Contractors
Do contractors need a website if they get leads from Yelp, Angi or Thumbtack?
Plenty of contractors are busy without a website. They get work from referrals, from Yelp, from Angi or Thumbtack, and it's fair to wonder what a site would add. If the phone is ringing, why pay for something else?
The honest answer depends on how much you're paying for those leads and how many of them turn into jobs.
How do Angi and Thumbtack charge contractors?
Both charge you per lead, not per job. On Angi, a standard lead is billed when it's sent to you, whether you call back or not, and the same request can go to up to five pros. Contractors report paying anywhere from tens of dollars to around $300 a lead, depending on the trade and the area.
Thumbtack works on the same idea. You pay when you're matched with a customer or when you reach out to one, and pros report paying from about $10 to over $100 per lead. If the lead doesn't turn into a job, you don't get the money back.
That can still be worth it. A $60 lead that turns into a $4,000 bathroom job is a good trade. The problem is the leads that go nowhere, and the ones where you're the third contractor to call.
What does a website give you that a lead platform doesn't?
- Calls that don't cost you per call. Someone who finds your site and calls you isn't a lead you paid for, and they didn't send the same request to four other companies.
- A page that's yours. Your Angi or Thumbtack profile sits on their site, next to other pros. Your website shows your work, your license and your reviews, and nobody else's.
- Somewhere for referrals to land. When a neighbor gives out your name, the first thing people do is look you up. A real site with photos of finished jobs is what turns that into a phone call.
- A link for your Google profile. Your Google Business Profile has a website button. Without a site, it points to a directory page or nowhere.
Does a website help me show up on Google Maps?
It helps, but it's one piece. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and that your position in regular web results counts toward prominence. A site that lists your services and the areas you cover by name gives Google more to match against a search like "water heater repair Eagle Rock."
Your Google Business Profile and your reviews matter at least as much. If you don't have a Google profile yet, set that up first. It's free.
When can a contractor skip having a website?
Sometimes you really don't need one yet:
- You're booked out for months on referrals from a few general contractors you sub for.
- All your work comes from one property manager or one builder.
- You're about to change trades, names or areas, and anything you build now would be out of date in six months.
If that's you, keep your Google profile and your reviews in good shape and come back to a website when you want work from people who don't know you yet.
How do the website and the lead apps work together?
Think of the website as home base. Your Google profile links to it. Your truck, your invoices and your business card point to it. Your Yelp page lists it. The lead apps keep running on the side for as long as they pay off, and over time more of your calls come straight to you.
How this works with Website in a Week
You send us your Google Business Profile or Yelp link (you need at least one), the services you want more of, the areas you cover, your license number and some photos of finished work. We turn that into a site with a tap-to-call button, your service area, your reviews and a contact form that goes to your email.
The one-page site is $795 and the 3-5 page site is $1,295, plus $25 a month for hosting. Both include one round of changes. They're simple sites with no login to edit yourself. Things like a quote calculator, online booking or payments are add-ons we quote separately.
Other questions owners ask
Should I stop using Angi or Thumbtack once I have a website?
Not right away. If those leads are turning into paid jobs, keep them going. The website is there so you have a second source of work that you don't pay for one lead at a time. Once it's bringing in calls, you can decide how much lead spend you still need.
Will a website get me leads by itself?
Not by itself. Most of the calls a small contractor site gets come from people who already found you on Google Maps, saw your truck or got your name from a neighbor. The site is what makes them pick up the phone. Your Google Business Profile and your reviews are what get you found in the first place.
Why does Website in a Week need my Google or Yelp page?
That's where your real details already are: your services, your hours, your service area and what customers say about you. We build from that instead of guessing, which is how it gets done in a week. You need at least one of the two.
Sources
- Hook Agency, Angi Leads reviews and pricing - leads billed when sent, shared with up to 5 pros, reported costs up to around $300 per lead
- Housecall Pro, "What is Thumbtack and how does it work" - pay per lead, about $10 to over $100, no refunds if the lead doesn't become a job
- Google Business Profile Help, "How to improve your local ranking on Google" - relevance, distance and prominence; web results count toward prominence