Onboarding is the least visible month of the service and the one that decides whether everything after it can be measured. We use it to put your accounts in order, make every call countable and get the website work moving. By day 30 you should be able to see, in one place, where your calls are coming from.
What onboarding includes
Onboarding covers five jobs, done roughly in this order.
- Access and ownership. We find out who controls your domain, website hosting, Google Business Profile, Google Ads, Meta and analytics. Anything held by a former agency or an ex-employee is recovered into your company's name.
- Call tracking and analytics. Tracked numbers on the website and in ads, so every call is tied to its source, with analytics recording calls, texts and email clicks as conversions.
- Business Profile correction. Categories, service area, hours, services and photos checked against what you actually do. Small errors here cost more calls than most owners expect.
- Website work. Either a new build or fixes to your current site, depending on the trial findings.
- First campaign plan. Ads drafted and ready to launch once tracking is confirmed.
The four weeks
The table shows a typical first month. Your plan may shift a step earlier or later depending on how quickly access comes through.
| Week | Our work | Your part |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kick-off call, access audit, recovery requests sent | Confirm services, towns and job values; approve access requests |
| 2 | Call tracking and analytics installed; Business Profile corrected | Check the profile details; tell us your hours honestly |
| 3 | Website draft or fixes; campaign drafts written | Review the draft for accuracy; confirm licence and warranty details you want shown |
| 4 | Tracking tested with live calls; first campaigns ready | Approve the first ad budget in writing |
The website timeline
If the trial shows your site needs replacing, the build runs on the timeline of the package. An Essential site of 5 to 7 pages takes 2 to 3 weeks. A Professional site of 10 to 15 conversion-focused pages takes 3 to 4 weeks. An Enterprise build, with unlimited pages and locations, takes 4 to 6 weeks, so it usually finishes in month two.
On a monthly plan the website is part of the service. If you only want a site, the one-time packages and their hosting fees are on the pricing page.
Who it suits, and what we need from you
Every client goes through onboarding, but it matters most for companies that have changed agencies before. Those are the companies most likely to find that a Business Profile, an Ads account or even the domain itself is registered to someone else.
From you we need three things: honest answers about job values and close rates, quick approval of access requests, and one person in your office who can confirm details like hours and service areas. We are a marketing service, not an HVAC contractor, so we rely on you for every technical fact about your work.
How we know onboarding worked
Onboarding is done when four checks pass:
- Test calls to each tracked number show up correctly in the report.
- Your company, not us, is the primary owner of every account.
- Your Business Profile matches your real service area and hours.
- The website, new or existing, shows your number clearly on every page on a phone.
When those pass, the service moves to the monthly cycle: local SEO, ads management and reporting.
Mistakes to avoid in the first month
- Launching ads on day one. It feels productive and leaves you with a month of spend you cannot evaluate.
- Letting anyone else own your accounts. Not us, not a web designer, not a relative who "set it up once".
- Rebuilding a site that only needed fixing. If the trial says your site is sound, keep it.
- Skipping the job-value conversation. Without it, no one can say whether a $90 lead is cheap or expensive.
Our onboarding checklist guide lists every account and document to gather, so you can prepare before the trial ends.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my time does onboarding take?
Plan on about two to three hours across the month: a kick-off call, a session to sort out account access, and time to review the website draft and service list.
Who owns the accounts you set up?
Your company. We create or recover your Business Profile, ad and analytics accounts in your company's name and are added as a manager. Ask us to show you the ownership settings at any point.
How long does the website build take?
It depends on size. Our Essential build of 5 to 7 pages takes 2 to 3 weeks, Professional (10 to 15 pages) 3 to 4 weeks, and Enterprise, with unlimited pages and locations, 4 to 6 weeks.
Can ads start in week one?
Only if call tracking is already working. We will not spend your money on campaigns whose calls we cannot count, so in most cases ads start late in the first month or early in the second.