How HeatWave Went From Instagram and Referrals to a Predictable Lead Engine
HeatWave (Nick and Justin) went from running a legit outdoor living business without a website to generating a steady daily flow of leads by launching a full system: a personality-driven site, an instant estimator, simple ads, and automated lead routing into Jobber with real-time notifications.
HeatWave is a rare case because they were already winning before any “marketing system” existed. They were running on Instagram, referrals, and pure execution, which is impressive and also a common ceiling for strong operators. You can only scale so far when the only way people find you is by already knowing you.
After a summit where we talked about AI and marketing, they reached out with a simple question: “Do you build websites?” The real answer was bigger than that. A website is just a piece. What they needed was digital real estate, a clear conversion path, and a partner to run the admin side of marketing while they stayed focused on crews, jobs, and installs.
This is the story of how a brand-new system was built from scratch and started producing leads immediately, with early results that look like what many contractors hope for after months of trial and error.
The Starting Point Was Wild: No Website, Still Growing
HeatWave was already doing the hard part, delivering great work and building trust, but they were missing the infrastructure that turns word-of-mouth into scalable demand.
Running without a website means you are invisible to a huge chunk of your market. You miss Google discovery, you miss people searching “pergola contractor near me,” and you miss the prospects who want to validate you before they reach out. Even if Instagram is working, it is not a replacement for owning your own online home base.
The goal was not to “look professional.” The goal was to capture demand that already exists and route it into a process that is fast, trackable, and easy to manage. Nick and Justin are spread thin like most owners. They are running crews and jobs. They do not have time for admin follow-up chaos.
So we built the system around one principle: make marketing and lead handling simple enough that it does not add workload, it removes it.
Why a Website Mattered for Them Specifically
The website became their credibility anchor, giving homeowners a place to learn who they are, what they do, and why HeatWave is different before the first conversation ever happens.
HeatWave does well on social because they are down-to-earth and personable. The site needed to feel the same way. Not corporate. Not generic. Real people, real work, and a clear explanation of services.
This type of “digital real estate” is a multiplier. It supports referrals, supports Instagram, supports ads, and supports AI discovery. It also prevents lead leakage because people who are curious now have a destination where questions get answered.
Most outdoor living sites look similar. That is not where the edge comes from. The edge comes from what the site drives people to next.
The Conversion Difference: Everything Pointed to an Estimator
HeatWave’s site was built to do one thing: push traffic to an instant estimate tool that gives homeowners clarity and pushes qualified leads directly into Jobber automatically.
“Free estimate” does not send people to a boring form. It sends them to an estimator tool where they answer a few questions about what they want. Then they get an instant range, which is exactly what homeowners are hunting for when they are researching projects.
When someone submits the estimator, their info gets zapped into Jobber and into the CRM so nothing gets lost. That means the marketing side is connected to the operational side. Leads are not just “generated,” they are handled.
That single decision, estimator-first, is what turns a website from a brochure into a revenue tool.
Launching Ads and Seeing Immediate Momentum
HeatWave turned ads on December 28 and generated five leads on day one at roughly $50/day, then continued producing steady daily leads in the first month.
This is the part most contractors do not believe until they see it: the first day matters. When messaging, offer, and conversion path are aligned, you do not need months to “train the algorithm” to get basic traction. You can get leads immediately.
At roughly $50/day, that is about $1,500/month in spend, which is in reach for many contractors. The results in the first 28 days showed steady lead flow without days dropping to zero, with multiple leads already coming in by noon on some days.
The key takeaway is not “ads work.” The key takeaway is that ads work when they have a clean destination and a process behind them.
Simple and Funny Ads Beat Overproduced Ads
The ad strategy worked because it matched HeatWave’s personality and kept the creative simple, relatable, and clear, with one job: drive clicks to the estimator.
The ads were not complicated. They were simple, funny, and human. Quick clips showing projects, quick hooks, and content that feels like the kind of thing you would actually watch on Instagram, not a polished commercial you skip.
That format is what keeps costs down and response high. People do not want a production. They want proof, clarity, and a next step that does not waste their time.
