As a homeowner trying to find a contractor that is reliable and performs the best work can sometimes seem like an impossible task.
Because of this, companies like Homeadvisor are flourishing.
Homeadvisor is a lead generation company for contractors, they do give companies that do not have much of an internet presence the opportunity to find clients off the internet that they would normally not have a way of getting in front of.
What Does It Mean To Be a Home Advisor Pro
A Pro is a company that met all of Homeadvisor’s requirements to be featured on their website as well as buy leads that Homeadvisor is generating through their marketing campaigns.
The good news, to become a HomeAdvisor Pro you have to pass a detailed background check and a verification process. The bad, just because a company has passed the background check and verification, it doesn’t mean they do good work!
One Advantage of To Using Homeadvisor
Their Reviews, Homeadvisor is good at getting reviews of the work that a Pro completed form the client. If the company has been using Homeadvisor for a while, then you can get an idea of what other clients have thought of their services.
This can be a powerful tool, at the same time, there are other ways to gather information by using Google search as well as getting a few references from the contractor to help ensure you are getting what you are paying for.
Why Is Google Search Better
When you use Homeadvisor to find a company, they end up selling your information to six to ten different contractors in your area. This can be a headache for most homeowners, in some cases getting dozens of calls in a short amount of time!
Keep in mind, some of these leads that a Home Advisor Pro purchase can cost as much as $200. To say the least, these companies are eager to at least have a conversation and a meeting with you to discuss your project.
Making The Best Out Of The Google Search Engine
With Google, there really isn’t any limitations. By this I mean you can really dig deep into just about any company out there and find out about their quality of work.
See reviews not just on Homeadvisor, but Google reviews, Yelp, Angie’s list, you name it, everything you need to know will be on Google.
The companies website, and in most cases a good company will have a gallery showcasing their work and showing many of the projects they have completed over the years.
What To Look For When Choosing a Service Company On Google
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Website
In most cases, they should have a website. If a company doesn’t have a proper website in this day and age, not sure if they are worth your time. Website are inexpensive and are a great way to showcase their past projects
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Reviews
Any company that has been around for longer than a year, should have some reviews out there. Just don’t check one review site, most contractors or service type businesses will have reviews on several different websites like Yelp.com, BBB.org, Google Maps, Homeadvisor.com, Angieslist.com, Houzz.com, and many more.
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Research
Do your research, and trust me, you can get a lot of information in a very short amount of time. It doesn’t have to take hours and hours of research to at least narrow it down to one or two prospects and then make your decision for there.
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References
Every company that has been in business and performs good work will have references for prior projects. If the company cannot provide them, then maybe you should look a little further. In most places, there are dozens of contractors in your local area, if you find one that is booked up, they could be worth waiting for!
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Examples
Ask to see their work! Even if it is some crappy pictures off a cell phone, seeing what they have done in the past and getting an idea of the quality is important for making a decision.
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Interview
That’s right, be prepared to interview the company. Once you have a narrowed it down to jus a couple of contractors, take the time to really ask some tuff questions to help separate them from each other.
Google vs HomeAdvisor
Lead generation websites like Homeadvisor, Angie’s List, or Houzz, can help consumers find companies to get a project done. In many cases, you are not getting what you think when using a lead generation company.
These companies might seem like they have the consumers best interest in mind, but in reality, they are selling your information to multiple companies that might not be the best choice for the project you are trying to get done.
With Google, in 15-20 minutes you can have all the information you need to know about a company to get you to the next phase, the interview! The interview is where you will make your decision on whos’ going to get the job done right the first time.
