How to grow a fencing business? | Fencing Business Lead Generation
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| Platform | Link |
|---|---|
| YouTube | Listen on YouTube → |
What Does “How to grow a fencing business? | Fencing Business Lead Generation” Talk About?
This episode of the James Dooley Podcast dives into practical marketing strategies specifically tailored for fencing businesses looking to grow. James Dooley and Kasra Dash walk through a full spectrum of digital and traditional marketing options, starting with SEO and the importance of building dedicated, optimised service pages for every type of fencing offered, from palisade and bow-top to playground and sports fencing. They explain why Google cannot simply infer your services and why each offering needs its own targeted landing page to capture relevant search demand.
The conversation moves into Facebook advertising, where both hosts agree that cold ads are largely ineffective in the fencing industry but that retargeting warm website visitors with testimonials and case studies can build the trust needed to convert enquiries. They also touch on seasonality as a trigger, noting that storm damage creates a timely opportunity for targeted residential repair campaigns. PPC advertising is discussed at length, with Kasra raising serious concerns about click fraud, poor conversion rate optimisation, and the reality that most fencing business owners are too busy on the road to manage ad accounts effectively.
The episode concludes with a deep dive into lead generation through FatRank, which James explains operates on an exclusively converted-jobs payment model, removing financial risk for fencing companies. They contrast this with other lead generation services that resell the same enquiry to multiple competitors, driving a race to the bottom on price. James also highlights LinkedIn as an underutilised channel for winning commercial contracts, recommending that fencing companies connect directly with architects, councils, and landscaping firms to get specified on larger projects.
“Google cannot read your brain. I would build out dedicated pages for each one and make certain each topic is actually being searched.”
— James Dooley
Who Are the Guests on “How to grow a fencing business? | Fencing Business Lead Generation”?
James Dooley is the host and a digital marketing expert best known as the founder of FatRank, a lead generation platform that serves trade and service businesses across the UK. He has extensive hands-on experience in SEO, PPC, and performance-based lead generation, and is widely recognised in the digital marketing community for his no-nonsense, ROI-focused approach to growing businesses online. His commentary throughout this episode draws on real-world experience running campaigns for trade industries including fencing.
Kasra Dash is a co-host and digital marketing specialist who brings a sharp, analytical perspective to advertising strategy. Throughout the episode he demonstrates a strong understanding of the pitfalls facing small business owners who attempt to run paid advertising without the right infrastructure, particularly around PPC management and lead quality. His practical observations about click fraud, conversion optimisation, and the dangers of non-exclusive lead generation services reflect his background working closely with trade businesses on their marketing strategies.
What Are the Key Takeaways From “How to grow a fencing business? | Fencing Business Lead Generation”?
Here are the key points discussed in this episode:
- Building dedicated SEO-optimised pages for every fencing service type is essential because Google requires explicit content to rank your business for relevant searches.
- Facebook retargeting is more effective than cold ads for fencing companies because showing case studies and testimonials to previous site visitors builds the trust needed to convert warm prospects.
- PPC advertising carries significant risk for fencing businesses due to click fraud, poor landing page conversion rates, and the difficulty owners face in monitoring ad accounts while working on-site.
- Lead generation through a selective, exclusive model like FatRank reduces financial risk because fencing companies only pay for jobs that actually convert rather than for raw clicks or unqualified enquiries.
- LinkedIn is a powerful but underused channel for fencing companies targeting commercial work, as direct outreach to architects, council park managers, and landscaping companies can secure specification on larger contracts.
“We generate the leads and you only pay for converted jobs. Other lead gen companies can be risky because they might resell the same enquiry to five or six fencing companies. That means you have no exclusivity which creates a race to the bottom on price.”
— James Dooley
Is “How to grow a fencing business? | Fencing Business Lead Generation” Worth Listening To?
This episode is genuinely useful for anyone running or marketing a fencing business because James and Kasra do not deal in vague generalities. They name specific fencing types, specific platforms, and specific risks, giving listeners a clear picture of where their marketing budget will and will not work. The discussion on PPC alone is worth the listen, as the pair dissect exactly why so many fencing companies waste money on paid ads without ever understanding why their campaigns fail to produce profitable returns.
What makes this episode stand out is the honest conversation about lead generation models and the problems created when the same enquiry is sold to multiple competing companies. Rather than simply promoting their own service, James and Kasra explain the mechanics behind why exclusivity matters and what questions any fencing business should ask before signing up with a lead gen provider. The LinkedIn segment at the end adds a layer of strategic thinking that most trade business content completely overlooks, making this a well-rounded and actionable listen.
Who Should Listen to “How to grow a fencing business? | Fencing Business Lead Generation”?
