Hi there,
Saw your post about looking for some help with your family's home improvement business ads. Happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance based on what we've seen work for other service businesses. It can be a bit of a minefield, especially when you're looking to scale things up and spend more money, you want to be sure it's going to the right place, innit?
Here's a breakdown of how I'd approach it, from the ground up.
First things first, we'll need to look at your website...
I know you asked about Facebook ads specifically, but honestly, all the ad traffic in the world won't do you much good if your website isn't built to convert visitors into leads. This is the first thing we look at with any new client, because its often the biggest leak in the bucket. Before you even think about increasing your ad budget, your website needs to be a well-oiled machine for capturing business.
Think about your sales process. What's the one action you want a potential customer to take when they land on your site? Is it to fill out a form for a free quote? Schedule a 15-minute consultation call? Whatever it is, that needs to be front and centre. Your homepage should guide people directly towards that action. We see a lot of sites that are more like a brochure, with lots of info but no clear 'next step'. You need to make it dead simple for someone to get in touch. A prominent 'Get a Free Quote' button that follows them as they scroll can work wonders.
Your website also needs to build trust instantly. For a construction business, that means professional photos and videos of your completed work. Before and after shots are absolute gold. Showcasing local projects is even better – it tells people you're a legitimate, local company they can rely on. Add testimonials from happy customers, maybe even some video ones if you can get them. Things like trust badges, any certifications you have, or logos of suppliers you work with can also help. Right now, if you're website looks a bit dated or unprofessional, people will just click away and your ad money is wasted.
I'd say you need to be sure you're on the right platform...
You're using Facebook, which can work, but for services like home improvement, you're often interrupting someone's scrolling. They might not be thinking about renovating their kitchen right at that moment. The real low-hanging fruit is often on Google.
Think about it: when someone's boiler breaks or they decide they finally need that loft conversion, the first thing they do is go to Google and search for "emergency plumber near me" or "best loft conversion company in [Your Town]". That's what we call high-intent traffic. These people have a problem and they are actively looking for a solution right now. With Google Search Ads, you can put your business right at the top of the results for those exact searches. This is usually the most effective way for service businesses to get qualified leads.
I remember we're currently running a campaign for an HVAC company in a pretty competitive area, and even though their cost per lead is around $60, the contract values make it well worth it. For your niche, you could target keywords like:
- -> "kitchen fitters in [Your City]"
- -> "bathroom renovation [Your County]"
- -> "local builders near me"
- -> "home extension specialists"
Facebook is more for generating demand, while Google is for capturing it. You can definitly use both, but if you're not on Google Ads, you're likely missing out on your most motivated customers.
You probably should rethink your Facebook Ad strategy...
Okay, so let's talk about Facebook, since that's where your at. To get it working properly, you need to be really smart with your targeting and your creative. Just boosting a post to 'homeowners' in your area probably won't cut it once you try to scale.
Targeting is Everything
You need to go deeper. The best audience you have is your existing customer list. If you have a list of past clients (name, email, phone number), you can upload that to Facebook and create a Lookalike Audience. Facebook's algorithm will then go and find other users who share similar characteristics to your best customers. This is, without a doubt, the most powerful targeting tool on the platform. We've seen this double lead volume for clients almost overnight.
Beyond that, you need to test different interest-based audiences. Instead of broad interests, get specific. Think about the user's journey. Are they likely to have just moved? You can target that. Are they interested in specific interior design magazines or home improvement TV shows? You can target followers of those pages. Here are some ideas to get you started:
| Audience Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Behaviours | Likely to move, Recent homebuyer, Homeowners |
| Interests | Home renovation, Interior design, DIY, Specific tool brands (e.g., DeWalt), Property Brothers, Grand Designs |
| Lookalikes | 1% Lookalike of your past customer list, 1% Lookalike of website visitors |
You should also be running retargeting campaigns. These ads are shown only to people who have already visited your website, watched one of your videos, or engaged with your page. They already know who you are, so these ads are about reminding them to get in touch. It's much cheaper to convert a warm lead than a cold one.
Your Ads Need to Do the Selling
As I mentioned, before-and-afters are your best friend. A single image showing a drab old kitchen next to a stunning new one you installed is more powerful than a thousand words of text. Video is even better. A quick time-lapse of a project, or a short video walkthrough of a finished job, can be incredibly effective. Get testimonials from clients on camera if you can. Nothing builds trust like seeing a real person talking about the great work you did. Make sure you feature your team too! It helps to humanise the business.
You'll need a realistic view on costs and results...
Scaling up means spending more, but you need to know what to expect. In a competitive niche like home improvement, leads aren't going to be dirt cheap. As I said, that HVAC client is paying around $60 (£45-£50) per lead. For you, it might be anywhere from £20 to £80 per qualified lead, depending on your specific service and location. You need to be prepared for that. I'd recomend a starting test budget of at least £1,000-£2,000 per month just on ad spend to get enough data to see what's working.
The key is knowing your numbers. If you pay £50 for a lead, but you close 1 in 5 of those leads, and the average job value is £5,000, then you've spent £250 to make £5,000. That's a fantastic return. You need to track everything from the initial click to the final sale to understand your true return on ad spend.
This is the main advice I have for you:
| Area of Focus | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Website Conversion | Optimise your site with a single, clear call-to-action (e.g., 'Get Free Quote'). Add a gallery of high-quality before & after photos and customer testimonials to build trust. |
| Ad Platform Strategy | Continue with Facebook for demand generation, but urgently test Google Search Ads to capture high-intent customers who are actively searching for your services. |
| Facebook Targeting | Prioritise creating a 1% Lookalike Audience from your past customer list. Test specific, layered interests (e.g., Homeowners + Recently Moved). Always run a retargeting campaign for website visitors. |
| Facebook Creative | Focus on visually compelling content. Use high-quality before & after images and videos. Film short video testimonials and project walkthroughs to build social proof. |
| Offer & Budget | Define a clear, low-friction offer (e.g., free design consultation). Budget at least £1k-£2k/month for ad spend and track your cost per lead and close rate meticulously. |
I know this is a lot to take in, and implementing it properly takes time and experience. Getting the targeting wrong or not having the right tracking in place can lead to a lot of wasted money, which is the last thing you want when you're trying to grow.
This is where working with a professional can make a huge difference. We could help you implement all of this, from refining your website and setting up proper tracking to building and managing the ad campaigns on both Facebook and Google, ensuring your budget is spent as effectivly as possible to bring in profitable work.
If you'd like to go over your ad account together in more detail, we offer a free initial consultation where we can give you more specific advice. Feel free to book a call if that sounds helpful.
Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh
