Lead generation can be challenging for any kind of business, but for contractors, it is especially difficult.
Unlike brick-and-mortar and e-commerce companies, contractors can’t make any profit from loyal repeat customers. They also can’t accumulate revenue that cashes in every month for SaaS and B2B companies.
Alternatively, contractors carry out large, time-consuming construction and renovation projects that are a one-and-done deal and have a lot of money at stake.
However, this doesn’t mean that generating contractor leads is an impossible feat. There are many excellent strategies and websites you can use as a resource to consistently attract more qualified leads and accelerate your contracting company to the top of its industry.
What Exactly are Contractor Leads?
What Exactly are Contractor Leads?You may be wondering, “are contractor leads different from your average leads?” and the short answer is yes, they are.
Contractor leads or contractor contacts are either homeowners or business owners and need construction equipment and contractor supplies. These contractor leads are your best bet to find new customers because they have a demand for this kind of service.
Leads can also come from many other sources such as contractor databases, contractor list brokers, contractor trade shows and contractor associations. These may be one-time projects, but as you can see, there’s a decent-sized pool of contractor leads to target.
Of course, it is always best to target them all to completely optimize your lead gen results.
Is There Such Thing as FREE Contractor Leads?
Definitely! There are a variety of ways you can generate free contractor leads, but here are a few of the ones we find are most effective:
- List your business on local directories such as the Google My Business Network so potential customers know where to get local contracting services.
- Promote through social media channels like Facebook Ads which will allow people to notice your brand when they otherwise wouldn’t before.
- Optimize local search using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so you show up at the top of Google Search results.
- Develop a review generation strategy that will boost brand credibility and make the buyer decision process easier.
Also, don’t forget the power of word-of-mouth! As long as you consistently deliver satisfactory results, there will always be customers that will happily recommend you.
How Much do Contractors Pay for Leads?
Even though there are some great ways contractors can get free leads, it is still smart to invest in contractor lead generation.
Many contractor businesses are still start-ups, and to ensure their business stays afloat, it is better to pay for these types of services as they make a significant difference in the number of leads you can obtain.
A great paid method to get more leads is the HomeAdvisor contractors membership. This membership costs around $300 annually, then an added cost of each project lead that averages anywhere from $15 to $60 per lead. We’ll go over this great lead generation site in more detail later on in this article.
It may sound unusual, but starting local contractor directories can be one of the ways for contractor business owners to get decent contractor leads at an affordable price even though it involves some advertising skills too.
Even if someone doesn’t need a contractor right now, when they require their services in the future, they will find your business online through these directories.
There are so many options out there to optimize your contractor lead generation. At Selling Revolution, we can help you pick the right options for your unique contracting business. Book a call with us today!
Best Sites for Generating Contractor Leads
Now that you understand that there are many free and paid options for generating contractor leads, it’s time for us to share our list of the best contractor lead services.
Keep in mind, there is no such thing as a “perfect lead” source out there, so to make your decision that much easier, we’ll weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each in terms of prices, cost per lead, user-level, limitations and more.
1. Angie’s List (Angi)
Angie’s List, now known as “Angi” is an online platform that connects its members with local contracting companies while also providing access to 10 million verified ratings and reviews.
Your potential leads use this site for finding discounts, comparing local businesses, requesting quotes, sharing reviews, and reading about other customers’ experiences.
As a contracting company, you can sign up and use the site for free. However, if you want to advertise on the site you’ll need to pay monthly for an advertising contract. This price varies depending on the industry and is negotiable. To avoid spending more than your competition, we recommend calling them and asking how much they are paying to advertise.
Advantages:
- The site has a large user level of 1.5 million subscribers.
- It’s free to join.
- High-quality leads as prospects become pre-sold when you have a great reputation on the site.
Disadvantages:
- There’s a limited membership.
- They tend to have self-serving interests i.e. their landing page links could overlap your CTA links.
- The cost of an advertising contract varies significantly.
All in all, Angie’s list is a great source to generate leads, but to ensure it’s worthwhile, be sure to measure the cost of involvement vs. actual profits you generate.
2. Yelp
Yelp is mainly known as a site for restaurant reviews, but it’s also an excellent tool for contractors.
Today, about 45 percent of consumers visit Yelp before committing to a purchase, and more than 40 million reviews are posted. You can reach out to these motivated customers by creating an account on Yelp for Business Owners, which starts at $300 a month to join.
Even so, this account will also grant you access to $300 worth of free advertising tools as a new member. This acts as a great starting point to help you generate leads while engaging with consumers in your area. However, after your free trial, you’ll need to pay a monthly advertising fee.
