If you’ve been a contractor for a while, you know that being busy isn’t the same thing as getting things done. Sweeping the floor isn’t the same thing as framing a room.

The same principle holds true with your contractor marketing efforts. Simply doing something is no substitute for marketing efforts that stir up genuine interest and generate qualified leads. Here’s a look at some contractor marketing ideas that can actually generate more traffic on your website—and create leads you can follow up on.

Provide Helpful, Useful Information

As a contracting professional you know things about the building process that the average layperson doesn’t. Sometimes the concerns people have about the building process keep them from making the leap to actually remodeling a home. Talk to your sales and marketing team and put together a list of the top five questions they get from prospects. Create a special report or eBook called 5 Questions You Need to Answer Before You Remodel a Home and make it available to download for free on your website (in exchange for an email address so you can follow up). Another alternative is to use a case study about a home you’ve built to address key issues your prospects are facing.

Host and Educational Open House:

Homebuilders often have open houses, but don’t capitalize on the opportunity. They just let prospects wander around. Instead, make sure any open house is also educational and informative. Bring in another expert to talk about countertops or flooring. Get people to ask questions. And put in an appearance yourself! People want to do business with someone they trust. Give them a chance to know you. Promote it on your website and “limit” the attendance. Ask people to register to save their spot so you’ll have the opportunity to follow up with them afterward.

Related: Website Lead Generation for Remodelers

Give Away a Complementary Consultation

The reason people visit your website in the first place is that they’re looking for helpful information. They’re really not there to remodel a home—so don’t try to sell them one. Instead give them the opportunity to get answers to the burning questions they have.  We’ve helped a number of clients set up a call to action button that lets prospects schedule a free, 10-minute consultation with the contractor (or another expert in the office) to talk in general about what the options are, what a realistic budget is, what other people in their situation are doing, and to ask some specific questions. It engages prospects and it helps establish the contractor as a trusted expert.

Each of these ideas is inexpensive and relatively easy to do with a little bit of thought and preparation. And on top of that, you can measure your results so you’ll know how these events are working. Then you can repeat them, or adjust them to better meet the needs of your specific audience.