JobCapture vs a Marketing Agency — Full Comparison
Two very different tools, often aimed at the same goal: more work for your trade business.
A marketing agency generates new leads through paid advertising or SEO. JobCapture converts the enquiries you already receive — by replying to missed calls automatically, building your Google reviews, and following up with past customers.
Here's the complete comparison.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| JobCapture | UK Marketing Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | £197/month | £500–£2,000+/month |
| Onboarding | Discussed on call | Often £500–£1,500 |
| Contract | None — cancel anytime | Often 3–12 months minimum |
| What it does | Converts enquiries you already get | Generates new leads via ads/SEO |
| Time to first result | Live in ~7 days | 1–3 months for SEO; ads faster |
| Missed-call text-back | ✓ Included | ✗ Not offered |
| Automated review requests | ✓ Included | ✗ Not offered |
| Trade-ready website | ✓ Included | Extra cost (often £500–£1,500) |
| Follow-up automation | ✓ Included | ✗ Not offered |
| GBP setup and optimisation | ✓ Included | Sometimes included |
| Done-for-you setup | ✓ You approve, we build | Varies widely |
| Guarantee | System Live Guarantee™ (missed-call text-back live in 14 days or next month free) | Varies — most don't guarantee results |
What JobCapture Is For
JobCapture is for UK tradesmen who are already getting calls and enquiries but losing too many of them — to missed calls, slow follow-up, a low review count, or an outdated website.
If you're getting 15–30 calls a month and missing 40–50% of them, you don't need more calls. You need to stop losing the ones you already have.
The JobCapture System replies to missed calls within 30 seconds, automatically requests reviews after every job, follows up on unconverted quotes, and keeps your Google Business Profile working for you.
From £197/month. No contract.
What a Marketing Agency Is For
A marketing agency makes sense when you need to grow your total lead volume — for example, when you're starting out in a new area, scaling to a larger team, or your current enquiry volume simply isn't enough for the revenue you want.
A good agency running Google Ads can add 15–25 enquiries per month for a busy UK trade. But those leads cost £15–40+ each, they're rarely exclusive, and — without a fast reply system — you'll miss a significant share of them anyway.
Agencies also take time to show results: SEO typically takes 3–6 months to generate rankings; Google Ads campaigns take 4–8 weeks to optimise properly. There's usually a 3–12 month contract and no guarantee of a specific outcome.
The Checkatrade Comparison
Many UK tradesmen are already paying £250–399 per month for Checkatrade. Those leads go to multiple businesses simultaneously — in some trades and areas, you're competing with 10 or more other tradespeople for the same enquiry.
The tradesman who replies first wins.
With JobCapture's missed-call text-back, you reply to every Checkatrade enquiry (and every other call) within 30 seconds. That's a direct competitive advantage over every other tradesman on any platform who picks up the phone manually.
If you're already spending £250–399 on Checkatrade, you're already paying more than JobCapture. The question is whether you're converting the leads you're being sent.
Can You Use Both?
Yes. JobCapture and a marketing agency aren't mutually exclusive.
If you're running paid advertising and want to make sure you're converting as high a share of those leads as possible — JobCapture makes sense alongside it. You're already paying for those enquiries. Stop losing them to slow reply times and weak follow-up.
The combined cost (£197/month for JobCapture + agency management fee) can still be substantially less than an agency doing everything — and you're actively converting rather than hoping leads arrive at the right moment.
Which Is Right for You?
Choose JobCapture if:
- You're already getting calls but missing too many of them
- You have few Google reviews and want to build them systematically
- You want results within 7 days, not 3–6 months
- You don't want a long contract on top of ongoing costs
- You want a done-for-you system, not a strategy to manage yourself
Consider an agency if:
- You genuinely need to generate significantly more leads from scratch
- You're starting in a new area or scaling to a larger operation
- Your current enquiry volume is too low regardless of how many you convert
If you're not sure which applies to you — the how it works page covers what's included in JobCapture in detail, and pricing shows the exact costs.
Start With the Conversation Layer
A useful rule: before you spend money generating more enquiries, fix the conversion layer first.
If you're missing 40–50% of the calls you already get, spending money on more calls is an expensive way to improve by less than you could by fixing what's leaking.
Most UK tradesmen find that recovering missed calls — and building their review count consistently — produces more revenue change in the first month than any advertising would.
See the full JobCapture System or check pricing.
If you've read enough and want to see whether it fits your trade — book a call or see the demo.
You can also read the full blog post on this comparison for a more detailed breakdown.