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Lead generation is crucial to growing a successful contractor business, and one of the best ways to find valuable construction leads is through a lead-generation website. These sites give contractors access to numerous projects posted by homeowners throughout the country. Many of these sites don’t even require their users to pay a subscription fee to sign up, instead charging contractors to purchase individual leads. The best lead-generation companies will also often give contractors refunds for leads that don’t pan out, as well as credits to put toward other lead purchases. By understanding what to look for in these platforms, small-business owners can find the best lead-generation sites for contractors to suit their needs.
- BEST OVERALL: Angi
- RUNNER-UP: HomeAdvisor
- BEST FOR LOW RATES: Thumbtack
- ALSO CONSIDER: Porch
What to Consider When Choosing One of the Best Lead- Generation Websites for Contractors
While the amount of traffic on a lead-generation website—and as such, the number of potential clients on the site—is key when a contractor is deciding which one to use, there are many other factors to consider. These include the cost of the service, the quality of those construction project leads, and customer support options, among other considerations.
Number of Users and Projects
The more people using a lead-generation site, the more projects there are to bid on, and hence the better chances there are of scoring new clients. The best lead-generation websites may have tens of thousands of projects posted each day, giving contractors a wealth of residential construction leads to draw from. When choosing a potential lead-generation website, contractors will want to consider the amount of traffic the website has.
However, high traffic alone doesn’t necessarily equate to a good match, according to Marshal Davis, managing partner of Ascendly Marketing, a Texas-based digital marketing agency specializing in website design. “Contractors should prioritize websites that align with their service niche and geographic reach to ensure they connect with their target audience,” he says. “They must evaluate the site’s track record for delivering relevant, actionable leads rather than just a high volume of inquiries.”
Contractors may also want to consider the types of jobs supported by each platform, especially if the platform offers specialized services. When comparing Thumbtack vs. HomeAdvisor, for example, professionals may find that Thumbtack includes a wide range of listing categories covering general contractor projects and odd jobs such as junk removal, furniture moving and heavy lifting, and furniture assembly.
Lead Quality
Lead quality is just as important as quantity for contractors when they’re selecting a lead-generation website. Capturing viable leads can be challenging, as they can vary in quality depending on how serious the customer is about hiring a contractor. Some customers may only be in the researching phase of their project or merely gathering quotes before they make a hiring decision. Joe Karasin, owner of Michigan-based digital marketing agency Karasin PPC, notes that even basic contact information for leads may be incorrect, necessitating more scrutiny on the part of contractors. “Often, leads will come in with fake/incorrect phone numbers and email addresses,” he says. “This can be frustrating when you’re trying to get in touch. Find out what, if any, verification tools the lead provider has incorporated in order to verify contact information.”
Karasin also recommends that contractors watch out for lead-generation websites that recycle their leads. “[Recycling leads] is a major sticking point, as many lead-gen services will recycle leads to several contractors, often in the same space,” he says. “Exclusive leads will cost you more, but in the long run will convert at a higher rate.”
In this case, converted leads refer to leads who turn into paying customers. A recycled lead is less likely to hire a particular contractor for their services because there is more competition for their project. Recycled leads are less likely to convert—in other words, they are less likely to hire a contractor for their services and become a paying customer—because there is more competition. Reputable lead-generation services will also require homeowners to fill out a form that includes an authentic email. The best lead-generation websites have programs for refunding or providing credits to contractors who end up with dead-end home improvement leads.
Pricing
Cost is a significant consideration for contractors who are shopping for a lead-generation service; it’s important that they get the most return on their investment. Unfortunately, identifying the true cost of using a lead-generation website can be a challenge for contractors because many sites price their leads by geographic location and the level of competition in a particular market. The price for a single lead can vary significantly. Contractors will also want to note that some lead-generation services charge their customers an annual subscription fee. While this raises the overall cost of the service, annual subscriptions often come with perks that include rewards for leads purchased and refunds for poor leads.
Lead Credits
Some lead-generation websites will offer their customers credits for purchased leads in certain situations. Lead credits are usually given out when a contractor ends up purchasing a low-quality lead or a duplicate lead. To earn these credits, the contractor will typically have to do their due diligence to get in touch with the lead. This typically involves reaching out to the lead a certain number of times within a certain period after purchasing it. Policies vary from site to site. While some will offer lead credits to all clients, others require a contractor to be a member of a higher-tier plan to be eligible for lead credits. Some sites may not offer lead credits at all, so those who want some compensation for purchased leads will likely want to check on the platform’s policy.
