Thumbtack vs Yelp

Whether you are looking to expand your customer base or beef up your business's online presence, you are likely to come across either Yelp or Thumbtack in your search to promote your small business. So how do these sites compare and which one should you go with if you are a contractor or in the home service space?

Well for starters, both Thumbtack and Yelp encompass a wide range of business listings, but it can be a bit like comparing apples and oranges when it comes to particular professional services they offer. The good news with both platforms is that you need not sink all of your advertising dollars in one project because both offer free options. Check out our full breakdown of the two platforms below to learn more about how to best utilize them for your home service business.

Listing your business on Yelp

Started in 2004, Yelp was first known as a free crowd-sourced review platform for restaurants. However, they have since expanded and now include a wide array of industries that are relevant to home service pros and other small business owners.

Yelp functions essentially as a directory of businesses in the searcher's local area with public crowdsourced reviews of each business listing. Yelp has become so popular with users that any reputable business should at least be aware of it. It is entirely free to list your business with Yelp, and in fact, your business may already be listed without your knowing it! That's why regardless of whether or not you decide to use Yelp to promote your business, you should actively check out any potential listings for your business. This way you can ensure that you are the one writing the information that is displayed to homeowners and not someone else.

Benefits of listing on Yelp

- Signing up is entirely free

- Easy to gather reviews and ratings

- Can respond to customer reviews

- Customers can contact you directly

- You can monitor user engagement with your business page

- Paid version allows for business to reach a more targeted audience

- Mobile friendly app

Cons for listing on Yelp

- Yelp is not a direct lead generation service

- Very competitive to rank well and be at the top of the list

- Anyone can create a listing, even if they don't own the business

- Free version of the app is limited compared to the paid version

Listing your business on Thumbtack

Thumbtack differs from Yelp in that it's focused on helping home service pros generate leads rather than act as a directory of local professionals or businesses. It is very similar to Angie's List, HomeAdvisor, and many other platforms in this regard. One key difference between Thumbtack and other lead generation services, is that home service pros only have to pay for leads that they respond to without any monthly subscription costs. Thumbtack also allows you to set preferences for the types of jobs you would like to receive leads for.

Benefits of listing on Thumbtack

- Free to create a profile and list your business

- Great for reaching homeowners looking for help on home projects

- Pay only when you get lead

- If a lead doesn't respond in 48 hours, lead fees are refunded

- Thumbtack Pro mobile app

- Can filter out lead preferences

Cons for listing on Thumbtack

- Pay for leads, quality of leads varies a lot

- Leads are not exclusive, you may share leads with your nearby competitors

- Searching for your business on Google  might lead to Thumbtack rather than your website

- Thumbtack may not show your business contact information

- There is a lot of competition for visibility, with many similar businesses listed.

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Whatever you decide to go with when listing your business online, remember that the ProPhone team is always here to help answers any of your questions related to the home improvement space! Get in touch with one of our amazing customer service team members today to find out how you could get a modern, custom website in under 15 minutes!

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