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50-Point Business Growth Plan

General Contractor Growth Checklist

Every contractor that dominates their market checks these 50 boxes. 5 critical phases, from building trust online to capturing every lead. Track your progress and know exactly what to fix first.

Ready to get started? Check out the full contractor growth engine to see how FlashCrafter handles all 50 items automatically.

Foundation
10 items
Professional website, business basics, trust signals
Google Presence
10 items
Google Business Profile optimization, local visibility
Local SEO
10 items
Citations, directories, schema, location pages
Lead Generation
10 items
Forms, chat, CRM, automation, tracking
Reputation
10 items
Reviews, referrals, testimonials, social proof
Section 1 of 5

Foundation - Professional Website & Business Basics

Build credibility and trust with a professional website and online presence

Professional Foundation

Launch professional contractor website with license #
Impact: Credibility & trust
Ensure mobile optimization (60%+ traffic from phones)
Impact: User experience
Add SSL certificate (https:// for security)
Impact: Google ranking factor
Test all contact forms (lead capture)
Impact: Zero missed leads
Make phone number clickable (click-to-call)
Impact: Mobile conversion
Display business hours prominently
Impact: Set expectations
List all service areas (cities, counties)
Impact: Local SEO
Add portfolio/project photos (before/after)
Impact: Visual proof
Display customer testimonials on homepage
Impact: Social proof
Show license/insurance badges prominently
Impact: Trust signals

FlashCrafter builds your entire foundation in 48 hours: Professional contractor website, mobile optimization, SSL certificate, working contact forms, portfolio setup, and testimonial displays—free $1,500 value included. See website examples of what we create for contractors.

Skip This Section for $50/Month
Section 2 of 5

Google Presence - Local Visibility

Dominate the Google Map Pack and local search results

Google Business Dominance

Claim Google Business Profile (GBP)
Impact: Local discovery
Complete 100% of GBP profile (hours, services, photos)
Impact: Ranking factor
Select accurate primary & secondary categories
Impact: Search relevance
List all services (kitchen remodel, bathroom, additions)
Impact: Service visibility
Upload 20+ high-quality project photos
Impact: Click-through rate
Post weekly Google updates (projects, tips)
Impact: Activity signals
Optimize Q&A section (answer common questions)
Impact: Info completeness
Get 50+ five-star Google reviews
Impact: Review authority
Respond to ALL reviews (good and bad)
Impact: Engagement rate
Verify GBP website link is correct
Impact: Traffic routing

FlashCrafter optimizes your Google Business Profile completely: Full profile completion, service listings, photo uploads, weekly posting automation, review generation campaigns, and Q&A management—capturing 40-50% of your monthly leads.

Automate Google Presence for $50/Month
Section 3 of 5

Local SEO - Rank #1 in Your City

Build citation authority and location-specific relevance with complete local SEO

Local SEO Authority

NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone) everywhere
Impact: Citation accuracy
Get listed in top directories (Yelp, Angi, BBB)
Impact: Citation authority
Claim and optimize Yelp profile
Impact: Yelp visibility
Get BBB accreditation (A+ rating)
Impact: Trust & credibility
Join industry directories (NARI, NAHB, local chamber)
Impact: Industry authority
Join local chamber of commerce
Impact: Community ties
Create Houzz Pro profile (residential contractors)
Impact: Portfolio visibility
Build service area pages (kitchen remodel [city])
Impact: Local keyword targeting
Publish location-specific content monthly
Impact: Topical authority
Add LocalBusiness schema markup to website
Impact: Google understanding

FlashCrafter handles all local SEO citations and schema: NAP consistency verification, top directory submissions (Yelp, Angi, BBB, NARI, NAHB, Houzz), service area page creation, LocalBusiness schema implementation, and monthly location content—ranking you for '[city] general contractor'.

Rank #1 Locally for $50/Month
Section 4 of 5

Lead Generation - Capture Every Opportunity

Convert visitors into leads with automation and speed using our built-in CRM system

Lead Capture Engine

Add lead capture forms on every service page
Impact: Conversion rate
Install live chat widget (respond in <5 minutes)
Impact: Speed to lead
Add click-to-call buttons (mobile-friendly)
Impact: Phone leads
Setup lead tracking system (source attribution)
Impact: ROI measurement
Implement CRM (GoHighLevel included with FlashCrafter)
Impact: Lead organization
Create automated follow-up sequences
Impact: Lead nurturing
Add estimate request form with instant confirmation
Impact: Quote requests
Offer free project consultation booking
Impact: Sales opportunities
Setup after-hours auto-response (SMS/email)
Impact: 24/7 lead capture
Track lead sources (Google, Yelp, referrals)
Impact: Marketing attribution

FlashCrafter includes HighLevel CRM with full automation: Lead capture forms on every page, live chat integration, click-to-call tracking, automated follow-up sequences, estimate request workflows, after-hours SMS responses, and lead source attribution—capturing every opportunity 24/7.