Customer Support
Lead-generation websites may offer customer support through several means, including phone, email, and live chat. As customer support hours can vary, it’s a good idea for contractors to look carefully at customer support availability. In addition, customer service departments may be based in various locations throughout the country, which could affect availability due to time zone differences. For example, a contractor working in New Jersey might be unable to reach customer support in the morning if their lead-generation website is based in California.
Contractor Resources
In addition to dedicated customer support, many lead-generation websites offer other resources to help contractors, including help articles, videos, and community groups, which can be accessed via their website. Tutorials and explainer videos can be invaluable tools for contractors so they can learn how to get the most out of the site, while help articles can dig into specific issues that users might encounter when navigating the platform or managing leads. Community groups are also useful for helping contractors share notes on how to best use the site to their advantage and even provide first-hand experience on running a successful contractor business. While customer support options may be restricted by business hours, online resources are available 24 hours a day.
When weighing the different resources and tools available, contractors may want to make analytics capabilities a priority, according to Davis. “It’s crucial [for contractors] to choose platforms that offer robust analytics so they can measure and refine their lead-generation strategies effectively,” he says. Many lead-generation websites offer analytics that allow contractors to see the number of customers who have contacted them versus those who have not and compare reviews of their services to competitors. They can then use this information to tailor their marketing strategy to more effectively engage potential customers in their market.
Screening Process
Many lead-generation websites put contractors through a screening process to give homeowners peace of mind that the contractor is reputable and trustworthy. The screening process can include a criminal background check, verification that the contractor is properly licensed, and confirmation that the contractor’s state business licenses are all in order. Some platforms may have more thorough screening processes than others. When comparing HomeAdvisor vs. Angi, for instance, contractors may find that HomeAdvisor will vet their state-level licensing.
Once screening is complete, websites may award the business a badge, indicating to homeowners that the owner’s credentials have been validated. Lead-generation websites may require small businesses to maintain a high rating from customer reviews to continue displaying those badges. Screening isn’t a requirement with all lead-generation websites, though. Some will let contractors browse the site without having undergone a screening or while their screening status is still pending. Even so, it’s worth remembering that some homeowners may not hire contractors who lack these badges or other certifications of their credentials and experience.
Our Top Picks
The most well-rounded lead-generation websites can offer competitive rates, good customer service, insightful contractor resources, and thousands of projects to bid on. Finding the best platform for a contractor’s situation may depend on the specific features and capabilities that they value most in a lead-gen site.
Best Overall
Angi
Why It Made the Cut:
With thousands of jobs posted from homeowners on its site each day, free listings for contractors, and support for accounting software integration, Angi is a go-to source for lead generation.
Attractive free options and an abundance of homeowner traffic on the site make Angi a great platform to use for contractors seeking leads. Tens of thousands of homeowner projects are posted on the site daily, giving contractors a constant flow of viable leads to pursue. Angi also allows contractors to list their businesses on the site for free, charging only for advertising on the site or purchasing construction industry leads. Potential customers will want to note that it can be difficult to compare the cost of Angi’s leads since the company provides no pricing information on its website.
Along with its lead-gen service, Angi also offers additional valuable services for businesses. For instance, robust analytics allow contractors to see the percentage of leads that request quotes for the various services they provide. These metrics enable business owners to identify strong and weak areas of their business and make necessary adjustments. Angi also helps contractors streamline the back end of their business by integrating with popular accounting software such as QuickBooks. This helps with the process of tracking invoices, balancing accounts, and preparing tax documents, making it easier for contractors to manage these aspects of their business.