Advantages:
- Buyers trust Yelp over most other review sites.
- It’s centered around local businesses.
- The sire is mobile-friendly.
Disadvantages:
- It can be expensive.
- They tend to use phone spam to upgrade your membership.
- A lot of Yelp’s value rests with the reviews, which can get hidden.
Overall, Yelp is a largely popular website that is overflowing with lead gen opportunities, but with food being it’s main demographic, it can be tough to market there as a contracting company.
3. HomeAdvisor
HomeAdvisor is a listing site designed to assist local customers in narrowing down the options for their next home improvement projects.
By joining HomeAdvisor, you will find that it is a very valuable tool to help grow your business by increasing your advertising space to an active audience looking for contractors in their own area.
To utilize this site, you’ll need to pay for an annual subscription plus the cost per each Home Advisor lead which ranges between $15 to $60.
Advantages:
- The ability to network with over 30 million users.
- It’s been a proven success for many businesses.
- It’s simple to manage as you can turn your leads on and off if you get more business than you can handle.
Disadvantages:
- They can use any information on your profile to insert direct links back to their site.
- You get charged a fee per new lead, even if it doesn’t convert.
- Leads can be more costly than it’s worth. Leads for big contracting jobs can cost as much as $60.
There is definitely a great opportunity for lead generation on HomeAdvisor, but to get the best results we recommend investing in other online channels to avoid the risk of spending too much in one place.
4. Facebook Business Suite
4. Facebook Business SuiteFacebook Business Suit is a tool for contractors to use to gather leads and build their brand. It has several different aspects that can be used for different strategies and to gain business such as Pages, Groups, and Ads Manager.
It is free to join and the cost-per-lead depends on the industry, but the average cost across all industries is $11.54.
Advantages:
- You can use all of Facebook’s tools in one place.
- Collaborate with other companies as partners.
- Have more access and control over your business pages and ad accounts.
Disadvantages:
- Once your ad account is added to your account, you cannot remove it even if inactive.
- The site tends to have bugs now and again.
- The interface isn’t the most intuitive and can be hard to learn to navigate.
Facebook is still a popular platform for personal and business use alike. As long as they can continually smooth out the wrinkles in their software, it is well worth the investment.
5. BuildZoom
BuildZoom is a contractor and home service lead directory to let homeowners know who they are and what work they do. Homeowners can search for opportunities by zip code or city.
BuildZoom provides a free membership that allows you to add your company, add categories in which you want to appear in searches and create an ad campaign. These ads are shown when someone performs a general homeowner’s search for the type of contracting businesses you provide in the area.
Posting a project on the website costs $9.95 per project round trip once it goes live and if was not claimed within 24 hours.
Advantages:
- It has a great inbound marketing strategy.
- You can obtain more lucrative jobs based on your performance.
- Contractors only pay a lead fee once they are hired.
Disadvantages:
- You have to pay a referral fee.
- It’s a competitive platform.
In general, to get the most out of this marketplace, you’ll need to make the most out of what it offers and take the time to optimize your results.
6. Thumbtack
Thumbtack is one of the top contractor lead generation sites as it can get leads faster than any other contractor lead generation site.
The average jobs on there are home improvement jobs like drywall work, flooring, etc. There are also some painting and carpentry jobs as well as less common jobs such as locksmiths, landscapers, and others.
It’s free to join but has a $50 fee for jobs that pay under $500 after your first job order.
Advantages:
- It allows you to get big-money jobs.
- It’s an excellent platform for generating more reviews.
- It’s free to join.
Disadvantages:
- You have to pay for leads even when they don’t convert.
- Not every lead will be willing to spend a lot of money.
- They aren’t accountable for any issues that arise.
To sum things up, just like the other options we listed, Thumbtack can be hit or miss depending on how much time and investment you put into it. Try to avoid putting all your eggs into one basket and use multiple platforms to get the most optimal results.
Get Quality Leads at a Higher Quantity
When homeowners or business owners need construction equipment and contractor supplies, what rank do you think your company will show up on their search list? Are there any guarantees that your contracting company will be seen on multiple platforms?
When you leverage all that these lead generation websites have to offer, you’ll be able to build brand awareness, generate leads and boost your conversion rates.
However, there is a lot of trial and error involved in the process, and it’s always good to have a support system to ensure that you truly thrive.
At Selling Revolution, we have marketing and advertising experts who will provide you with the knowledge and experience to boost your contractor leads in no time.
Book a call with us to see your contracting business elevate to its highest potential.