How to Get Your First 20 Direct Inbound Leads.

The fastest way to get leads as a home service business: pay-per-lead programs like Thumbtack, Yelp, and HomeAdvisor.

But here’s the problem:

You’re competing with 2-3 other contractors for the same lead, at the same time. You’ve got to be lightning-fast (like, sub-2-minute response time), relentless, and ready to drop your price immediately.

It’s hard to stand out, build a brand, or tell your story when you’re just another face in the crowd. And when you stop paying, the faucet shuts off—no more leads.

So what’s a small business contractor supposed to do?

Build your digital foundation from day 1.

This foundation will organically bring leads to you—no ads required. Every piece of content you create is another chance for your business to be found, and it doubles as a sales tool once leads find you.

The 4-Step Plan

• Find profitable, less competitive niches.
• Build a fast, simple website that’s easy to update.
• Set up clear social media profiles for your business.
• Create niche-specific content that attracts leads.

Step 1: Find Your Niches

Get crystal clear on the services you offer and the locations you serve. The more specific, the better.

Let’s say you’re a landscaping company. Don’t just offer “landscaping.” You could niche down to hardscaping. Then, niche further into stone, gravel, or brick paver walkways. You can niche down again by focusing on specific clients—like HOAs, multifamily properties, or commercial shopping centers.

The same thing goes for your service area. Instead of trying to rank in a massive city like Dallas, focus on a neighborhood like Pecan Creek in Mesquite. Fewer competitors mean a better chance to get found.

Step 2: Build a Mobile-Friendly Website

Your ultimate goal? Get leads to your website or on the phone.

On your website, you control everything—the messaging, the visuals, the contact form. There’s no competition here. Just you and your chance to convince the lead why you’re the contractor to hire.

A fast, mobile-friendly site also boosts your chances of ranking in search engines.

Step 3: Clear Social Media Profiles

Add your website to all your social profiles, and make it easy for people to contact you. Every platform has a search bar, and while you don’t need to go viral, you do need to be findable.

Make it clear what services you offer, where you work, and who you serve. Use these profiles to build a portfolio, showcase your personality, and prove you can solve people’s problems.

Step 4: Create Content So People Looking For Your Chosen Niche Service Can Find You

Start posting content that shows you can deliver the niche services you specialize in:

• Create niche service pages on your website with mentions of the locations you serve.
• Post consistently to stay top of mind.
• Write blog posts that answer common questions about your industry.
• Share project-based posts on your website and social media with photos and videos that document your work.

Keeping with the hardscaping example, you could create:

• A service page on building retaining walls for a specific town/county and explain that you know how to build them to last in this specific climate and up to code.
• A blog post on the pros and cons of different materials for an outdoor walkway
• A video that shows before and after of a completed walkway project that you can share on social media, YouTube, and your website.

This content isn’t just to look good—it helps you get found by people searching online. Think of it like planting seeds all over the internet. The more seeds you plant, the more opportunities you’ll grow.

The Bottom Line

Getting clear on what you do best shapes your content and determines who finds you. When you create content around niche services, you face less competition and attract more inbound leads—organically.

Start now, and your pockets will thank you later. 

Impatient with actions, patient with results – Naval Ravikant