Specs
- Pricing: Not listed
- Customer support: Phone, email, live chat
- Contractor resources: Help articles
- Background check requirement: Yes
Pros
- Free listings for contractors
- Tens of thousands of homeowner projects submitted daily
- Business metrics and advertising analysis available
- Accounting software integration available
Cons
- Membership rates and lead fees not listed
Runner-Up
HomeAdvisor
Specs
- Pricing: Not listed
- Customer support: Phone, email
- Contractor resources: Help articles
- Background check requirement: Yes
Pros
- Convenient customer and profile management via user-friendly mobile app
- Credits available for duplicate or poor-quality leads
- Flexible lead-management options
Cons
- Membership rates and lead fees not listed
Why It Made the Cut: A robust app and contractor-friendly credit policy on leads combine to place HomeAdvisor among the best lead-generation websites for contractor businesses. HomeAdvisor stands as one of the top lead-generation websites for contractors due to, among other reasons, its robust mobile app, which has been rebranded as the Angi Pro Leads app. Users can easily customize their profile via the mobile app as well as manage their leads, including requesting credits for leads that don’t pan out. The Angi Pro Leads app is especially useful for contractors on the go, allowing them to communicate with potential customers, collect payments, set a schedule, and update their business profile information. This makes it a great tool for contractors who spend most of their workday in the field. HomeAdvisor doesn’t charge its clients an annual fee, though the company does not list its rates on the site, noting that lead fees vary depending on geographic location. This makes it difficult for contractors to determine how much HomeAdvisor’s lead-gen services may cost them. Before signing up for an account, contractors may find more pricing information by checking out HomeAdvisor reviews left by professionals. There’s also a fairly generous policy regarding lead credits, with HomeAdvisor granting its customers credits for duplicate leads, leads that are out of the contractor’s service area, and those that don’t match the contractor’s services, among other poor-quality leads. This policy helps contractors recoup money spent on leads that don’t go anywhere. HomeAdvisor also gives contractors the ability to pause lead-gen services, a valuable option when business is booming, schedules are booked up, and contractors don’t want to pay for leads they can’t pursue.
Best for Low Rates
Thumbtack
Why It Made the Cut:
Contractors who sign up for Thumbtack will get access to a broad set of competitive analysis insights and access to a community forum of experts in their field.
Thumbtack offers impressive tools for competitor analysis and a helpful community forum, all without any annual membership fees. This makes it a great option for contractors looking for an affordable lead-generation service. Instead of annual fees, members only pay per lead and booking, which means they don’t need to pay to list their services on the site. For this reason, it’s an attractive choice for those who want to test out how the site works for their business without committing to an annual subscription service.
There are also plenty of customer resources on the site, including a community forum. This lets contractors seek out advice from other Thumbtack users to learn how to use the platform and increase their business. This forum could help connect contractors with experienced professionals in their field who can offer advice and guidance on running a contracting business. Access to Thumbtack customer service is limited to the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST, so contractors may have difficulty reaching a representative when needed. However, Thumbtack offers support in many other ways, including robust competitive analysis tools. Users can compare customer reviews and view customer activity on their profile to see how many customers contacted them versus how many moved on to other service providers. They can also compare their own metrics against competing contractor businesses in their market. This data is crucial in helping contractors make their business more attractive to potential clients.
Specs
- Pricing: No annual fee (booking and lead fees apply)
- Customer support: Live chat
- Contractor resources: Videos, community group
- Background check requirement: Yes
Pros
- No annual membership fees
- Insightful competitor analysis included
- Expert support available via community forum
Cons
- Limited customer service options
Also Consider
Porch
Why It Made the Cut:
A generous credit policy on leads, money-back guarantee on some lead purchases, and a quick screening process make Porch worthy of consideration for contractors.
With a money-back guarantee in some cases and an excellent leads refund policy, Porch is another great lead-generation option for contractors. The website gives a 5 percent credit on any lead purchased by members of its Porch Vetted Network. Members can choose to put this credit toward future leads or their annual membership fee. Although membership fees can be somewhat high, contractors can bring these costs down by taking advantage of this policy and accumulating credits with every purchased lead.
Porch offers a generous money-back guarantee on certain leads, too. The company will refund Porch Vetted Network members the purchase price of the lead if they reach out to the customer twice within the first 7 days of receiving the lead and get no response. This contractor-friendly refund policy helps business owners reduce losses from poor-quality leads. Porch also provides a quick and streamlined registration process. Contractors can skip the screening process entirely and begin gathering leads immediately if they are in a hurry to start building out their customer base.
Specs
- Pricing: $359.99 per year (for Porch Vetted Network membership)
- Customer support: Phone, email, live chat
- Contractor resources: Help articles
- Background check requirement: No
Pros
- Generous 5 percent credit available for every lead purchased
- Money-back guarantee available for some leads
- Quick and streamlined screening process
Cons
- Relatively high annual membership rates
Our Verdict
With thousands of projects posted to its site each day, no annual subscription fees, and tools for competitive analysis, Angi is our pick for Best Overall. We gave the Runner-Up award to HomeAdvisor because of its top-notch mobile app and contractor-friendly credit policy for poor leads.
