Jason Call
Introduction: Learn How to Market a Handyman Business
⚠️ Follow this guide and your biggest problem will be hiring.
Thanks for checking out the Handyman Marketing Pros’ step-by-step guide to drastically improve your marketing and online presence!
This guide focuses on action and will not go into much explanation behind each step – if you’d like to learn more about the “why” of a specific step, check out our blog where we upload informational content.
This is a concise list of handyman marketing ideas and the important, foundational steps you need to apply in your business today. Created specifically for handyman and contractor businesses, this guide is inspired from:
- Experience working with 400+ handyman and home improvement contractors across the US and Canada, in all sizes of markets;
- Having thousands of conversations with owners about their experiences and marketing needs;
- My personal experience in starting a local business from scratch;
- And from my own continual education in the latest SEO and marketing strategies
Be excited and encouraged! There is incredible opportunity to operate and scale a business like yours, no matter where you are located. I see it time and time again, every single day. Let’s get to it!
Table of Contents
100% Necessary Fundamentals
This is a list of 100% necessary, uncompromisable marketing items you NEED to have in place.
A house built on solid ground will stand the test of time! This is your foundation.
If nothing else, do yourself a favor and PLEASE apply all the items in this section. If you don’t, you’re going to have a significantly harder time staying in business than if you put these tactics into practice.
Further, having a solid foundation will maximize all the blood, sweat, and tears (yes, even handymen cry) you put into starting and growing your business.
Logo
Your logo is a unique symbol that people associate with your business. You need one to use on EVERYTHING where appropriate:
- Website
- Business cards and flyers
- Estimates and invoices
- You get the idea!
Recommendations for where to get your handyman business logo
- Free, DIY solution – Canva.com
- Relatively inexpensive freelance option – Fiverr.com (I recommend spending at least $100 to ensure quality – “you get what you pay for”)
- More expense, but higher quality – 99Designs.com. This is a competition-based design platform so you’ll be able to review many different ideas based on what you’re looking for.
Note: If your goal is to have multiple crews, and grow well beyond yourself, at a point it’s worthwhile to invest in building a high-end, professional brand through a Branding Agency. But for most, the above options, or using a local graphic artist, will work great.
Google Business Profile (GBP)
Formerly titled Google My Business (or commonly referred to as a GMB), your GBP is your most important online marketing asset alongside your website.
Why? Over 50% of local handyman and home improvement searches go directly to the Google Maps section at the top of the search results. Consumers can see a list of all the local businesses, review ratings, website links, phone numbers, and more.
See below an example of our client, Honest Lee Handyman, ranking in the #1 spot for his primary service area.
The Numbers: Honest Lee Handyman’s GBP gets 100+ calls, and 200-350 website visits each month. It is a BIG lead source! Further, many of these searches have “purchase intent” (ex: handyman near me), as in, the person is prequalified to 1) have a need and 2) be looking to hire someone. This translates to the lead quality being very high.
Follow our GBP Optimization Guide to learn how to create and optimize your profile. Then, start building reviews from your clients.
Note: because this is such a critical asset for any local handyman business, all of our marketing programs include GBP optimization.
Website That Sells Your Business
As mentioned above, your most important marketing asset, alongside your GBP, is your website.
Your website is at the bottom of your “marketing funnel” – as in, all your marketing leads potential customers to your website. Whether someone finds you on Google, Yelp, sees your Facebook posts, receives a flyer or business card, etc… Folks these days will visit your website to learn more about your company.
Having your website setup in a way that SELLS your business is vital to maximize the effort you put into marketing your business.
Overall, when your website is designed and optimized correctly, it maximizes the lead flow from your marketing. If you don’t have one, you are literally leaving money on the table.
Note: On a tight budget? Please don’t waste dozens of hours trying to build your own on the numerous available DIY platforms out there – use your time on sales-generating activities to book jobs. For a short term website solution, hire an affordable freelancer ($250-$500) to create a simple website on Squarespace, Wix, or GoDaddy. Upgrade later with our service.
Below are the primary attributes your website should have.
SEO Optimized
SEO (search engine optimization) is a critical piece to your website’s success. Without SEO, or any other marketing channel that is driving traffic, your website is like an unlit billboard in the middle of the desert on a stormy night.
So what the heck is this mystical unicorn that is “SEO”? I mean, everyone talks about it, but what is it?!?