HeatWave already had the brand vibe on social. We just turned that vibe into a lead-generation machine.
Real-Time Lead Notifications Made Lead Handling Fast
Instant text notifications gave HeatWave speed and control by telling them exactly where the lead came from, what the budget and timeline look like, and whether it is worth chasing.
Every lead hits the CRM, and the right people also get a text message instantly. It includes whether the lead came through Facebook, whether they used the estimator, and whether it is “complete,” plus quick details like budget and timeline.
This is crucial for owners who are on job sites all day. They cannot live in a CRM dashboard. They need “signal” in real time so they can prioritize the best opportunities and ignore obvious bad fits.
It also creates accountability. When notifications hit instantly, the only question becomes execution: follow up fast, book, close.
Qualifying Leads Without Wasting Time
The system helps HeatWave qualify leads instantly by comparing estimator ranges to declared budgets so they can chase winners and skip time-wasters.
A lead might come in saying they want pergola, pavers, turf, fire pit, and lighting, and the estimator range may land around $24k to $30k. That is a strong fit signal if their budget aligns.
On the flip side, if an estimate comes out $95k to $111k and the stated budget is $50k to $90k, HeatWave can decide whether it is worth a conversation or whether expectations need to be reset immediately.
This is a big deal because “more leads” is useless if you cannot filter. This system makes filtering fast.
First-Month Results That Hit Like a Sledgehammer
In their first month, HeatWave generated over 200 leads and moved from “Instagram and referrals” to a consistent baseline of roughly five leads per day, plus more DMs and more booked appointments.
That type of volume changes the business. It shifts the mindset from “hoping the phone rings” to choosing projects. It creates a pipeline that supports growth, staffing, and better scheduling.
They were already credible locally, but now the credibility is paired with visibility. More people see them, more people inquire, and the ones who inquire are entering a structured system that makes it easy to book and close.
And because follow-up is handled correctly, the value of every lead is higher, not just the count.
| System Component | What It Did | Impact for HeatWave |
|---|---|---|
| New authority website | Explains services and personality | Higher trust, stronger validation |
| Instant estimator tool | Gives price clarity and captures intent | More qualified leads, less friction |
| Facebook ads ($50/day) | Drives targeted traffic to estimator | Steady daily lead flow immediately |
| Jobber + CRM routing | Prevents lead loss and enables tracking | Faster follow-up, better close rates |
| Real-time SMS alerts | Signals lead source, budget, timeline | Quick filtering, less wasted time |
AI Discovery and “Verification” Increased Community Trust
HeatWave’s new web presence helped them get recommended through AI-driven discovery, adding a trust layer that shows up right when homeowners are deciding who to contact.
Homeowners increasingly validate businesses through search summaries and AI tools. If you do not have a clear web presence, that validation step becomes a risk. If you do, it becomes a conversion advantage.
The combination of a strong site, clear services, proof of work, and consistent messaging makes it easier for AI-driven discovery to surface HeatWave as a trusted contractor in their area.
That trust shows up in the real world as more DMs, more inquiries, and fewer “are you legit?” conversations.
The Guarantee and Why It Matters
The partnership is backed by a straightforward guarantee: 30 qualified leads in 30 days or you do not pay for that month.
This is not positioned as a gimmick. It is positioned as accountability. If leads do not show up, the client should not be paying for “effort.” They should pay for outcomes.
There are no long-term contracts or forced commitments. The logic is simple: if the system makes money, people do not cancel. If it does not, they should be able to leave.
That performance-first approach is why the model stays selective. Not every contractor is ready for volume, and not every market is a fit.
Next Step: Apply and Get a Custom Roadmap
If you want consistent daily leads, an estimator-driven funnel, and a system that does not add admin work to your plate, the next step is to apply for a custom strategy.
The application is there to filter for fit. If the business is qualified and the market supports it, a team member reaches out to map a custom strategy based on services, capacity, goals, and follow-up processes.
The goal is not vague “more marketing.” The goal is a clear roadmap to predictable lead flow, faster follow-up, and a pipeline you can scale.
Click apply, see if you qualify, and build the system.