How We Chose the Best Lead-Generation Websites for Contractors
We considered several factors when choosing the top lead-generation websites for contractors. All of our selections record a high volume of traffic with numerous projects posted by homeowners daily, increasing the likelihood of contractors landing new customers. We also weighed the quality of the leads, choosing websites that put in place measures that filter out duplicate and poor-quality leads from those that are more likely to result in a job booking. Contractor-friendly policies on credits and refunds for poor leads as well as lead-generation portals that allow professionals to manage their leads factored into our rankings as well. Cost factors were also crucial to our selection process, including both the cost of buying individual leads as well as any annual membership fees. Finally, we also considered the level of customer service and additional resources offered by each site.
Before You Choose One of the Best Lead-Generation Websites for Contractors
Before signing up for a lead-generation site, contractors may want to research exactly how these platforms work and realize that their services aren’t automated. They require the contractor to put in the time and effort needed to capture viable leads through the site. This includes creating a robust profile that will attract customers and then promptly following up with leads to avoid losing them to competitors. Also, contractors may be competing with several contractors for a single customer, so pricing their service competitively is crucial to landing a client.
As helpful as it may be, signing up for a lead-generation service can be the first of several steps when it comes to landing clients. Many potential customers will end up on the contractor’s website before making a decision, so contractors may want to spend time creating a website that demonstrates their qualifications, experience, and expertise. In addition, lead generation is just one piece of the marketing and customer outreach puzzle. Contractors may want to draw in customers through other means, including search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) ads, email marketing campaigns, and a social media presence, all of which can be important for growing one’s business. Being a contractor isn’t always easy, but it’s often necessary to approach lead-generation from every angle possible to bring in the most business.
Cost of Using One of the Best Lead-Generation Websites for Contractors
Lead-generation sites charge contractors a fee for each lead they download. Users can often expect to pay less per lead the more leads they download, but this may not always be the case. Many lead-generation websites don’t have set rates for their leads since prices can vary based on geographic location and how competitive the market is for that service. Because there is no flat fee for each lead, it can be very difficult for contractors to create a budget for buying leads through one of these websites until they’ve had some experience using the service.
Some lead-generation sites also charge annual membership fees, which can be hundreds of dollars per year. While this adds to the overall cost of the business, annual membership fees often come with perks, such as refunds for poor-quality leads and rewards in the form of credits for each lead purchase.
The Advantages of Using One of the Best Lead- Generation Websites for Contractors
Whether a small-business owner is just starting a handyman business or is trying to expand a long-running venture, lead-generation sites can be hugely beneficial. In fact, in many cases, joining a lead-generation website is essential for running a successful contractor business. While there are many lead-generation sites to choose from, there are advantages to going with one of the best platforms available to contractors. These platforms put small businesses in front of numerous potential clients, allowing contractors to find new customers in their market with relative ease. The very best platforms can offer plenty of other benefits as well, including:
- Access to a wide variety of homeowner projects, giving contractors plenty of opportunities to bid on jobs;
- Credits for poor-quality or duplicate leads purchased, minimizing the financial risk of buying leads that don’t pan out; and
- Online resources and tools, including business metrics and competitor analysis, that help contractors grow their business.
FAQs
For those running a contracting business, lead-generation websites may be a source of consternation, despite all the benefits they can offer. Contractors may struggle with the marketing aspects of their business, and finding and capturing leads can be especially difficult for those unaccustomed to these practices. Getting answers to some of the most common questions professional contractors have regarding lead-gen platforms and lead generation in general can go a long way toward helping them expand their business.
Q. Do contractors need a website for lead generation?
Lead-generation websites for contractors don’t require their users to have websites to generate leads. They can generate leads entirely through a profile they set up on the site. However, having a website that customers can visit will significantly improve a contractor’s chances of landing new clients as it will provide another avenue for customers to find their services—via Google and other search engines, for example. Many customers will also want to visit a contractor’s website and learn more about their business and qualifications before making a decision.
Q. How can contractors generate leads automatically?
While lead-generation websites themselves don’t automate the process of generating leads, there is construction lead software contractors can purchase that will help automatically gather leads from a variety of different sources, including lead-generation sites, social media, website pop-ups, and advertisements. These types of automation platforms could be an excellent addition to a larger suite of business resources for contractors, including the best construction management software and lead-generation software. In addition, contractors may want to consider a field-service app such as Jobber. Reading up on Jobber reviews can help them make a decision.