When homeowners, businesses owners, and landlords need the services of a contractor, they do not take this decision lightly.  They will likely look up several contractors in their area and make a decision based on the trust they feel for your business.  Having an effective online lead generation strategy in place will help your business build trust and get more contractor leads which will ultimately improve your conversion rate.

Lead generation is most effective when done online as billboards and TV advertisement do not have the power to generate leads like they did in the past.  Contractors can put forth their own in-house effort to generate leads online and work with professionals that provide lead generation services specifically for contractors.  These companies provide contractors with high-quality leads at a reasonable cost to your business.

In this guide, we highlight some of the best websites and independent companies that can help improve the lead generation for contractor businesses.  If you are interested in working with a company that provides high quality lead generation for restoration contractors, talk to our professionals at RestorationMaster.

The Importance of Lead Generation for Contractors

It is important for contractors to generate and nurture quality leads to increase their sales.  Choosing a contractor is not a quick decision as the work contractors provide is often extensive and expensive.  Those seeking a contractor want to make sure they work with one that can be trusted to provide quality work and at a reasonable price. Therefore, people will research different contractors before making a decision.

Having a lead generation strategy in place will put your message in front of potential customers who are researching contractors.  Many of the leads generated through effective strategies will be those who have done their research and are ready to make a decision.  The presence of your business online while potential customers are researching will help establish a sense of trust with your company and bring in leads that are more likely to convert.

Best Lead Generation Sites for Contractors

As discussed above, contractors should consider implementing their own in-house lead generation strategies and work with a company that specializes in generating high quality leads for contractors within your industry.  The following are the top free lead generation services and websites for contractors for in-house lead generation:

Google Business Profile

Google Business Profile, formerly Google My Business, is a free listing offered by Google that will allow your business to appear within Google search results and Google Maps.  All your business has to do is fill out your Google Business Profile with contact information, information about your services, location, service areas, hours of operation, reviews, photos, and more.

The information you add to your Google Business Profile should be optimized with relevant keywords regarding your services which will help your business appear in local searches for your keywords and in the Map Pack on Google Maps.  Taking advantage of this free listing can help you generate more leads at no cost.  It has been shown that consumers researching businesses use and trust Google Business Profile listings.

Bing Places

Bing Places is Bing’s version of Google Business Profile.  While Bing is used much less than Google, listing your business on Bing Places can still be beneficial.  Many contractors may not bother setting up a Bing Places listing which means that your business will stand out to those who do prefer Bing over Google.  Bing users also tend to be older and have higher incomes than the average Google user.  Bing Places is free to set up.

Better Business Bureau

While there are many honest contractors out there who provide quality, reliable services, there are also contractors out there who scam customers by underbidding on jobs and providing shoddy services or none at all.  Listing your business with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) will make potential customers more likely to trust your brand.

Some who are searching for contractors will go straight to the BBB to ensure that they are getting quotes from trusted, reliable contractors.  You can list your business with the BBB at no cost.

Yelp

Yelp is a free directory for all types of businesses and the listings on Yelp typically rank well in the Google search results.  Contractors that provide home services including restoration and repairs can especially benefit from the leads generated by Yelp.  While Yelp is free to use, they do offer paid options to feature your business and help generate more leads.

Facebook Business

Facebook Business is a free platform that businesses can use to connect with their customers.  This is an ideal platform for businesses to build brand awareness and trust by interacting with potential customers.  Your interactions with your customers on Facebook and referrals from previous customers will help you generate leads from this platform.

Facebook Business also features an advanced advertising platform that allows you to target specific service areas and demographics, and you can also do a retargeting campaign which will show your ads to those who have visited your Facebook page or website.  While creating a Facebook Business profile is free, you can invest in Facebook advertising to bring more leads.

