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Second Gen Digital
28 Articles · 4 Checklists

Everything we know, written down and free.

No email gate, no PDF funnel. If you want to do this yourself, the whole playbook is here. If you'd rather hand it off, that's what we're for.

FeaturedWebsites6 min

What a Small Business Website Costs in Delaware

What actually drives the price of a website, what you should own, and exactly how Second Gen Digital quotes and bills — build, monthly care, and optional Google work.

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01The library

Guides for contractors, not marketers.

Websites7 min

The 9 Website Mistakes That Cost Contractors Jobs

Every one of these is fixable in an afternoon, and every one of them is quietly sending work to your competitor.

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Websites5 min

Signs Your Website Is Costing You Jobs

You'll never get a call from the customer who didn't call. Here's how to spot the damage anyway.

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Websites5 min

Modern Website Features Every Contractor Needs

Not a wish list. The short list of features that actually change how many calls you get.

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Websites4 min

How Long Does It Take to Build a Contractor Website?

Two weeks, and here's exactly where the time goes — including the part that's on you.

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Website Management5 min

Why Every Website Needs Monthly Maintenance

A website isn't a sign you hang once. It's equipment, and equipment needs service.

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Website Management4 min

What Happens If You Never Update Your Website?

A timeline of how a perfectly good website decays into a liability over four years.

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Website Management5 min

Website Hosting Explained (Without the Tech Talk)

What you're actually paying for, why the cheap option costs more, and what you need to keep control of.

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Website Management4 min

Choosing the Right Business Email

Why yourname@gmail.com is quietly costing you commercial work, and what to do instead.

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Google Business Profile8 min

The Contractor's Google Business Profile Guide

The free listing that outperforms most contractor websites — and the settings almost nobody fills in.

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Google Business Profile5 min

How to Get More Google Reviews

The exact ask that built 370+ reviews in our own contracting business. It takes ten seconds.

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Google Business Profile6 min

What Actually Decides Google Maps Rankings

Relevance, distance, and prominence — and which of the three you can actually do something about.

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Google Business Profile4 min

How Google Posts Help Contractors

Two sentences and a photo, once a week. One of the most underused free tools in local search.

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Google Business Profile5 min

Google Business Profile Mistakes That Get Contractors Suspended

Some of these just cost you rankings. A few of them will delete your listing entirely.

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Local SEO6 min

What Is Local SEO? A Contractor's Explanation

No jargon. What it is, what it isn't, and what it can realistically do for a contracting business.

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Local SEO7 min

The Contractor's Local SEO Checklist

Everything worth doing, in order, with the highest-impact items first. Work down the list.

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Local SEO6 min

How Contractors Rank Higher on Google

The service-page-per-service strategy that most contractors skip, and why it works so well.

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Local SEO5 min

SEO Myths That Waste Contractors' Money

Eight things you've been told about SEO that are wrong, and what's true instead.

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Local SEO5 min

What Keywords Should Contractors Target?

Skip the high-volume vanity terms. The money is in service-plus-town and problem-based searches.

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AI6 min

How AI Actually Helps Contractors (And Where It Doesn't)

A practical look from someone using it daily in a real contracting business — including where it falls flat.

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AI5 min

AI Website Design: What It's Good For

AI-assisted development means faster builds and lower cost. It doesn't mean pushing a button.

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AI5 min

Can AI Replace Web Designers?

For a landing page, mostly yes. For a website that generates contractor leads, not close.

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AI5 min

Using AI for Content Without Sounding Like a Robot

A practical workflow for writing website and Google content faster while still sounding like yourself.

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Business Growth6 min

How Contractors Get Better Leads (Not Just More)

More leads isn't the goal. Fewer, better-qualified leads is a much better business.

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Business Growth5 min

Referrals vs. Google: Which Should You Build?

Referrals are better leads. Google is a better system. Here's why growing contractors need both.

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Business Growth5 min

How Much Should a Contractor Spend on Marketing?

Real percentages by revenue and growth stage, and where to put the money first.

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Business Growth5 min

How to Stand Out When Every Contractor Says the Same Thing

Quality work, free estimates, family owned. Everyone says it. Here's what actually differentiates.

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Business Growth5 min

Why Branding Matters More Than Contractors Think

Branding isn't a logo. It's whether you look like a company someone can trust with their house.

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02Checklists

Print them. Tape them to the shop wall.

Four working checklists we use on real projects — website planning, Google Business Profile, local SEO, and the full marketing picture in priority order.

Website Planning ChecklistEverything to gather before a website project starts, so the build doesn't stall in week two.13 items
Google Business Profile ChecklistThe full setup and monthly routine that took our own business past 370 reviews.16 items
Local SEO ChecklistA prioritized checklist covering profile, website, citations, and the monthly routine.16 items
Contractor Marketing ChecklistThe full picture, in priority order, from free wins to paid advertising.14 items
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