Is HomeAdvisor Worth It for Contractors?

By the way, WebFX has a team of 500+ experts who can help you decide if HomeAdvisor is worth the investment for your business. You can call 888-601-5359 or contact us online to speak with one of our knowledgeable team members!

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3 advantages of HomeAdvisor

Advertising your contracting business on HomeAdvisor has several advantages, including the following:

• HomeAdvisor is effective
• HomeAdvisor is a great way to find customers
• HomeAdvisor is simple to manage

We’ll expand on those below!

HomeAdvisor is effective

One of the advantages of using HomeAdvisor is that it’s effective, which is why it’s still in business. The Internet has become one of the top ways people search for service providers, so having a strong presence on a site that specializes in your industry is especially helpful.

HomeAdvisor is a great way to find customers

Another benefit of using HomeAdvisor is that it’s a great way to find customers if your contracting business is new. Before you’re able to build a client base through word of mouth and referrals, HomeAdvisor can get your business up and running. It’s also a great way to reach potential customers you may not have otherwise had the means to reach.

HomeAdvisor is simple to manage

A final advantage of using HomeAdvisor for your contracting business is that it’s relatively simple to manage. After you set up your account, the rest is pretty easy. In fact, HomeAdvisor even allows you to turn your leads on and off whenever you want. So, if you start getting more business than you can handle, you can turn off leads and then choose to turn them back on when things slow down.

3 disadvantages of HomeAdvisor

Along with the advantages come a few disadvantages. Below, we’ll discuss a few reasons why you may not want to invest in HomeAdvisor for your contracting business, including:

• HomeAdvisor can siphon off your leads
• HomeAdvisor has unpredictable costs
• HomeAdvisor can get expensive

Get more info about each of those drawbacks below.

HomeAdvisor can siphon off your leads

Firstly, there’s a possibility that using HomeAdvisor will actually detract from your other lead generation methods.

In HomeAdvisor’s terms of service, it states they can use any information in your profile to direct links back to their own site. Plus, the platform will create a profile page for your business, and that page has a shot at ranking in Google.

That means HomeAdvisor could end up attracting leads that would otherwise have gone directly to your website. And whereas on your website they would have been free, you’ll have to pay for them on HomeAdvisor. Some contractors have said they don’t agree with HomeAdvisor using their name to promote HomeAdvisor’s business, and that it borders on being unethical.

HomeAdvisor has unpredictable costs

Another downside of using HomeAdvisor is the fact that it often has unpredictable costs due to inconsistent lead quality. Many of the leads you gain through the tool could turn out to be “tire-kickers” — that is, unresponsive or low-intent leads who don’t benefit your business.

But you’ll still have to pay for them — you have to pay a fee each time you receive a new lead on HomeAdvisor. That leads to the possibility that you’ll exceed your budget on unproductive leads.

HomeAdvisor can get expensive

Both of the disadvantages we’ve just looked at have mentioned the possibility of you paying for leads you shouldn’t have to pay for. That leads to a final fallback of using HomeAdvisor — it can get awfully expensive. If you’re constantly receiving leads that don’t lead to any actual business, you can spend a lot of money.

In fact, leads for bigger contracting jobs can cost more than $50! And if you’re just starting out, you can’t afford to be spending that amount on every lead.

Is HomeAdvisor worth it?

HomeAdvisor is effective for contractors who are just starting out and need to establish a loyal client base. It’s also a helpful resource for contractors who hit a slow season and need to pick up some additional business.

But the obvious downside to using HomeAdvisor as a contractor is the high cost tied to leads. This is especially problematic considering the leads you pay for may not be worth your time, or might have gone to you for free if you weren’t using HomeAdvisor.

Plus, not every customer that needs contracting services will even go to HomeAdvisor. In other words, if you put all of your eggs in HomeAdvisor’s basket, you may miss out on possible sales.

That said, there is definitely potential for HomeAdvisor to be worth the investment if it’s used in conjunction with other online channels. You should make a point of marketing yourself online through more organic methods, such as:

• Search engine optimization (SEO) 
• Social media marketing
• Email marketing
• And more!

What are the alternatives to using HomeAdvisor?

For contractors who don’t want to use HomeAdvisor, there are alternative platforms available, like BuildZoom. BuildZoom is another platform where contractors can connect with clients who are looking for a contractor to complete their residential or commercial projects.

And for those that do want to try HomeAdvisor out, it’s still a good idea to use it alongside other strategies, as mentioned in the last section. In particular, WebFX recommends investing your efforts in SEO, which involves optimizing content on your website to rank in relevant search results.

By increasing your online visibility organically, you can drastically increase your return on investment (ROI). It also helps you avoid the concern of paying for unproductive leads.

Learn about SEO packages from WebFX

If you’re interested in using SEO to boost your online visibility, you might not be sure where to start. That’s the case for many contractors, which is why so many partner with a professional marketing agency like WebFX. We have over 29 years of experience with SEO, and we’ve used that experience to drive more than 24 million leads for our customers.

Interested in partnering with WebFX for our SEO services? Just give us a call at 888-601-5359 or contact us online today!