In summary, SEO is the collection of strategies to increase your business’s visibility in organic search engine results. (Organic = not paid) This is in the Google Map section, and the website section underneath. You can see a few screenshot examples below to get a visual.
If you’re not hiring us to take care of your website, ensure your website is designed with best practice SEO.
conversion optimized
CRO (conversion rate optimization) is a fancy, 5-dollar word for “turning more of your website visitors into leads and phone calls”.
I say, forget the fancy business words and SHOW ME THE LEADS!
But seriously, this is an important element of your website. Here are a few examples of conversion optimization that we’ve learned from working with hundreds of handyman businesses:
- Big phone number easily visible in the top corner
- Appealing CTA (call to action) buttons encouraging visitors to “Get A Free Estimate” (or something similar)
- Site must load fast
- Displaying live review feeds that show positive customer feedback and overall rating
- Imagery that shows the friendly faces behind the business (personality on the website)
- “Click To Call” buttons on mobile
The example below highlights various elements that work to convert a high percentage of website traffic into phone calls and online estimate requests.
At the end of the day, your website is an ASSET! It should be producing leads, jobs, and revenue for your business. Thus, conversion optimization is critical to maximize the real revenue that is generated from your online presence.
Mobile responsive
A majority your website traffic is on mobile phones. If your site isn’t device responsive, you are losing in 2 big ways:
- Losing leads and calls because visitors are “bouncing” off your site (they leave because it’s not a good experience)
- Losing rankings because mobile optimization is an important element in your SEO
Make sure your site is device responsive! We optimize our clients’ sites for all primary devices – desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Looks amazing and stands out from competitors
Your site can be SEO’d head-to-toe, mobile responsive, and conversion optimized, but if it looks BAD and doesn’t present your business in the best light… Well, it’s all for naught.
Your website is the digital representation of your business. When you show up to your client’s home, you want to make an amazing first impression. You want the same impression with your website!
Overall, having a professional appearance (on and offline) allows you to command above-average pricing commensurate of how you run your business. Also, the only way to scale your business, or take home fat profits as a one-man-band, is charging above-average market prices.
This is exactly what we do! Schedule a call with Jason, Founder of Handyman Marketing Pros, to have a conversation about your business, answer any questions you have, and see if we’d be a good fit to work together on your website and marketing.
Business Cards & Flyers
We’ll talk more about “print marketing” later in the guide, but you should always be packing business cards and flyers/postcards to hand-out.
I advise all our clients, when you show up to a client’s home (or a prospect’s home for an estimate), have something to hand them!
Having a flyer or postcard that highlights your focus services allows you to educate the client about services they might not know you do, and build traction for the services you’d like to focus on – whether it be services you enjoy doing, your most profitable services, or both.
In addition to the up-sell opportunities and education, having something physical to hand can create some “social comfort” in the interaction.
Below is the primary flyer that Honest Lee Handyman technicians and estimators hand to their clients and prospects.
Note: All of our clients get access to our Template Resources library that includes: flyers, business cards, postcards, etc. that just need a little tweaking before sending to the print shop. We also provide template “cold outreach” emails/letters that can be sent to Realtors, property managers, large contractors that might need reliable referrals, etc.
Overall, our goal is to equip family-owned home improvement businesses with all the resources and tools to be successful!
High Visibility Online Profiles
The following profiles are prudent to have setup, because these sites have people that are regularly searching for home improvement services, and asking for recommendations. Also, these are profiles that Google EXPECTS to see for a legitimate home service business, which is important for their search engine to treat your business seriously (i.e. ranking).
For social media, it allows you to stay top-of-mind with the occasional post about your company.
Later in this guide you will find a more exhaustive list of online profiles to setup that are beneficial to your SEO and ranking.
- Facebook & Instagram – Guide from Facebook
- Yelp
- Nextdoor – Guide from Nextdoor
- BBB (helps with Google Business Profile verification if you don’t have one setup yet)
Google Reviews
Here are the reasons you NEED to place a high priority on constantly receiving 5 star Google reviews:
Google Reviews are an ever-increasing ranking factor their algorithm. Google is a rational, logical algorithm with the objective of serving helpful results to user queries. If it serves unhelpful results, people would stop using Google. What’s the easiest way to serve up great handyman businesses for users to see? Review count, rating, and velocity.
