$90,000 in marketing waste. Found in one audit.
Why Homeowners Keep Picking the Cheap Guy
You’ve been doing this 15+ years. Your work is solid. You don’t cut corners. But when homeowners are comparing you to three other contractors online, they pick the guy who’s $40K cheaper – even though his work doesn’t come close to yours.
After 22 years documenting construction projects in the Madison and Milwaukee areas, located in Sun Prairie, I’ve watched the same thing happen over and over: Excellent contractors losing jobs because homeowners can’t tell the difference online.
When someone’s researching contractors before they call, here’s what they see on most websites:
- Same basic language every contractor uses
- A couple nice photos that don’t show the actual work
- Nothing that explains why your $180K quote is worth more than the cheap guy who quoted half
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So they decide based on price. For the simple fact – they can’t see what makes you the better choice.
That’s not a you problem. That’s a marketing problem. And most marketing companies make it worse – they get you more calls, but from people shopping price, or looking for small projects you don’t want to do – not people who value quality work.
I help you find where you’re bleeding money on marketing that doesn’t work ($5K-$50K a year is common). Ghost SEO. Agencies that send you reports but no real jobs.Â
Then we organize what you already have, so the right clients can actually see what you do before they call.
Ready to find where money is leaking?
Does This Sound Familiar?
The Price-Shopper Trap
Are you losing high-end jobs to low-ball contractors who lack your standards? It isn’t a pricing problem – it’s a visual proof problem. If homeowners can’t see your craftsmanship during their initial online research, they default to the lowest bidder.
The “Ghosting” Mystery
High-value prospects are researching your website and Google reviews, yet they never reach out. This happens because your marketing fails to self-qualify the lead or demonstrate your unique building process. We bridge the gap between “looking” and “booking” by proving your value before the first phone call.
The Agency Reporting Fog
Your marketing agency sends reports filled with “vanity metrics” like clicks and impressions, but your ROI is nowhere to be found. Most agencies optimize for lead volume instead of lead quality, resulting in thousands of dollars in annual marketing waste. I provide the transparency you need to see what is actually driving signed contracts.
The “Quality vs. Quantity” Gap
Lead Quality Disconnect: Are you getting plenty of lead forms submitted but none of the right projects? Most marketing agencies optimize for lead volume to make their reports look good, but they end up flooding your inbox with “tire-kickers” and small-fix jobs. I help you shift your positioning to attract high-ticket leads – clients who prioritize your expertise over a bargain price – so you can stop wasting time on estimates that never turn into contracts.
If any of these sound familiar, let's find where the money is leaking.
This works for:
- Contractors spending $3K+/month on marketing but unsure if it’s working
- Established businesses stuck in agency contracts that feel like waste
- Profitable companies who know they’re leaving money on the table but can’t pinpoint where
Results After the Audit
Madison Area kitchen and Bath Builder Remodeler
An established remodeling company specializing in kitchens and bathrooms was spending thousands monthly on marketing with unclear results.
What was actually happening:
- Marketing expenses were adding up but lead quality wasn’t improving
- No clear system for tracking what was working
- No one internally had time to oversee marketing agency performance
After the audit:
- Identified which marketing expenses were delivering results and which weren’t
- Created a clear monthly marketing plan the team could follow
- Streamlined spending to focus on what actually brought in qualified leads
Result:
- Complete organic marketing
- Saved thousands of dollars per month
- More qualified leads with less wasted budget
- Consistent results long after the audit
Southern Wisconsin Pool and Spa Contractor
A regional pool and spa company was spending $90,000/year on a marketing platform that promised SEO, lead generation, and website management.
What was actually happening:
- Google Business Profile hadn’t been updated in months
- Website wasn’t optimized for search
- Most “leads” in complicated reports were found to be organic traffic, not from the paid platform
- No one at the company had bandwidth to monitor marketing agency performance
- Reports looked impressive but didn’t reflect reality
After the audit:
- Identified $90K in annual waste
- Cancelled underperforming contracts, kept only essential hostingÂ
- Organized years of scattered project photos into a searchable system
- Created a monthly marketing plan they could implement themselves
- Canceled paid ads
Result:
- Complete organic marketing without the $90K expense
- Google review growth plan implementedÂ
- Consistent quality leads and 5 star reviews
What This Looks Like
Marketing spend audit
I review everything you’re paying for – marketing agencies, SEO companies, platforms, tools – and what you’re actually getting for it.
Waste identification
I tell you in plain English what’s delivering value and what’s not. No jargon. No excuses.
