Thumbtack can be a simple and effective way to acquire new customers and increase your business. Many handymen are able to generate high-quality leads consistently through this platform, even if some of the online reviews might not always be as favorable.

How It Works

The main objective of Thumbtack is to turn complicated or tedious tasks, such as hiring gardeners, plumbers or any other local service businesses, as easy as buying things online. Customers just need to visit the website, enter the data about the service they’re in need of and then let Thumbtack connect them with various pros that are given the chance to bid on those jobs and basically sell themselves to that customer.

 

Essentially, Thumbtack provides service businesses with leads they can bid on and then charges for those provided bids. Except for some small differences or variations, this is comparable to another one of the Lead Generation Companies: Home Advisor.

 

As a Thumbtack Pro, you can sign in and create your own profile which allows you to customize the different settings so Thumbtack knows what are the services that you offer. Afterward, you need to wait for different jobs to come through. Information you can customize includes your region of operation and your service rates.

 

There are also two bidding methods depending on your particular circumstances and requirements:

  • Manual Bids
  • Instant Match

 

The first method works as follows: when a new possible job is entered and it matches your offered services and your area, Thumbtack will send you a notification via text, email or sometimes both. You can analyze the particular information regarding the job and decide whether or not you want to bid on it. This is probably the best feature since you can be picky about which jobs you want to bid on.

 

The second method is one of Thumbtack’s latest upgrades and it allows you to automatically bid on particular jobs. After setting up the preferences and preparing a pre-written reply and automatically send your offer to the customer.

 

If we were to compare Thumbtack Pro vs Home Advisor Pro, the main advantage is that whether you use Instant Match or Manual Bids, you only pay for the lead once the client hires you or sends a reply to your offer. This helps reduce the large amount of fake leads issues that Home Advisor Pro users have to deal with.

What to Expect as a Thumbtack Pro

According to the information on Thumbtack’s website, they might sometimes require Thumbtack Pros to undergo background checks. This means that while background checks are not required for everyone, some pros might be subjected to them.

 

When it comes to the pricing, as with all other lead generation services, the answers will vary. As a general rule of thumb, and Thumbtack is no exception, the price of each bid will differ depending on the work value and the amount of interested and available pros in the region. However, signing-up is completely free.

 

Therefore, larger jobs such as kitchen remodels will usually be around $50 or more, and on the other hand, smaller jobs like handyman services will be around $8 to $10.

 

However, Thumbtack constantly adjusts its prices to go as high as they can while still remaining competitive enough for pros to continue to use the platform. This is one of the main reasons why lead generation companies shouldn’t be the only source of leads.

The main benefits of Thumbtack for Professionals:

  • Pros only pay for leads if they bid on a job or a potential client replies. This lets you choose which jobs you want to submit quotes on.
  • Through the website, pros can easily and quickly get jobs, which can be very beneficial if you’re getting started or need to fill up your schedule.
  • It allows you to see the competition’s rates and do your own market research before you start.

The main disadvantages of Thumbtack:

  • You don’t have any control over the system, so you’re vulnerable to any rate prices. This is why this shouldn’t be your main source of leads.
  • It might push some pros to lower their prices and you might have to drop yours as well in order to compete, but that will depend on your services and the season.
  • It can become tedious to go have to continuously interact with customers through the platform.

Tips to use Thumbtack for Professionals

If you do decide to use Thumbtack, you can make yourself stand out and close more projects, therefore making more money by following some simple steps.

1. Add a good profile picture

Many companies tend to just use their logo or a photo of a recent job. However, the best way to attract customers is to show yourself. Potential clients want to know who they are hiring so using a professional headshot as your profile picture, you’ll end up getting more possible jobs to bid on, and will close out more bids.

2. Reply as quickly as you can

Customers use Thumbtack to save time when searching for professionals in their area. So they want fast results, which means they might hire the first person who contacts them. They might want to talk to a couple of Pros on bigger jobs but replying quickly will definitely get you noticed.

3. Filter down your offered services

Once you’ve submitted quotes for over 30 jobs, you’ll have a general idea of which jobs you’re getting hired on and which ones not. So go back and analyze the patterns and identify which bids are most successful. Then change your settings so you don’t waste time and money on the ones that are not, so you’ll have more time to spend on the ones that are worth it.

4. Ask your customers for reviews

According to Thumbtack stats, over 80% of the pros hired through their platform have at least one review. You don’t need to have a lot of reviews, just enough so potential clients know that your work is backed up by previous experiences.

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