractor Webmasters.

Free Contractor Leads Do Exist (Sort Of) (w/Generation Tips)

Sometimes newer contractors will search Google for free contractor leads in hopes of landing a new customer without any expense. But, of course, nothing is truly free. Therefore, you should exercise discretion when dealing with lead vendors claiming to provide completely costless leads.

Do Free Contractor Leads Exist?

It depends on your definition of free. When users find your website on a Google search and contact your business, you’ve acquired a new lead without paying for advertising or purchasing their information from a 3rd party vendor.

However, you still paid for your website domain, hosting, and potentially an SEO marketing company to improve your rankings. So although you didn’t pay for the lead, you paid for the infrastructure that created the lead.

Where to Get Free Contractor Leads

Google Business Profile

Google My Business (now called Google Business Profile) is the one lead generation method that is free without a caveat. Any business can claim or create a Google Business Profile without cost. Customers can submit reviews to your profile, and you can upload photos, posts, and FAQs.

Your profile can also appear on search results for local queries inside a SERP feature known as the Google Map 3-Pack. For example, when a nearby Google user searches contractor near me, your business listing may appear at the top of their search results.

Since Google hosts your listing, you don’t need a separate website. It’s rare for a business listing without a website to rank in the Map 3-Pack, but it is possible. Still, you will require consistent customer reviews and regularly upload photos of your staff, equipment, and trucks.

Company Website

Here’s where it gets more complicated. Website leads are free to a point but still require a hosting fee, domain registration fee, and possibly an SEO fee. That’s not even including content writing, website security add-ons, and technical support or plugins.

The truth is that publishing a high-ranking website can be expensive. The good news is that once it’s up in ranking, the recurring expenses are much lower than they would be for advertising. If you are serious about creating a sustainable contractor business, you should invest in a website anyway.

A good website will be easy to navigate, answer all the questions a consumer might have, and tell them why they should choose you. In addition, platforms like WordPress make it reasonably easy to create a basic website, even if you have no design experience.

In any case, whether you don’t have a website for your company or need to revamp your existing one, your website can and should be a lead magnet. Your website is your #1 source for contractor leads, and it’s about optimizing it for SEO.

Social Media Platforms

Social media leads for contractors are rare and infrequently result in a direct sale. However, social media can increase brand awareness and enter prospective customers at the top of your marketing funnel. While social media profiles are free, creating a funnel that would result in new customers will cost you money.

If you’re serious about acquiring leads via social media, your company should be present on all social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram. And you have to be active on these platforms, generating weekly posts.

Try converting some of your blog content into distilled social media posts for engaging and helpful content. Another excellent idea for drumming up contractor leads is to start a Facebook group.

You can start a Facebook group that helps new homeowners by answering some of their burning questions. But, don’t use it as a platform to sell them your services. Remember, this is about generating leads, not making sales.

Creating a Facebook group for new homeowners where you share your insight is a great way to develop a connection with people who will more than likely require your services soon.

Users will search for contractors and contractor brands on social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Customer Referrals

Customer referrals can be free leads depending on whether or not you offer a referral bonus. For example, if you provide a discount for existing customers who refer new ones, the leads are not free. Conversely, if an existing customer refers your business organically, the leads are free.

The caveat with referrals is that few companies without a marketing and advertising budget receive referrals. Brand new contractors living from lead to lead are unlikely to get a referral because they do not have a brand. It’s not impossible; it’s just unlikely.

Similarly, when customers hear about a contractor from one of their neighbors, their first instinct is to research the company online by evaluating Google and Yelp reviews. Unfortunately, if you’ve neglected your online presence, those prospective clients won’t have enough trust to move forward with your services.

Conclusion

Free contractor leads do exist, but many caveats come along with them. Living lead to lead puts your company in a gig economy and will restrict your business from growing long-term. While free leads are not the answer, low-cost leads are highly valuable. The most sustainable and affordable leads come from SEO and a robust online presence.