In short: lead and directory sites are quick to join, and some homeowners trust them. But you’re usually one of several firms they show, and the homeowner is the site’s customer, not yours. Your own Facebook ads bring enquiries to you by name, in an area you don’t share. They only work if they’re built and followed up properly.
Side by side
| Compared on | Lead and directory sites | Your own Facebook ads |
|---|---|---|
| Who the homeowner contacts | The site, then you | You, from your own ad |
| Whether you share the enquiry | Often, with other firms | No, if your area is kept for you |
| How you pay | Membership, per lead, or both | Your ad spend plus whoever runs them |
| How fast it starts | Usually quick | With Lead Wave, usually within the hour |
| What builds up over time | Your profile and reviews on their site | Your own name, your own Facebook page, your own customer list |
| The work it suits | People who go looking for a trade | Jobs homeowners have been putting off until something nudges them |
| What it needs from you | Keeping your profile up and answering fast | Nothing technical, but you ring back the people who reply |
Where lead sites win
It’s only fair to say:
- Some homeowners go straight to them. If people in your area search a directory first, being on it matters.
- Reviews on a known site carry weight with people who’ve never heard of you.
- No setup at all. You can be listed today.
Where your own ads win
- The enquiry is yours. The homeowner filled in a form on your ad and gets a text from you within seconds.
- You’re not one of several. With Lead Wave we don’t take on another business in your trade in your area.
- You reach people before they start ringing round. A lot of roofing, driveway, garden and tree work gets put off for months. An ad in their feed from a local firm is often what gets them to ask.
- You can turn it up or down. When the diary is full you can slow it down, and when it’s quiet it goes back up.
… I’m now booked up for the first week I’m back :)
Pip, carpet cleaning · WhatsApp, 1 Sep 2026, 13:22
The catch with Facebook ads
Running an ad is the easy bit. If the enquiries land in an inbox nobody checks until the evening, they go cold, and that’s where most “I tried Facebook and it didn’t work” stories come from. What makes it work is everything around the ad:
- Ads made for your trade and your area.
- A form where people give you the job and their postcode before they hit send.
- An instant text to every enquiry, in your name.
- Follow-ups that keep going until they reply, then stop on their own.
- Someone watching it and changing the ads when results dip.
That’s the whole Lead Wave package, set up for you. It’s month to month with no contract.
How to decide
Work out what each won job costs you from your current source, using our cost per job calculator. Then ask Nick what to expect in your area. If your own ads would bring you jobs for less, with enquiries that come only to you, it’s worth a go. If not, he’ll tell you.
Is your area free? Message Nick with your trade and town. You’ll get a straight answer and the full price. See how it works
Your message to Nick