Is Home Advisor worth the effort for my business?

Home Advisor has been the subject of some controversy in the recent past because some contractors have not felt that the site did what it promised. Let’s look at why the controversy has existed and if Home Advisor is indeed a good idea for business owners.

First, let’s look at the negatives that some business owners have pointed out.

Home Advisor has had hundreds of complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. Although this is an alarming number, you have to consider how many thousands of businesses and individuals Home Advisor deals with. Proportionately, that number actually isn’t that high, especially when you find out that Home Advisor still has an A+ rating, so they must be doing something right.

Also, Home Advisor links business names back to their own company and phone number. This policy is stated in their terms of service, but many Home Advisor clients are still surprised to find this out and it causes ill will when Home Advisor uses the individual’s business to advertise itself.

Finally, Home Advisor recently – suddenly – changed its name from Service Magic, a name on which it had already built a reputation. Some clients took issue with this because they did not understand why a trustworthy company would change its name for no reason.

However, there are many reasons to consider using Home Advisor.

For example, Home Advisor is actually very effective way to get your business name well-known. While some people still rely on good ol’ word of mouth, a lot of technology-age home owners look up service providers online as their first source. Home Advisor has an undeniable web presence that will help your business show up at the top of the list on most search engines.

For those who would still like that word of mouth recommendation, Home Advisor has that, too. The site offers previous customers the chance to leave honest feedback about their experiences. If you provide excellent customer service, you will benefit from the positive reviews on Home Advisor.

Finally, a Home Advisor account is fairly simple to maintain. Business owners will have options to turn “leads” on and off so they aren’t constantly bombarded with inquiries when business is going well but have access to more business opportunities when things are slow.

So, as to the question, “Is Home Advisor worth the effort for my business?” most business owners who have tried Home Advisor services say yes, it is a profitable tool. Especially for businesses that are trying to get a foothold in competitive markets, a few favorable reviews could make a big difference in how much business they receive consequently.

Veterans of the site recommend getting back to potential clients, “leads,” as soon as possible. Many leads admit that they choose the first company that calls them back. If you aren’t able to respond to leads within a few minutes – at least up to an hour – then Home Advisor might not be as effective for you.