That Google AdWords button hurts man, you’re dumping cash with little results. It should be used for branding and maintaining your presence once you’re big, not while trying to get big.
Facebook Ads are the same way.
Be wary of the golf course contractor list books. Total scam.
Mailers have a small return 1-3%. But if you get the cost as low as possible, it’s viable.
HomeAdvisor is crap. They’re stealing our business while we pay for their SEO.
A lot of this stuff is trial and error. It’s a damn shame, but it’s the best way to learn.
Atlas1, I have thick skin, can’t hurt me - I don’t look at it as you citicizing my post. I’m very glad they worked for you. I’ve talked to Mark on several occasions and my disapointment has "slipped " out a few times - I think Hatch knows I would like them to adjust whatever they can.
The fact is we have extremly measurable factors: New Domain and site in a new market for us. 4 months - 170 web site visits, 4 clicks for more information - ALL 4 clicks I can trace to meeting at a home show, farmers market or a yard sign (not one organic internet lead, but what do you expect with google page 4 results in a 17,000 person market). I’m still waiting for my first lead.
terry, i have wanted to try thumbtack but reluctant as already using HA. Looking at my first 9 months i spent 2k and grossed 14k. lots of lost or unanswered leads, but when you get some they are usually pretty good ones.
Thumbtack has a lot of good qaultiys , that the other lead generation site do not posses. No contract, no monthly fees, you simply , go to the contractor area, follow the instructions. Fill out the info boxes… They will send you leds, you have to decide if you want to bid on the job or not, if you do not bid, there is no charge. The only way they will refund any money, as if the customer doesn’t look at the bid within 48 hrs. they will automatically credit your account…
Thumbtack has been a flop for me. I’ll try to leave a quote the instant I get a lead and out of maybe 20 times I’ve never been able to because they’ve already received the max amount of quotes. I guess it’s just to saturated.
N2 publishing by far. Big sales pitch and promises but I have gotten absolutely NOTHING from this. They do local high end neighborhood magazines and will not let you out of the contract for anything. I should have known better than to sign a contract, but it was an expensive business lesson.
I ALMOST made the same mistake a couple of years ago…got a bad feeling about it, told them I needed some time to think about it, searched the forums here and in PTState, and knew within about 15 minutes that it would be a waste. Any time I have a big decision to make, I search first!
Y. E. L. P.
worst market experience I have ever had and I will never recommend them to anyone and we had to get a lawyer to get out of the contract and they put us in collection and took money that was not authorized to them after we cancelled.
We had to change Banks and and they told me that they were distressed vendors and Visa gave them our new card numbers so when we went to another bank they found our card number on our account they went into our new account and took the money again buzzards
Thumbtack is better than HA, you at least get to pick which leads you bid on. The bid price is lower too. Neither is really amazing imo because you still get duds who don’t respond. Supposedly thumbtack is coming out with a new feature where you don’t get charged credits unless the customer responds. Sports schedule posters 0 calls. What has really worked this year after hitting the same area with the exact same flyers for the past 3 years. Got about 5% pick up rate this year alone.
