Most contractors do not need more marketing. They need fewer leaks. The tips below are the same basics we set up for the contractors we work with: making sure calls get answered, estimates get followed up, and your Google Business Profile tells Google the truth about what you do and where you do it. Each one takes a few minutes and costs nothing.
Missed calls and estimate follow up
Most lost jobs are not lost to a better contractor. They are lost to a missed call, a slow reply, or an estimate nobody followed up on. These are the cheapest fixes in the business, and none of them need new software.
Tip 01
Missed a call on the job? Send one text.
You do not need a receptionist. When you cannot pick up, text back at your next break and say when you will call. Then call when you said you would.
That one line tells the customer a real person got their message, and it keeps them from calling the next name on the list. It is the hand version of what software companies sell as missed call text back, and it works the same way.
Free tool: The Lost Call Finder, six ten minute tests that show where your calls are going.
Tip 02
Three tests to run tonight
- Call your own business number after hours. Listen to what a customer hears.
- Send your own Facebook page a message. Note how long it takes you to notice.
- Fill out the form on your own website. Make sure it lands somewhere a person reads.
Whatever you experience is exactly what your customers get. If the reply is slow, the job usually goes to whoever answered first.
Go deeper: The Lost Call Finder walks through all six tests with a pass mark and a fix for each.
Tip 03
Estimate went quiet? Send this.
Following up is not pushy. Going quiet is how good bids disappear. A few days after you send the estimate, text something short and easy to answer:
You are making it easy to say yes, no, or not yet. All three are better than silence.
Free tool: The Last 10 Jobs Sheet, to see which sources actually bring you signed work.
Questions about your own phones or follow up? Call or text Sam at 574-350-9712, or send a quick note. You get a personal reply within one business day.
Google Business Profile tips for contractors
Your Google Business Profile is free, and for most local trades it is the first thing a homeowner sees. Google says local results come down to three things: relevance, distance, and how well known the business is. You cannot move your shop closer to every customer, but you can make the profile accurate, complete, and active. Each fix below takes a few minutes, and the official Google help page is linked under each one.
Tip 04
List the hours you actually answer
If your profile says you are open until six, answer the phone until six. If you cannot, shorten the hours. A missed call during open hours looks worse than being closed.
Google help: Edit your business hours
Tip 05
Test the call button on your own listing
Open your Google profile on your phone and tap Call, exactly like a customer would. Where does it ring? Does anybody answer? If it goes to an old line or a phone nobody carries, change the number today.
Google help: Edit your Business Profile
Tip 06
Not showing up on Google Maps? Check these four things.
Before you pay anyone to help you rank higher on Google Maps, check the basics:
- Your hours are right.
- Your service area covers the towns you want.
- Your primary category is the job you want most.
- The call button rings a phone somebody answers.
Google help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google
Tip 07
Pick your primary category on purpose
Google asks what kind of business you are, and your answer matters. Make the one job you most want calls for your primary category, then add everything else you do as additional categories.
Google help: Choose a business category
Tip 08
Add ten real job photos
Homeowners want to see the work. Add ten real photos: finished jobs, your trucks, your crew on the roof or the site. Then add a couple more every month so the profile never looks abandoned. Real photos beat a logo every time.
Google help: Manage photos and videos for your Business Profile
Tip 09
Your shop address is not your service area
Set your service area to the towns you actually want work in. Leave out the ones you would turn down anyway. You are telling Google who to show you to, so make it right.
Google help: Manage your service areas
Tip 10
See what people typed to find you
Open the Performance section of your Google Business Profile. It lists the searches that showed your business. If they are your trade and your town, you are on the right track. If they are only your business name, strangers are not finding you yet, and your services and service area are the place to start.
Google help: Understand your Business Profile performance
Rather hand your profile off? That is part of our Google Business Profile optimization work. Or ask Sam a question about yours.
How to get more Google reviews
Reviews are part of how well known your business looks to Google and to the homeowner comparing you with two other names. The trick is not a clever script. It is asking every time, while the job is fresh.
Tip 11
Ask every customer, the same day
Ask in person when you finish, then send your review link by text before you leave the driveway. Google suggests sharing a direct link or a QR code so the customer lands right on the review box.
One rule matters: do not offer anything in exchange. Discounts, gift cards, or free work for a review are strictly prohibited by Google.
Google help: Tips to get more reviews. Free tool: The Review Kit, seven request texts plus sample replies.
Want reviews coming in without you remembering to ask? See how our review generation system works.
Free tools and guides for contractors
Printable, plain language, and built for a contractor to use from the truck. Each one is free.
Longer reads from the blog
- How to get your business on Google MapsSetting up and verifying a profile from scratch.
- Why your business is not showing up on Google MapsThe usual reasons, in the order we check them.
- SEO or Google Ads? Spend where it makes sense.Real roofing and excavation examples for choosing your next move.
- Contractor website cost: know what you are paying forWhat drives the price, and what to ask before you sign.
Questions contractors ask us
Are these tips really free?
Yes. Every tip on this page is free, with no login. The printable guides ask for an email so we can send the download. The text tips are free too, though message and data rates from your carrier may apply.
Which tip should I start with?
Start with calls. A lead that already called you is the cheapest one you will ever get, so make sure missed calls get a text back and estimates get a follow up before you spend a dollar on more traffic.
How do I rank higher on Google Maps?
Google says local results come down to relevance, distance, and how well known a business is. Start with what you control: the right primary category, a service area that matches where you want work, accurate hours, a call button that rings a real phone, real job photos, and a steady flow of reviews.
Can I ask customers for Google reviews?
Yes. Google suggests sending customers a review link or QR code. What you cannot do is offer anything in exchange, like a discount or a gift card. Google strictly prohibits that.
Can you just do this for me?
Yes. Websites, Google Business Profile work, ads, and content are what Tin Roof does for contractors, and we work with one client per trade per market. Start with a free report card, or call or text Sam at 574-350-9712.
How often do you add new tips?
Every new video gets its written version here, so the toolbox grows as we post. Want them sooner? Text LEADS to (269) 241-8279.
Free, personal website report card
Rather have someone look at it?
If you want a second set of eyes on your website, Google profile and the way inquiries reach you, send me your site. I will email you a personal report card with three priority fixes within one business day.
Just have a question? Send Sam a note, call or text 574-350-9712, or email sam@tinroofdigital.com.
No required sales call and no account access needed. We work with one client per trade per market.