[Hammer_Nail]

Anyone use Angies List ? We got a job from our free profile, but not sure about paying 50 bucks / month for an updated profile..

 

[marketingmaven]

Hi. We have a free listing and I've purchased an ad once. I bought a personal membership just so I could see what it's all about from the consumer's side.

I do find it interesting that Angie's List also offers services to the same businesses they are reporting on. For example, they offer merchant services, direct mail services, graphic services and, the one I find most interesting, mailing lists. Are they selling the names of their members? I don't know. I still find it very interesting.

Here's the link. It's in their Company Connect site:

http://company.angieslist.com/Visitor/Advertising/

And, last month they had a big article (in the consumer section) about unlicensed contractors. I guess they found that some of their advertisers and the contractors they were recommending were unlicensed. At least they admitted it.

I'd be interested to hear what others think about Angie's List.

Regards,
Annette

 

[CherylfromAL]

Response from Angie's List re: selling lists

Cheryl from Angie’s List here.


I’m replying only to assure everyone that we do NOT sell members’ information, nor do we give it away.

You’re talking about our New Movers Mailbox, which does provide companies with mailing lists of people who have recently moved into a new area. Those lists are obtained properly and legally through marketing services. We provide a number of services to companies that want to use them, but we also offer a number of services free-of-charge that are designed to help them track consumer reviews and to respond to them if necessary.

While we are happy to talk to eligible companies about advertising (you have to earn and maintain high grades to be eligible) many companies don’t take part in that and benefit greatly from their reports alone.

Also, Angie’s List itself makes no recommendations about companies. Those come from consumers who’ve interacted with the companies. We compile and share that information with our members.

 

[marketingmaven]

Thanks for clarifying your policies on mailing lists, Cheryl. I'm glad to hear that you are using the same sources as other list brokers.

With Angie's List I do like the fact that contractors (finally) are not asked to pay for their listing while homeowners get a free referral. As it should be, it is the other way around and creates a genuine, qualified lead.

I'm still not sure how I feel about providing services to both sides. Is it a conflict of interest or just plain good business? I can see both sides.

Any others have thoughts?

Regards,
Annette

 

[Brickie]

Anyone use Angies List ? We got a job from our free profile, but not sure about paying 50 bucks / month for an updated profile..

No, don't use it. The $50 a month would be better spent on a killer website that will bring in more business than some bogus "list"

 

[PressureWashE]

I have the free add, and have recieved a few jobs from it, but I know a few people who PAY for the featured listings and they get a great deal of work through them.

 

[MagicPoolSvcs]

We have a free ad as well, and we are not sure if it is worth the monthly fee.
Is this a results driven source ?

 

[Paulie]

I bought a into the Angie's list for a very modest fee (I think 5.00 or something). Just wanted to be in there for potential customers and kinda take it for a test drive. I really don't know what to do with it, do I ask the client after I'm done to pay for a subscription just to write a review on me?

 

[festerized]

I did the same thing you did, sign up to see what the all the hype was about
Anyway I finished an addition and had the homeowner post on angies list for me.
A bit of a headache setting up. Real important you cannot pay for their $30 subscription in any shape or kind or the referral is no good. You have to tell them it’s important for the growth of your company, or what every feels right at the time???
The referral was just posted 3 weeks ago so it’s too soon to tell if there system works. Aim going to link Angies list to my site for better recognition
Also the Angies list rep. told me that I can post reviews on my subcontractors. The subcontractors must have worked for you in the past. Which again is great for better web site recognition when linking your site to your subs site
There is no time frame of when work was completed to post, I have a few very satisfied customers from a few years back that are working on submitting reviews, good to know
One last word to all you rip off SEO optimizers: you gig is up!!!!!

 

[Paulie]

I did the same thing you did, sign up to see what the all the hype was about
Anyway I finished an addition and had the homeowner post on angies list for me.
A bit of a headache setting up. Real important you cannot pay for their $30 subscription in any shape or kind or the referral is no good. You have to tell them it’s important for the growth of your company, or what every feels right at the time???

I still don't get it. Are you saying that I have to get my satisfied customer to dish out 30.00 of there own money to help me out? If that's the case then that's a bunch of BS. Now if the sign up fee is 30.00 (which I forgot how much it was) and I pay them out of my pocket I can see it but it seems like just another pay for leads deal. :furious:

 

[festerized]

Yup, they have to dish out more money after the project is complete, kind of stupid being the customer won’t need any kind of service for at least 5 years? Well I’m going retract the stupid part, why, I think all lead provider services should charge the customer a small fee to weed out the retards, which would lower the contractors lead as well, I’ll say it again again, again WE NEED SOME KIND OF INTERNET POLICEING, setting limits and rules of conduct for those who do business on the web
One last word to all you rip off SEO optimizers: you gig is up!!!!!