“Review velocity” is a new ranking factor as-of 2022. This is a fancy way to say “the frequency of reviews being posted to an account.” What this means: not only are total reviews and rating important, but also the frequency that reviews are being posted to your account.
Google reviews get more eyeballs than any other platform
The more reviews you have, the more authority you have in your market. This means you can: 1) charge more for your service and 2) turn more estimates into booked jobs because you have a strong online reputation. So, Google Reviews will literally boost your revenue and profitability if you have an effective pricing and sales strategy.
Notable Mention - CRM for your handyman business
Having a CRM (customer relationship management) for your handyman business is a pivotal piece to your business as a whole. This system should allow you to send professional estimates and invoices, keep an organized client/lead database, enable automatic followups, and have various other marketing and sales features (example: email marketing).
Popular CRMs our clients use:
- Paid – Markate, Jobber and HouseCallPro
- Free – WaveApp and Joist
Note: Handyman Marketing Pros is developing a dedicated Handyman CRM that will be available by Q3 2024. Overall, our objective is to provide incredible value to small, family-owned home improvement contractors. This is an important piece for us to be able to connect your marketing (website, Google, phones, etc.) with your sales. We want to maximize the value of your marketing, and this is an important piece for us to add value!
Setup Free Online Profiles & Directory Listings (Citations)
From an SEO perspective, if it’s a free profile that lets you add a website URL, it’s worth creating. Many of these profiles have “paid advertising” they will try to sell you, but this section is purely concerned with creating the free profile.
Note 1: be sure that all profiles are completely filled out and uniform – same name, website, phone number, business description (if applicable), logo, etc.
Note 2: part of our Handyman SEO service is a robust build-out of nearly 100 powerful profiles and citations that move the needle for our clients.
Step 1: Create FREE Profiles & Directory Listings
Here is a list to get your started. Be aware: you WILL receive calls/emails from sales reps trying to get you to sign up for advertising. This is part of the game!
- Google My Business (mentioned above)
- Bing Business
- Yahoo Business
- Yelp (yes, take the free profile – it’s worth it from an SEO perspective)
- BBB (aka “Yelp for old people” 😂 – actually very popular in the south and midwest)
- YellowPages
- Houzz
- Nextdoor
- MapQuest (now that brings back memories…)
- Apple Maps
- Manta
Step 2: Find Other Directories Not Listed Above
Search Google for “handyman in *your service area*”, “remodeling contractor in…”, etc etc. (Use a town – people largely do not search by county.) Look through the first 3-5 pages and create a profile on all free directories not mentioned above.
In many areas, there are local directories you can join. These are THE BEST for your local SEO.
^We do this heavy-lifting for our SEO clients
Join Local Business & Networking Groups
The most reliable, durable source of leads is a strong referral network. Cement your name with local influencers in the community: business owners, active community members, “movers and shakers”, etc. Here are places to start:
- Your local Chamber of Commerce
- Realtor Association (join as “affiliate member”)
- Networking groups (like BNI)
Pro tip 1: Typically these groups have a “business directory” on their website. Be sure to complete those profiles with your website link. This is great for SEO.
Pro tip 2: Sponsoring a lunch once or twice a year is a fantastic way to generate interest in your business. A friend of mine owns a window cleaning company, and brings breakfast twice a year to the local Realtor Association meeting. It generates a ton of business for him, and also establishes key referral relationships.
Whether you are a new or well established, it’s hard to understate how impactful consistent networking can be on your business.
It is a tried-and-true strategy to establish yourself as the local, hometown handyman company.
Don’t let your initial social discomfort stop you! I promise it will expand you personally and, with time and persistence, significantly boost your business.
Cold outreach to property managers and realtors
I’ve personally witnessed the dramatic impact that 1 or 2 property manager relationships can have on a handyman business. This can be a game changer for your new or established business!
Here’s the strategy:
1. Get a list of all your local property management companies and real estate offices (a Google search can do the trick)
2. Design a simple flyer, brochure, or postcard on Canva.com using a template. Alternatively, your local print shop can design this for you. This print material should directly speak to these real estate professionals (one for realtors, and one for property managers) – a quick summary and popular service items, like “pre sale punchlists”, and a professional or family photo, are good content to list.
