Home Advisor, Houzz, Yelp, and My Three Bids. Leads that work, don't work, and Why. (Quick Read) |
Posted: July 7, 2019 |
If you're a contractor that has ever looked into buying leads before, you surely have come across these names before, and you've probably heard rumors for the good and bad. We wanted to settle it once and for all. Here's the scoop on what works, what doesn't, and why. HomeadvisorFormerly known as Service Magic, Homeadvisor is the largest player in the world of online home improvement marketplaces. It is owned by IAC, the same company that owns Angie's List. While the service is free for homeowners, contractors must pay on a per-lead basis and is very unpopular amongst contractors. www.HomeAdvisor.com Pros for contractors:
In the end, it is hard to recommend HomeAdvisor based on the amount of negative reviews from contractors on this company alone (Here is a list of over 7,000 reviews that average out at 1.64/5 stars for example.) They may very well work for you, but we cannot recommend them. HouzzHouzz is a Facebook-like environment where contractors can create profiles for their businesses and showcase their work and testimonials. www.Houzz.com Pros for contractors:
So can we recommend them? Well, not really. It may be too early to tell, or Houzz may be a good mixed environment of shopping and contracting that is good for simpler trades. We couldn't find enough data to recommend the broad range of contractors to this service however. YelpYelp is one of the most popular local service shopping platforms on the internet. It's got a reputation for attracting negative reviews. I think this comes from the fact that a customer can create a profile for a business without the business owner's permission. This is typically done when they want to leave a bad review. www.Yelp.com Pros for contractors:
Given that you have to pay to advertise, pay to not allow competitors advertise on your listing, and pay for each time someone contacts you, it is hard to recommend Yelp to the wide range of contractors out there looking for business. Surprisingly, Yelp does seem to be a good fit for SERVICE related pros whose business model includes changing out outlets, installing ceiling fans, painting one wall at a time, or unclogging drains. My Three BidsMy Three Bids seems bent on evolving and disrupting the industry as a whole. They take a “match-making” approach that sometimes feels like eHarmony rather than another data-transfer lead service. Their stake in the game that seems to suite contractors and homeowners alike is that they spend some time with the homeowner, get to know the project scope of work, and match the homeowner to local contractors using a number of data points and real-market data. In other words, as a contractor - you're not just matched by the job type and zip code, but also the kinds of jobs you are looking for, the kinds of homeowners you're looking for, the brands you carry, warranties, and more. They market your company on their live phone calls, and can set appointments as well. www.MyThreeBids.com Pros for contractors:
In the end, My Three Bids has our vote. I know of a number of contractors that have done very well with M3B, largely because of the match-making techniques and algorithm that they use. Likely, running your own marketing (if you know what you're doing) and using a service like My Three Bids is most contractors best bet, which allows each Pro to be more autonomous and in control of their own marketing and lead acquisition. Contractors can find pricing here: www.MyThreeBids.com/join
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