Running a home service business is a lot of work. Not only do you have to worry about getting the work done satisfactorily for your customers, but it’s also about making sure the phone keeps ringing, quotes get booked, and leads don’t go cold before you can close them.
But that’s easier said than done.
If you run any kind of home service business in Vancouver, whether you're fixing, cleaning, maintaining, or improving people's homes, the daily juggle is real. You have jobs to complete, teams to manage, equipment to maintain, and customers who expect fast, friendly service.
And, here's the thing that nobody talks about: being the best at your trade doesn't automatically translate to being found online. Marketing often ends up on the back burner, and the leads that do come in? They’re not always followed up in time.
That’s where we come in.
At Digital Hot Sauce, we work with home service business owners like you to make sure those leads turn into paying customers.
The three biggest pain points facing home service businesses
Here’s what we hear from most of the owners we talk to:
#1 "Nobody can find me when they search"
This is the #1 complaint we hear from landscapers, cleaning services, property management companies, and so forth. You know your services are better than the competition, but when someone searches "lawn care near me" or "house cleaning Vancouver," you're nowhere to be found on the first page of Google.
Why this happens:
Local SEO isn't intuitive. Google needs specific signals to understand that you serve local customers in your area. Without proper optimization, you're essentially invisible to the people actively looking for your services.
The reality is, 97% of people search online for local services, and 75% never scroll past the first page of results. If you're not showing up in those top spots, you're missing out on the majority of potential customers.
#2 "My website doesn't convert visitors into leads"
Maybe you're getting some website traffic, but visitors aren't calling or filling out your contact form. Your bounce rate is very high, and you're left wondering why people aren't taking action.
Here’s what we’ve found with clients who come to us for marketing support:
- Websites are old. They look like they were built in 2010
- There’s no clear call-to-action buttons
- They have missing trust signals (reviews, certifications, insurance info)
- The contact forms that are too long or complicated
- The website isn’t optimized for mobile (huge mistake when most searches happen on phones)
#3 "I get leads, but they don't turn into customers"
This one stings because you're doing the hard work of generating interest, but something breaks down between the initial inquiry and the signed contract. Leads go cold, people stop responding, or they choose a competitor.
What’s usually happening here:
There's no system for following up consistently. In the local home services industry, timing is everything. The customer who needs their gutters cleaned this weekend isn't going to wait a week for you to get back to them.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone.
We’ve had so many business owners come to us to help them with the same issues.
Whether you’re a solo operator or managing a crew, you’re juggling a lot, so your marketing needs to work in the background and deliver real results. We’ve helped companies like Birch Tree Care grow their revenue by over 20% year-over-year, double their lead volume, and generate a 3:1 ROI on paid ads.
Digital marketing strategies that work for local home businesses
Based on our experience helping home service businesses double and triple their revenue, here's how we can actually help move the needle.
1. Stand out in local search (SEO + Google maps)
When someone types “tree removal near me” or “junk removal in Metro Vancouver,” you want to be right there on page one. We use local SEO strategies to get you ranking higher, including optimizing your Google Business Profile, landing pages, and keyword targeting based on service area and seasonality.
2. Run smart ads with a local focus
We run hyper-targeted Google Ads and Local Service Ads to attract high-intent leads who are actively searching. There’s no wasted spend. Instead, we get you qualified leads that can turn into paying customers.
3. Transparent reporting
We don’t use any jargon or fluff in our reports. Instead, we track exactly what’s working, what it’s costing, and what it’s earning you. You’ll always know how performance is going.
Why work with us at Digital Hot Sauce?
We’re not a giant agency with layers of account managers and confusing handoffs. We’re a small team, which means when you work with us, you actually work with us. You’ll know who’s writing your ads, reviewing your data, and building your campaigns. And because we keep things close knit, we’re able to give you a deeper level of care and attention.
We’ve been doing this for years, and that experience shows in how we show up for local businesses.
Take Birch Tree Care, for example. They’re a family-run tree care company based in Minnesota. They had years of experience and a strong reputation in the field, but online? silence. They weren’t showing up in search, and their website wasn’t converting the traffic they were getting.
We came in with a full strategy. Local SEO, Google Ads, a website refresh with clear calls to action, and email automation to keep leads warm. The result?
- 147% year-over-year growth in leads
- 98 keywords on page one of Google
- 3:1 ROI on their ad spend
They’ve doubled their business two years in a row.
Or look at Theorem Developments in Vancouver. They build custom homes and laneway houses in a competitive, high-ticket space. In the first three months of working together, we cut their cost-per-lead nearly in half and helped them tap into a brand-new neighbourhood after zoning changes went through. Three new clients came in just from that.
These aren’t one-off wins. They’re the result of the kind of care, creativity, and consistency you only get from a team that’s fully invested.
We know the challenges local businesses face. And we know how to help you grow with smart, strategic marketing that actually makes a difference.
You can learn more about how we can help you here.
As a home service business owner, you’re wearing a lot of hats. You don’t need a complicated marketing strategy as well. You just need something that works and a partner who gets it.
That’s what we do.
Let’s help you show up where it counts, capture leads before your competitors do, and grow your business in a way that feels manageable and measurable.
Want to chat? Book a free discovery call, we’ll tell you what we’d do if we were in your shoes.