3. Let the outreach begin! Mail a letter with your flyer, send them an email, give them a phone call, and drop by their office with cookies, business cards and your flyer. This is a multi-touch effort! A single email or phone call is not enough to make a positive impression. So be persistent, be patient, and give extra attention to the high-end offices that will likely pay a premium rate for a premium service.
Note: Realtors and Property Management Companies are like homeowners – 10 to 20% are your ideal clients, and the rest will want cheap work done fast. Don’t be discouraged and be persistent in establishing these relationships. The right ones can feed consistent, profitable jobs week-in and week-out.
Commercial relationships and Contracts
Commercial relationships and contracts are some of the most lucrative, high-profit handyman work out there. Also, once “you’re in”, they can feed a steady stream of work. The trick is to clearly communicate you have a specialty in serving commercial clients, carry the right insurance, and be able to work within their framework.
When you do this, these jobs can be charged at a premium because:
1. Your overhead is higher because of additional insurance
2. You typically have to wait 30 days to get paid (some up to 60)
3. The store manager (say of your local O’Reilly Auto Parts) just wants the job done, and forwards your invoice to their accounts payable – it’s not coming from their paycheck!
Commercial Insurance – this is a separate layer of insurance that potential commercial clients will want to verify. Your insurance provider should be able to quote this for you.
Communicate Your Specialty – have a dedicated page on your website, a flyer/postcard/etc., and start building referrals. Here’s an example of one of our clients that successfully serves commercial clients with multiple crews and uses his website to sell himself as a reliable professional.
Work Within Their Framework – You’ll likely need to submit an estimate a certain way, send your invoice to the right department, and wait 30 days to get paid. Commercial operations will have their own process for handling subcontracted work.
HOAs, Senior Living communities, and High-End Apartments or Condominiums
Contact HOAs and the offices of senior living communities, high-end apartment complexes and condominiums. Keep in mind, when done right, this is a multi-touch strategy. Don’t just call one time, or send one email! See if there’s someone you can meet with, swing by an office, drop off cookies, send a letter, send an email, and call.
Some of these organizations even offer advertising opportunities in regular newsletters or emails.
Relationships with other contractors and home services
Many larger contractors and related home services need reliable referrals! For example, many plumbing companies, after gutting a wall, need a reliable referral to patch the drywall.
Even many handyman businesses have things they don’t do, so it’s worthwhile to build relationships with “local competition” to see how you can help each other.
Door hangers, flyers & yard signs
Hit the streets with your awesome print marketing! Your local print shop can take care of the design and printing.
Just be sure to follow local ordinances, neighborhood and HOA rules.
Vehicle magnets and wraps
A nice vehicle wrap will pay for itself over, and over, and over… It also goes a long way in establishing you as a premier service rather than another “chuck in a truck”.
Just getting started and can’t afford a wrap? No shame in that! Slap on some vehicle magnets and hit the road!
Remember to emphasize the word “handyman” (as seen below) and have your phone number clearly visible. Afterall, this is what someone is going to connect with RIGHT AWAY!
Tell your friends
Don’t forget to leverage your own personal network! You will be surprised at how many friends and family will support and refer your business.
Facebook community groups
One of the best ways to generate organic leads on social media is engaging in your local FB community groups. Here is an informal video I filmed in 2023 that outlines this strategy:
Like any marketing, consistency is key! Don’t expect to post one time and see a flood of calls. Consistently post to all your local groups every single week, and engage with posts that are seeking recommendations.
Pro tip to stand-out amongst all the fly-by-night handymen in these groups: When someone is asking for a recommendation for a handyman, or service you provide, reply to the post with a digital business card. This will set you apart from anyone else commenting as the most professional, and also Facebook’s algorithm will likely promote your comment to the top so it will maximize your visibility. You can create a quick and simple digital business card on Canva.
Home & garden shows
Depending on the size of your market, there could be dozens of home shows per year! Smaller towns have at least one per year, usually in the spring.
What the heck is a home and garden show? If you don’t know then congratulations, you’re not truly “adulting” yet. Stay young my man!
These events attract homeowners and families and allow businesses to reserve a booth space to showcase their services. Most attendees are looking for ways to modify their home (countertops, decking, furniture, etc.) so a high percentage are your ideal clients that are willing to pay a premium rate for a premium service.
And guess what? There’s a good chance you’ll be the ONLY handyman with a booth. This is a great advertising opportunity – just be sure to have some nice flyers, and an easy means to schedule/give estimates on the spot.
