A free Google listing and a website of your own both help a contractor get found, but not in the same way. Here is what each does, when a listing alone is enough, when you need a site, and which to build first.
Side by side
A Google listing and a website are not rivals. Here is where each is strong and where it falls short.
| Google listing | Your website | Both together | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your business on Google Maps and Search, with your phone number, hours, photos and reviews. | Pages you own, at your own web address, that you write and control. | The listing gets you found; the site backs up what the listing says. |
| Where customers see it | In the map results and the business panel when someone searches your trade or your name. | In ordinary search results, and when someone clicks through from your listing. | Both places a homeowner looks. |
| What it does best | Quick "near me" and urgent searches: your number, hours and reviews at a glance. | Answering research searches ("panel upgrade cost"), showing your license, warranty, services and photos. | Turns a quick look into a call. |
| What it can't do | Explain a job in detail, or show a full set of services, proof and answers to common questions. | Show up in the map results on its own. | Neither works as well alone. |
| Who sets the rules | Google. A listing has to follow its guidelines and can be restricted for breaking them. | You. Your domain, your pages, your content. | You own one and you rent presence on the other. |
| Cost | Free from Google. | A one-time build plus hosting, or your time. | FieldTender builds both for $1,197 once plus $19/month hosting. |
Being honest
Google says a business without a website can still verify and use a Business Profile, so a listing by itself is a real option in a few situations:
Even then, set up the listing properly first: see the ten-step setup guide.
When you need a site too
For what a site costs, see how much a contractor website costs. If you pay for leads today, see the plan to stop paying per lead.
Doing both
Claim and verify your listing, then build a simple site that matches it: same name, phone and service area, with your services, license and photos. FieldTender does both together in 48 hours: $1,197 once, then $19 a month for hosting, no minimum term. Google's review of the listing takes up to 5 business days after you verify, and ranking takes weeks to months.
Get both built →Pick your trade
See the FieldTender version for plumbers, HVAC companies, electricians, roofers, handymen, painters, landscapers, pest control companies, locksmiths, garage door companies, water damage restoration companies, and pool and spa companies.
Common questions
Yes. Google says a business without a website can still verify and use a Business Profile. The listing is free, and it is a reasonable first step while you are getting a site built.
They do different jobs. The listing is what shows in the map results for quick, local searches. The website is where customers read about a job, check your license and warranty, and decide to call. Most contractors want both.
The listing, because it is free and quick, though Google takes up to 5 business days to review it after you verify. Then build a simple site so the people who find your listing have somewhere to go.
Yes, if you want to show up in the map results. A website on its own does not put you on Google Maps. To qualify, you need a physical location customers can visit or in-person service where you travel to them.
Yes. The $1,197 build includes your website and your Google listing, set up and submitted for verification, with your first citations on Yelp, BBB, Apple Maps and Bing. Hosting is $19 a month with no minimum term. Prices exclude sales tax.
More questions? See the full FAQ or email us.
Fill out one form. We build the rest — your Google listing and your website, all handled.
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