Why can't servicemagic do this! - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

PGD · 07-31-2009, 01:49 AM

(imagine your the home owner)

So you visit a website directory and you enter a bit of information about your project Size,location,industry,trade then you get to look at a list of contractors in your area who would take that kind of job. you get to look at photos and a little about the contractor, there's a phone number and you can call the contractor directly... it's that simple! No Leads to buy and your matched!

well I found this site that does just that but it doesn't get very many hits cause it's new or they don't have the money -- I don't know.

what I like about this site, from the 'back end' you can manage the zip codes you service, you get two counties and all the zip codes in the counties come up and you can click a radio button to include the zip code to your 'local' area or keep it in the 'far away' area OR you can opt out of any zip codes you don't wanna travel to.

the local areas are for small (and large) jobs the other areas are for larger projects (because their farther), and your profile only comes up if it matches the size of job you wanna do, so your not getting a call from the other side of the county just to fix a door knob.

the site is servicetrades .com and it's FREE to join with a promo code: KFI

Sign up and support a good idea!

**Ed the Roofer** · 07-31-2009, 02:05 AM

They wanted a credit card number to sign up for the ""free"" plan from me.

I did use the code too.

Ed

PGD · 07-31-2009, 02:11 AM

I didn't have to give mine!

did you use KFI? it's a radio station (in california) they played the Ad just last week.

**Ed the Roofer** · 07-31-2009, 02:38 AM

I discovered that I already had signed up for free back in May.

So, no hits on my profile since then, but what the heck, it was free.

Ed

ExteriorGuy · 07-31-2009, 02:55 PM

took me a minute to figure out why i needed to give them my cc info too. Gotta hit submit my the code line before you move on.

Has anyone gotten any leads off of this service yet?

PGD · 07-31-2009, 08:53 PM

No, but I've paid much more than FREE and still got nothing, and that was during the 'boom' times ...

I really hope this business model catches on, it makes much more sense than selling leads or straight up directories, it's like a hybrid of the two.

CCCo. · 07-31-2009, 10:31 PM

Thanks for the info.

I like FREE,..

James

PGD · 08-02-2009, 06:57 PM

Has anyone else signed up for this service? what do you think?

Support a new type of match service that doesn't rely on selling leads, it's the only way you will get service magic and alike to change their business models!

Especially if they are Free!

Kenny K · 08-06-2009, 06:54 PM

not a bad idea, but prob never be practical, its about the$

fenceman · 08-11-2009, 02:33 PM

Let the bashing begin.

I actually own a lead generating company that does not rely on the pay per lead model that contractors hate so much.

We started about 6 months ago and it is going very well. I will not post a link or any detailed info so you know I am not trying to solicit business as I am most certainly not.

Here are my questions. If you do not want to pay per lead how do you want to pay for the service?

We have actually developed a technique that generates leads for less than 1.00 each and after the intial setup the ongoing process cost us nothing. So the big question is how much do we charge contractors?

We have played with a small monthly fee and 5% of jobs but the % is difficult to manage as we grow. We have about 150 contractors as of now.

I see the negative post about service magic and the like and I agree with most of whats said. So heres your chance to put your 2 cents into a post that may acually change something.

kevjob · 08-11-2009, 04:17 PM

I would only pay for leads that are qualified, that doesn't mean they call you so they are qualified, pay per lead only leads to vloume not quality, paying percentage of job when they sign might work but how much would have to be determined ahead of time.

**ProWallGuy** · 08-11-2009, 05:04 PM

I tried to sign up when you first posted this. Fill it all out, and submitted. It then told me to update my profile. I tried, and it said the username/password was invalid. Hell, I had just signed up, its not like I forgot it already. I sent an email through their contact us page about the issue, and never heard anything back.

Now that website won't even load, says can't find it. If my info pops up stolen shortly, I'll know where to look. I'll hunt down everyone involved and make them hate life. PGD what is your role in that site?

**Ed the Roofer** · 08-11-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProWallGuy

I tried to sign up when you first posted this. Fill it all out, and submitted. It then told me to update my profile. I tried, and it said the username/password was invalid. Hell, I had just signed up, its not like I forgot it already. I sent an email through their contact us page about the issue, and never heard anything back.

Now that website won't even load, says can't find it. If my info pops up stolen shortly, I'll know where to look. I'll hunt down everyone involved and make them hate life. PGD what is your role in that site?

It comes up as a site not found now for me too when I just tried it.

SM probably bought them out.