Nextdoor
Here’s a great video from a handyman in one of our Facebook groups that shows exactly how he uses Nextdoor to generate most of his business:
Home Depot pro referrals
Check with your local Home Depot about signing up for their Pro Referrals program. This is a great source for generating business for many businesses in our Facebook group.
Pay per lead (PPL) platforms
In general, I do not recommend using PPL platforms. They are a short-term and low-profit fix. You should instead invest in your own brand and long-term marketing assets that will provide an exponentially higher return over time (website, Google, referral network, etc.).
That being said, the only PPL platform that I personally witness decent results from (outside of Google Local Service Ads, which is fantastic and I highly recommend) is Thumbtack. I have seen it work great for businesses just getting started on a shoe-string budget. Ultimately though, anyone using these platforms should have the objective of “weening off” and generating leads through higher profit channels.
Please keep in mind that, with any marketing outside of networking, website, and Google, it can work great for some, and terrible for others.
Email Marketing & Newsletters
The cheapest customer is a current customer that already knows, likes, and trusts you.
Your database is one of your biggest assets! It is full of pre-qualified prospects that have either already worked with you, or expressed interest in working with you.
Email marketing, even just sending a monthly or quarterly newsletter, is an effective strategy to stay top-of-mind with these contacts.
Your CRM likely offers email marketing as will be your best option since all your customer and lead contact info is already in the system. MailChimp is a good, free option to get started if your CRM does not offer email marketing.
As for content – don’t overthink it! You can highlight a recent project or a customer testimonial. I also highly recommend writing a short, personal update about your business and family. Of course, be sure to have a call to action to request an estimate that includes your website address and phone number.
Exceptional Client Experience That Promotes Referrals
Influencer marketing is a marketing strategy where “influencers” (deemed so by their large social media following) are paid to promote a brand or product to their audience.
Here’s the thing: every one of your customers are influencers – influencers to their friends, family, neighbors, and community – and your business can leverage influencer marketing without paying a dime by providing an exceptional experience that your clients rave about.
Provide an exceptional customer experience to everyone – from the initial communication to the follow-up, and moving into all future contacts. Consistently revisit this entire interaction from a customer perspective, and you will have ideas to improve the experience!
Just imagine the impact if every customer you have, takes every opportunity they have, to refer your business…
With consistency, you will reap the benefits of your “influencer marketing” strategy. You’ll get the highest returns from your marketing efforts and maximize the value of each and every client interaction.
business coaching
Need help tying all the pieces together? You are not alone! The Handyman Journey specializes in coaching and growing handyman businesses. From pricing to operations, to marketing, this is a GREAT resource for learning and accountability with like-minded business owners. Learn more at HandymanJourney.com
Helpful Tools & Resources
- Running a small business is challenging. Having a group of like-minded, supportive people makes it easier. Joining a Facebook group to learn from peers and similar businesses is an amazing (and free) resource. Ask questions, get help with bids, seek business advice, laugh together about a meme – you name it. We recommend joining The Handyman Journey for a professional, supportive group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/955093931316242/
- Canva.com is a graphic design tool that enables anyone, even YOU, to design professional graphics. Their templates for social media posts and marketing will make your life easier, and make your business look good. Start with their “Facebook Cover Photo” templates.
- Track your website traffic with Google Analytics – analytics.google.com.
- Recommended business email platform: Google Workspace (ex: name@yourbusiness.com)
Closing
Thank you for reading! I sincerely hope this guide has brought value to you and your business.
This guide’s purpose is to HELP! Not only for you but for future readers. I say this to encourage your input so we, together, can help handyman and contractor businesses everywhere. Here are a few things I’d love to hear from you:
- General feedback
- Specific questions
- Advertising tactic that has worked for you (but not mentioned here)
- Other marketing-related advice or tools
If you’d have any questions about how we can serve you and your business, schedule a free strategy call with Jason!
🚀 Free Marketing Resources Bundle
👉 Made Specifically For Handyman Businesses!
✅ Google Business Optimization Guide – An Absolute Must For All Businesses
✅ Free & Effective Facebook Advertising Via Group Posting Strategy
✅ Marketing Checklist To Fill Missing Gaps In Your Marketing Strategy
✅ Comprehensive Marketing guide to make HIRING your biggest problem