Get Complete CRM for $50/Month
Section 5 of 5

Reputation & Referrals - Build Trust at Scale

Build an unstoppable reputation and referral engine with advanced marketing strategy

Reputation System

Implement automated review request system
Impact: Review velocity
Create review response process (reply within 24 hours)
Impact: Engagement
Launch referral program ($100-$500 credit per referral)
Impact: Word-of-mouth growth
Setup customer follow-up sequence (1 week, 1 month, 6 months)
Impact: Retention
Take professional project completion photos
Impact: Portfolio quality
Document all before/after transformations
Impact: Visual proof
Record video testimonials from happy clients
Impact: Authentic social proof
Create case studies for major projects
Impact: Storytelling
Display social proof on website (logos, review badges)
Impact: Trust signals
Showcase awards/certifications prominently
Impact: Authority

FlashCrafter automates your reputation building: Automated review request campaigns (2 hours post-job), review response templates, referral tracking, customer follow-up sequences (1 week, 1 month, 6 months), and social proof widget displays—turning happy customers into marketing assets.

Automate Reputation for $50/Month

Contractor Growth Questions

Common questions about completing this growth checklist

How long does it take to complete this 50-point checklist?

Most contractors complete this checklist in 90-180 days if doing it themselves: Foundation (2-4 weeks for website setup and business basics), Google Presence (1-2 weeks for GBP optimization but 3-6 months to accumulate 50+ reviews), Local SEO (4-8 weeks for citations and directory listings), Lead Generation (2-4 weeks for CRM and automation setup), and Reputation (ongoing, but 3-6 months to build review velocity and referral program). FlashCrafter accelerates this to 7-30 days by handling website, GBP optimization, citation building, CRM setup, and review automation—you just focus on delivering great work.

What's the most important item on this checklist?

Google Business Profile optimization (Section 2). 64% of contractor customers start their search with 'contractor near me' or '[city] general contractor' on Google. If you're not in the top 3 Google Map Pack results, you're invisible to most local customers. The trifecta that dominates local pack rankings: (1) 50+ five-star Google reviews with consistent new review velocity, (2) Complete GBP profile with weekly posts, 20+ photos, and accurate service listings, and (3) NAP consistency across all directories. Our <Link href="/contractors-marketing-growth-engine/local-seo" className="text-accent-vibrant hover:underline">complete local SEO system</Link> handles all three end-to-end.

How many leads should I expect after completing this checklist?

Most general contractors see 10-30 qualified leads per month after completing this checklist, with 20-30% converting to jobs (2-9 projects/month). Breakdown by source: Google Business Profile (40-50% of leads), Organic Google search (20-30%), Yelp/directories (10-15%), Referrals (10-20%), and Google Ads if running (20-40% additional). Lead volume depends on market size (more leads in metro areas), competition (differentiation matters), and service mix (kitchen remodels generate more leads than commercial TI). Our <Link href="/contractors-marketing-growth-engine/crm" className="text-accent-vibrant hover:underline">GoHighLevel CRM system</Link> with included lead tracking captures and organizes every source.

Do I need to hire a marketing agency or can I do this myself?

You CAN do this yourself, but it takes 10-20 hours/week for 3-6 months—time most contractors don't have while running jobs. DIY approach: Save money upfront but slow progress (website builders like Wix: $20/month but 40+ hours setup, citation building: free but 20+ hours manual work, review requests: free but requires discipline). Agency approach: Fast results but expensive ($2,000-$10,000/month retainers, 6-12 month contracts, no platform ownership). FlashCrafter middle ground: $50/month, done-for-you setup (free $1,500 value), automated execution, contractor owns the platform, no contracts. We complete this checklist in 7-30 days while you focus on bidding and building.

What if I'm already working with a marketing agency?

FlashCrafter complements or replaces traditional agencies depending on your needs. Complement scenario: Keep agency for specialized services (large-scale PPC, video production) while FlashCrafter handles website, CRM, and <Link href="/contractors-marketing-growth-engine/local-seo" className="text-accent-vibrant hover:underline">local SEO automation</Link> ($50/month vs. $500-$2,000/month for those services alone). Replace scenario: Most contractors paying $2,000-$5,000/month for 'full service' agencies are overpaying for website hosting, basic SEO, and manual review requests—all automated by FlashCrafter for $50-$699/month with better <Link href="/contractors-marketing-growth-engine/crm" className="text-accent-vibrant hover:underline">CRM integration</Link>. Compare outputs: Agency delivers monthly reports, FlashCrafter delivers leads with full attribution. You own the platform, not rent it.

Let FlashCrafter Check Off This Entire List

This checklist shows you what contractors need to dominate their market. FlashCrafter does all 50 items for you. Professional website, Google Business optimization, local SEO, CRM automation, and reputation management for $50/month. No setup fees, no contracts, cancel anytime.