But, from what I remember, after you fill out your profile, instead of submitting, you need to Preview or Edit instead, which brings you to the Captcha Log-In for Registering.

Ed

PGD · 08-12-2009, 06:26 PM

[quote=ProWallGuy;743982]I tried to sign up when you first posted this. Fill it all out, and submitted. It then told me to update my profile. I tried, and it said the username/password was invalid. Hell, I had just signed up, its not like I forgot it already. I sent an email through their contact us page about the issue, and never heard anything back.

Now that website won't even load, says can't find it. If my info pops up stolen shortly, I'll know where to look. I'll hunt down everyone involved and make them hate life. PGD what is your role in that site?[/quote]

I had a few people pm me about the same problem, at least one turned out wasn't clicking the blue submit button after entering the promo code. The site works for me maybe it's a www. or you forgot the "S" at the end ...I dunno.

As for my role, I really like the business model nothing more, I haven't seen anything else like it, you get matched without leads and it's free, granted theirs no contractors on the site now but that's why I post it here, I'd like it to succeed so that others follow or at least get cheaper.

Oh, check your spam box! my activation code was in their like a week after I signed up.

Help me find another site like this and I'll get behind that too.

MOTB · 08-12-2009, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PGD

there's a phone number and you can call the contractor directly... it's that simple! No Leads to buy and your matched!

Service Magic makes money off the contractors by selling the contractor the lead. They make over $100 million a year in gross sales this way, whether the average contractor agrees or not. Even when there are complainers, there seems to be enough first timers to generate enough business that all the complaining and suggestions for change falls on deaf ears. Again, its over $100 million a year in gross sales. I am sure there are certain contractors who who swear it helps them and unfortunately that is a silent minority for whatever reason. All a competitor such as the one you suggested needs to do is purchase the real estate advertising that Service Magic dominates very well, which is why almost every contractor gives them a try. Personally I think the Service Magic model is outdated from a technical perspective, but there enough newbies out there that my opinions are mute. You can bet that until a new provider understands how to break into the market that forums like these will be stating the same thing for a good couple of years out. My guess Service Magic can continue to keep a core group of repeat business and rotate a large set of new business for a good couple of hundred million over the next few years. Now put yourself in their shoes, in this economy, and guess if they will listen to any one contractor who makes between 25K and maybe a few million, to someone who is making over a hundred million. They hear what everyone is saying, but they do not have to listen. Simply spend your money where it makes sense to you.
Brian

PGD · 08-12-2009, 07:52 PM

All I'm saying is this, the game isn't gonna change unless someone gets market share, everyone is selling Leads or just listing you on a traditional directories, Servicetrades .com is on a different path and is offering their service free for the first members to join once it becomes useful they will probably ask for $5.95 per month to anyone who joins after their free promotion.

From a home owners perspective Why the hell would you wanna wait 24 hours for contractors to call you!?! from a contractors perspective why the hell do you wanna chase a lead if it's sold to 8 other contractors? or end up getting sent leads you don't want but still having to pay!?

I think these guys are ahead of the curve on this Hybrid directory match service, we should support it and in doing so our free advertising gets a better chance to be seen. your basically saving $72 bucks a year joining now and waiting for it to get off the ground.

Get in free now and tell someone else to do the same.

TBFGhost · 09-16-2009, 10:48 AM

I signed up.

Kenny K · 09-23-2009, 08:46 PM

let us know how it is working. thanks

MagicPoolSvcs · 10-04-2009, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PGD

(imagine your the home owner)

So you visit a website directory and you enter a bit of information about your project Size,location,industry,trade then you get to look at a list of contractors in your area who would take that kind of job. you get to look at photos and a little about the contractor, there's a phone number and you can call the contractor directly... it's that simple! No Leads to buy and your matched!

well I found this site that does just that but it doesn't get very many hits cause it's new or they don't have the money -- I don't know.

what I like about this site, from the 'back end' you can manage the zip codes you service, you get two counties and all the zip codes in the counties come up and you can click a radio button to include the zip code to your 'local' area or keep it in the 'far away' area OR you can opt out of any zip codes you don't wanna travel to.

the local areas are for small (and large) jobs the other areas are for larger projects (because their farther), and your profile only comes up if it matches the size of job you wanna do, so your not getting a call from the other side of the county just to fix a door knob.

the site is servicetrades .com and it's FREE to join with a promo code: KFI

Sign up and support a good idea!

Thanks for the tip, awaiting confirmation email.