Where your competition is in Illinois
The largest concentrations of fence companies in our Illinois data are in Chicago, Cicero, Joliet, Bloomington, Aurora, West Chicago, Round Lake and Warrenville. Competition for the map pack is heaviest there, and so is the reward: the same review count that dominates a small town is invisible in Chicago.
The map pack in Illinois
The map pack is a three-slot race, and in Illinois it is won by review count and recency far more than by rating: 59.1% of Illinois fence companies are already at 4.5 stars or better, so stars do not separate anyone. The 75th percentile is 75 reviews and the 90th is 204. Those are the numbers to plan around, not the median.
The website gap in Illinois
18.1% of Illinois fence companies list no website on their Google profile, fewer than the national 22.8%. Nationally, fence companies with a website have a median of 23 reviews against 3 without. A five-page site with tap-to-call and a page per service is the cheapest gap to close.
How Illinois compares
Of the 49 states in our data, Illinois ranks 10th for the number of fence companies, 8th for median review count, and 39th for the share with no website, so a website alone will not set you apart here. The review bar is higher than in most of the country, so plan on a steady review habit rather than a one-time push.
| State | Listed | Median reviews | No site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 249 | 24 | 18.1% |
| Indiana | 165 | 29 | 22.4% |
| Iowa | 92 | 15.5 | 32.6% |
| Kansas | 87 | 9 | 25.3% |
| Michigan | 214 | 23 | 26.2% |
| Minnesota | 105 | 22 | 10.5% |
| Missouri | 159 | 15 | 28.3% |
| Nebraska | 58 | 10 | 22.4% |
| North Dakota | 29 | 3 | 44.8% |
What to do first in Illinois
- Set a review velocity. One review per job day, asked at the door, moves a 24-review shop past the Illinois 75th percentile (75) within a year. The guides have the scripts.
- Finish the Google profile: primary category, every service you offer, real job photos, and hours that match reality. It is free and it is where Illinois customers decide.
- Follow up every lead within five minutes. Speed to lead beats ad spend in a trade where the customer is collecting three quotes. The calculator shows what slow replies cost.
- Then, and only then, spend on ads. Pointed at a profile with 24 reviews and no website, ads pay for your competitor's education. Pointed at a finished profile, they work.
The full national picture, with percentiles, ratings and hours, is in the benchmark report. The method is on the about page.