Implementation plan
You get a clear action plan: What to stop, what to keep, how to move forward. You can implement it yourself, or I can connect you to resources who can help.
90-day follow-up
We check in at 90 days to review what you’ve implemented, see what’s improving, and course-correct if needed.
about
Brenda Eckhardt
After 22 years working with Wisconsin contractors and service businesses, I’ve seen the same pattern over and over: talented professionals doing great work but getting terrible results from their marketing.
Not because they’re bad at business. Because they’re being taken advantage of by marketing companies that deliver impressive reports but no actual results.
What makes me different:
I grew up in a 3-generation builder family. I understand how contractors think, what they value, and why generic marketing advice doesn’t work for the trades.
I’ve spent two decades documenting construction projects and watching what separates contractors who win premium work from those stuck competing on price.
I don’t do your marketing for you. I audit what you’re currently paying for, identify what’s waste, organize what you already have, and give you a clear plan to implement yourself.
My approach is simple:
Tell you the truth about what’s working and what’s not. No jargon. No long-term contracts. No making you dependent on another vendor.
You get clarity, you get organized systems, and you get to make your own decisions about what to do next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my current marketing agency is actually delivering results?
Most contractors are shown vanity metrics clicks, impressions, likes, and “lead volume.” Those numbers look impressive but don’t answer the only question that matters: Did this marketing turn into real projects?
I review your marketing the same way an operator would, not an agency. I look at:
What you’re paying for
Where leads are coming from
What actually turned into signed contracts
In multiple cases, I’ve identified $90,000–$120,000 per year in wasted marketing spend because agencies were reporting activity, not outcomes. I don’t rely on dashboards – I look at your CRM, intake process, and closed jobs to see what’s truly working.
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Why do we keep attracting price-shoppers instead of serious clients?
Price-shoppers usually aren’t a sales problem – they’re a positioning problem.
When your marketing focuses on visibility without context, it attracts anyone who’s browsing, not people who are ready for a $100,000+ contract or a custom build. Most marketing companies optimize for volume (more calls, more forms), which pulls in people who are comparing prices rather than choosing quality.
High-end projects are won before the phone rings. Serious clients need to understand your standards, process, and craftsmanship at a glance so they can self-qualify before reaching out.
I help builders, remodelers, and home service contractors pre-qualify prospects by organizing and presenting their visual proof – projects, details, process, and outcomes – so the people who contact you already understand that quality costs more and why you’re not competing on price.
Why is my craftsmanship invisible to potential clients during the bidding process?
Because most builders, remodelers, and contractors are unintentionally selling construction, not outcomes.
After 22 years on job sites documenting high-end work, I’ve seen the same issue repeatedly: incredible craftsmanship that never gets communicated clearly from that first Google search or ChatGPT question they asked.
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Can I manage my own marketing without hiring a full-time agency?
Yes! You don’t need a $5,000/month agency unless you fully need it off your plate. What most need:
Clarity on what’s actually working
An organized system for your content
A simple, repeatable marketing checklist
Most office managers or part-time staff can run the system in about two hours per week without ongoing vendor dependency.
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What are common red flags in contractor marketing contracts?
Here are the most common warning signs I see when reviewing contractor marketing agreements:
You don’t own your website or platform
SEO reports show activity but no keyword or project growth
Agencies can’t explain the difference between a builder and a subcontractor
Leads are counted but never tracked to revenue
Long-term contracts with no one assigned to oversee performance accountability
Proprietary systems you can’t access or get prompt customer service for
My role is to act as an advocate for the business owner, not the agency. I help you identify these issues before more money is lost – and give you a clear path forward without locking you into another vendor.
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Most established contractors know they’re overpaying for marketing. What they don’t know is exactly where the money is going. Here’s what to watch for.
Strategic Marketing Audits for Wisconsin Builders
Based in Sun Prairie, Brenda Eckhardt provides independent marketing audits and visual proof systems for high-end remodelers and custom home builders throughout the Madison and Milwaukee metro areas.
Primary Service Areas: After 22 years documenting construction projects in Southern Wisconsin, I specialize in local market positioning for contractors throughout the Madison metro area including Sun Prairie, Waunakee, Middleton, Verona, Fitchburg, Oregon, and Stoughton. I provide asset organization and forensic marketing reviews in Lake Geneva, Waukesha, Brookfield, extending to Milwaukee corridors.
Regional & National Reach: I offer strategic consulting for established firms in Green Bay, Appleton, Eau Claire, La Crosse, and Oshkosh. For contractors outside of Southern Wisconsin, Remote Marketing Audits are available nationwide to help you identify agency waste and recapture your marketing ROI.