I recently spoke with an electrical contractor who was paying more than $3,000 per month for an all-in-one marketing package.
The company was handling everything: Google Ads, social media posting, email marketing, SEO, website maintenance, and more.
On paper, that sounds convenient. There was just one big problem.
He didn’t really know what was working.
He couldn’t clearly tell which services were generating phone calls, where his leads were coming from, or which parts of that $3,000+ monthly investment were actually producing a return.
And he’s not the first home service business owner I’ve seen in this situation.
One Contractor Was Spending $36,000 a Year on Marketing
A while back, I started working with another contractor who was also paying more than $3,000 per month to an all-in-one marketing company.
When we looked at what was actually generating business, we found that SEO was doing most of the heavy lifting.
Instead of continuing to pay for a long list of marketing services simply because they were bundled together, we focused on what was working.
We moved him to a focused SEO strategy and redesigned his website to help turn more visitors into actual leads.
That included improvements such as:
- Creating targeted city and service area pages
- Making the phone number highly visible
- Adding sticky call buttons for mobile visitors
- Improving the website’s overall conversion strategy
- Strengthening local SEO to attract customers searching for his services
The goal wasn’t simply to get more website traffic. We wanted more phone calls, leads, and booked jobs.
From $36,000 a Year to $4,800
The difference in cost was significant.
At $3,000 per month, the contractor had been spending approximately $36,000 per year on marketing.
We reduced that expense to about $4,800 per year, saving him more than $31,000 annually.
More importantly, he didn’t have to sacrifice leads to get those savings. His calls and leads actually increased because we concentrated his marketing budget on the strategy that was producing results.
That’s the part contractors should pay attention to.
More marketing doesn’t automatically mean better marketing.
Paying for six, eight, or ten different marketing services doesn’t help if you can’t determine which ones are actually bringing customers through the door.
All-in-One Marketing vs. Working With Specialists
I understand why all-in-one marketing companies are appealing. As a business owner, having one company handle your website, SEO, Google Ads, email, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and everything else sounds easier.
But convenience shouldn’t be the only factor when you’re spending thousands of dollars every month.
I’ve worked in SEO and web design for home service businesses for more than 17 years, and I’ve found that specialists are often the better choice.
If you want to run Google Ads, work with someone who specializes in paid advertising. If you want to improve your organic search visibility, work with an SEO specialist. If you need a website that generates calls, work with someone who understands web design and conversion optimization for home service companies.
The specialists can still work together.
That’s how I approach marketing at Big West Marketing. We collaborate with trusted partners when clients need services outside our specialty rather than pretending we’re experts at everything.
Do You Know Which Marketing Is Actually Working?
If you’re spending $2,000, $3,000, $5,000, or more every month on marketing, you should be able to answer a few basic questions:
- Where are your phone calls and leads coming from?
- Which marketing channels are generating actual jobs?
- Which services are producing a measurable return?
- Are you paying for services simply because they’re included in a package?
- Could you get better results by putting more of your budget into what is already working?
You don’t necessarily need to stop doing everything else. But you should know why you’re paying for it and what you’re getting in return.
Get a Free Review of Your Home Service Marketing
If you own an electrical, HVAC, plumbing, or other home service business and aren’t sure whether you’re getting your money’s worth from your current marketing company, I’d be happy to take a look.
I’m Joe Burnich, owner of Big West Marketing, and I offer a free 30-minute consultation where we can review your website and current marketing strategy.
There’s no commitment. We’ll look at what you’re doing, identify where there may be opportunities to improve, and determine whether Big West Marketing is a good fit for your business.
Schedule your free consultation with Big West Marketing today and find out whether your marketing dollars are actually working as hard as they should.