This episode is ideal for:
- Fencing business owners looking to grow their local or commercial client base through digital marketing
- Marketing managers at trade and construction companies exploring performance-based lead generation options
- Small business owners in service industries who want to understand the real risks of PPC advertising before committing budget
- SEO and digital marketing professionals working with local trade businesses who want niche-specific strategic insights
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What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?
“The breakdown of why you need a separate page for every type of fencing you offer finally made something click for me. I had been lumping everything onto one services page and wondering why I was not ranking. Really practical advice that I could act on the same day.”
“The section on PPC and click fraud was eye-opening. I had spent a fair amount on Google Ads last year and never understood why the traffic was not converting. James and Kasra explained exactly what was going wrong and what I should have had in place before running ads.”
“I had never thought about using LinkedIn for fencing until this episode. The idea of connecting with architects and council park managers to get specified on commercial jobs is something I am going to start doing straight away. Short episode but packed with useful ideas.”
Kasra Dash: If I am looking to grow a fencing business what do you recommend? From a marketing point of view where should I be spending my money and what should I avoid? James Dooley: If you're a fencing business and looking to grow I would first and foremost start with SEO. The reason I would start with SEO is to make certain I have good branding online. I would want an attractive looking site so if anyone finds out who I am and what I do they can click through, check my accreditations and see that the site is optimised for the keywords for my local area. Hopefully that would generate leads via search engine optimisation. Kasra Dash: What would you recommend for a fencing company starting out once they already have the website built when it comes to SEO? James Dooley: I would target different services that you provide. There are lots of fencing types. Some companies do residential fencing. Others might do farm fencing. You need an SEO optimised page for each service. Kasra Dash: So if you have palisade fencing, bow-top fencing, playground fencing, sports fencing, rebound fencing, would you do a different page for all of them? James Dooley: Definitely. Business owners assume that because they provide the service they don't need to list it as a dedicated optimised page. Google cannot read your brain. I would build out dedicated pages for each one and make certain each topic is actually being searched. Kasra Dash: What about Facebook ads? James Dooley: I would definitely use Facebook ads for retargeting. I think cold ads might be hit and miss in this industry but retargeting would work well. You put a pixel on the site so anyone who has visited but not enquired can be shown case studies and testimonials to build trust. Kasra Dash: Where I think cold Facebook ads might work is during storms or windy seasons. Fences get knocked over. If you do residential fencing you could spend a small amount that week targeting damaged fencing and fencing repairs. James Dooley: Yes that could work. Other marketing strategies include traditional advertising like magazines, TV, radio, billboard advertising. Personally I do not think you get much bang for your buck. What are your thoughts? Kasra Dash: It works for some industries but not fencing. People wanting fencing would rather search online. If you have strong digital presence with before and after photos, reviews and testimonials you will win the client. I have never listened to a radio ad or seen a billboard that made me think I need my fencing done. James Dooley: I agree. PPC could work well but it is expensive if you do not know what you're doing. You need a specialist PPC expert targeting long-tail keywords. For example palisade fencing repair is long tail and more specific. If those convert well then you could run PPC for those. What are your thoughts on PPC? I know you have heard many bad stories. Kasra Dash: My issue with PPC for fencing companies is that the business owner is usually on the road and not watching the ad account. You would need to outsource it. Then you still have issues like click fraud. You also need a well-designed CRO page so when someone clicks you convert the visitor. Many people only look at traffic but you need that traffic to turn into actual paying customers. I think PPC is risky. There are safer options. I think working with a lead generation company is safer. James Dooley: At fatrank.com we run a lead generation service for fencing companies where we guarantee a return on investment. PPC is risky. What we do is de-risk it entirely. We generate the leads and you only pay for converted jobs. Other lead gen companies can be risky because they might resell the same enquiry to five or six fencing companies. That means you have no exclusivity which creates a race to the bottom on price. At FatRank you get exclusivity and real-time leads. We are selective though. We need to know what type of fencing you specialise in and whether you have the right accreditations and the ability to convert leads into orders because we only get paid when you make profit. Kasra Dash: With other lead generation companies anyone can sign up. If a lead is generated in Manchester or London anyone can buy it so you may be competing with four or five companies for the same enquiry. That is the issue. I would look for a service where the company is selective like you are. Many fencing companies just throw in random prices because they do not know what they are doing. Vetting the lead generation company helps a lot. James Dooley: One more thing that works well is understanding your target audience. If you manufacture or supply fence panels and want to get specified then get on LinkedIn. Connect with architects and send your specifications. If you are a playground fencing company working with councils connect with park managers. If you mainly work with landscaping companies connect with them. LinkedIn could work really well for growing a fencing company.
Creators & Guests
Host
James Dooley is a UK entrepreneur.