Best Lead Generation Directories for Contractors

It is important for every contractor to take advantage of the free lead generation websites listed above to bring in more leads.  You can also supplement your efforts on these websites by working with one of the following lead generation directories:

Angi

Angi, formerly Angie’s List, is a directory for contactors in different industries that is primarily B2C for residential contractors.  This directory has a wide reach to more than 6 million households.  They offer three levels of membership:

• Green Membership: Free
• Silver Membership: $24.99 per year
• Gold Membership: &99.99 per year

Businesses can also pay for advertising on Angi which will boost your visibility.  Advertising on Angi is likely to cost your business $4 to $8 per ad click.

HomeAdvisor

HomeAdvisor uses a similar business model to Angi as a paid lead generation platform for all types of contractors.  This platform has a wide reach with over 30 million users, and it is particularly beneficial for contractors that provide home services.

Contractors on HomeAdvisor pay an annual membership fee as well as a fee for each lead they receive.  Leads can cost between $15 and $60 depending on the project.  You can also pay more for advertising on HomeAdvisor to increase the visibility of your business.

Houzz

Houzz is a trusted directory for connecting homeowners to contractors that provide residential services including restoration, remodeling, and interior design. Businesses can sign up for free or pay for Houzz Pro+ for a premium profile, local advertising, and data tools to track the analytics of your profile.

Porch

Porch is a lead generation service provider for contractors that provide residential services.  What makes Porch different from other lead generation directories is that businesses can choose and pay for the leads they want instead of paying for every lead the platform generates.  This gives you more control over how you target your leads which will save you from looking through a number of bad leads to find the good leads.

You can do the following with your Porch profile to help target your leads:

• State the specific services you provide
• Put the distance you are willing to travel
• Specify acceptable payment methods

Porch will also only show contractor listings to customers based on their preferences so only customers with a specific need for what you offer will see your listing.  You can pay for an annual membership on Porch or do a pay-per-lead model.

Thumbtack

Unlike some of the previous directories on this list, Thumbtack has no niche.  Businesses of all types can get a listing on Thumbtack.

The other major difference with Thumbtack is that they offer a pricing model in which your business will only pay for leads when a potential customer contacts you and you engage with them.  Listed businesses buy credits and spend these credits each time they engage with a lead that reached out to them through Thumbtack.  This is a very cost-effective platform which is helpful for newer contractors trying to build a customer base.

Bark

Bark is similar to Thumbtack in that is has no niche and it uses a credit system for listed businesses to contact their leads.  This platform also has more than 20 million users.

Bark generates leads for listed businesses by matching business profiles with customer requests for specific services.  The leads are sent directly to you, and you have to spend credits to contact the leads.

BuildZoom

BuildZoom is a directory for contractors that does not have the market share of Angi or HomeAdvisor, but it does have a unique pricing model that some claim results in higher quality leads.  You can list your business for free on BuildZoom and you do not pay for any leads until they are converted into a sale.

Once you close on a lead, you will pay a 2.5% commission fee of the agreed upon price for the project to BuildZoom.  BuildZoom will vet leads before they are passed on to you, which helps ensure that you get the best quality leads.

RestorationMaster Finder

RestorationMaster Finder (RMF) is a lead generation website for restoration contractors that uses highly optimized, geo-based website pages to generate quality leads for listed businesses.  With RestorationMaster, you will get exclusive leads within your service areas so you will not be competing with other contractors for the same leads.  The leads will contact you directly, either through a phone call or an online submission form.

RestorationMaster specializes in generating high-quality, cost-effective leads for restoration contractors, including water damage leads, fire damage leads, and mold mitigation leads.  Businesses can pay a monthly or annual fee or choose a pay per lead model.

Lead Generation for Contractors from RestorationMaster

Contractors rely on quality leads to grow their business which makes it important for them to implement effective lead generation strategies.  You should make sure your business is taking advantage of free lead generation options such as Google Business Profile and BBB and consider working with a paid lead generation service to generate a higher volume of quality leads.

RestorationMaster is a trusted lead generation service provider in the disaster restoration industry that has a history of providing high-quality, cost-effective leads for restoration contractors.  Businesses that work with us can expect exclusive leads which eliminates competition for the same leads from other contractors in your service area.

You can call RestorationMaster at (888) 846-1992 or submit a contact form to learn more about our lead generation services.