One of the biggest sectors for marketing services is the home service sector. Whether it’s a plumber, electrician, or drywall specialists homeowners are looking for, marketing campaigns intensely promote services such as Angie’s List to help individuals find the best company out there to get the job done. However, recent months have seen a shift in how this connection between consumer and provider is created.
Angie’s List, for example, originated as a directory listing that allowed homeowners to sift through reviews and promotions for local home service providers. Now though, matching is taking over as a more effective connection point for homeowners and service providers.
How it Works
The concept behind matching is simple. Rather than asking the individual to scroll through page after page of rated service providers, they simply enter in their needs. Depending upon the platform, individuals enter factors such as the type of job, local area, budget for work, and timeline. Matching services combine those details with ratings and reviews to provide homeowners with peace of mind in the process of choosing a home service provider to complete the job.
Why Matching is So Popular
Matching services are gaining traction due in large part to the faster connection. Directory listings can come up with countless professionals that have good ratings and reviews, leaving some individuals overwhelmed. Further complicating the matter under this format, some people face time-sensitive projects. This brings us to the first reason matching is so popular:
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Availability is critical: When a pipe bursts in the kitchen or the basement floods, there’s no time to sit at the computer sifting through a directory listing trying to determine which company to use. More importantly, figuring out the availability of those various providers is a pain. These situations require a quick fix. Matching enables homeowners to find the right professional who can respond in an emergency. A recent HomeAdvisor study found that 4 of 10 homeowners don’t know where to turn during a home emergency. Matching solves this headache.
Of equal importance is the location of the home service providers in question. What good does it do for a homeowner to see reviews for great providers if they’re located on the opposite side of town? Home services all consist of a professional traveling to the consumer. As such, coverage areas are constantly adjusting because that business needs to ensure the cost of traveling to a job doesn’t outweigh the pay. This leads to the next benefit:
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Location, location, location: Matching enables home service providers to connect with homeowners that have a job worth completing. For example, it’s hardly worth the time and expense for an electrician to travel all the way across a major metropolitan area to install a new light switch in the master bathroom. Matching ensures that homeowners are matched up with a home service provider with a relevant coverage area.
Matching is going to continue gaining ground in local home services. It is more effective for both home service providers and homeowners.