A paid lead source can be useful if the work it brings justifies the cost. A website can also require substantial time and spending before it contributes inquiries. Neither channel is automatically the right answer.
This comparison uses your records. It does not assume a particular platform’s current price, lead-sharing policy or close rate. Check those terms in your own agreement and account.
Count the same stages for every source
For a chosen period, record spend, inquiries received, inquiries you could reasonably serve, estimates issued and jobs won. Keep the definition of a qualified inquiry consistent.
Include your website costs in the comparison. Hosting, content, maintenance, search work and advertising are not free simply because the inquiry arrives on your own domain.
Separate acquisition cost from project value
Divide source spending by jobs won to calculate acquisition cost per won job. If there are no won jobs, report that fact instead of dividing by a hopeful future sale. Compare acquisition cost with the contribution available from the work, not just the contract total.
For an illustrative calculation only: $1,200 spent and two jobs won gives $600 in source spending per won job. Those are invented numbers, not a platform benchmark or a Zelipt client result. Staff time and other costs would need adding for a fuller comparison.
Allow for the time it takes to decide
Outdoor projects may remain open beyond the month in which the inquiry arrived. Keep those inquiries attached to their original source and update their status later. Comparing this month’s spend only with this month’s completed projects can mix different groups of customers.
Also record response time and why a job was lost when you know. A poor result may involve fit, capacity, follow-up or price; the source alone may not explain it.
Keep control of your own information
Make sure you can access your domain, website content, business listing and inquiry records. That makes it easier to keep a useful record as you test different channels.
Use a bounded test and review actual jobs before increasing spending. Building a website gives you an asset to maintain; it does not remove acquisition costs or guarantee a stream of contracts.