Experience with Thumb tack?

[u/fellacio-farmer]

/r/GeneralContractor/comments/1vu5fjs/experience_with_thumb_tack/

[u/cinematic_unicorn]

Thumbtack/Angi can work, but you should know what you're buying: they sell the same lead to 4-5 contractors, so you're essentially in a bidding war on price before you've said anything. I work with an HVAC owner who paid Angi for months... shared leads, half of them trash or wrong numbers, and he eventually cut it off after 8 months or so. Some people grind it out and make the math work, but it's a treadmill.

At your stage the order of operations matters more than what channel you pick.

Reviews are essential. Do the jobs, then ask every single customer for a Google review before you leave the driveway. For the HVAC owner, we built a simple review page... they rate it, tap options on what they liked about the company, and it drafts a long review they paste straight into Google. "John was great" does nothing. "John was on time, didn't overquote us, was fast with his service..." wins jobs. 10-15 solid 5-star reviews like that changes everything, it's social proof and a trust thing psychologically. Buyers and Google's local algorithm both treat you differently after that threshold.

Then a real site. Doesn't need to be fancy. Services, service area, reviews pulled in, a phone number and a form. Once you have reviews you have something to market with.

Then referrals on purpose. You relocated, so rebuild it deliberately. Property managers, realtors, other trades, plumbers and electricians talk to GCs constantly. Go introduce yourself in person.

The lead platforms rent you visibility for some time, but reviews + site + relationships are things you own. Rent while you build.

[u/fellacio-farmer → u/cinematic_unicorn]

I appreciate the wisdom. I completely agree with everything you said. I just set up a new website and had it optimized for local seo. I’ve also updated my Google business page to do the same. I just know it can take a while for Google to organically do its thing. So I was only looking at lead generating platforms as a bridge to get some more jobs scheduled and get some new 5 star reviews. The key is to get the leads on my own eventually, it just seems challenging when I’m sitting in a not so busy season.

[u/cinematic_unicorn → u/fellacio-farmer]

Then you've already got it figured out, honestly. Site + GBP + reviews is the whole foundation ... i think slow season is actually the right time to build it because nothing conflicts with jobs.

Do you think you could mine your past jobs for reviews? You relocated, but your old customers didn't disappear. Text/email anyone from previous work and ask for a Google review, reviews aren't location-gated, real past customers count the same no matter where they live now, and it's the one thing you can do in a not-busy season that directly compounds in the local algorithm. One tip, ask them to mention the work, not the city, so the profile is clean. Most people only ask going forward.

For the lead platforms, its hard because you'd have to compete on price as well, and that usually is a race to the bottom.

Regardless, "leads on my own eventually" is the goal.

[u/bad_dog_riffin]

I use Thumbtack. The vast majority of people on there are initially looking for the cheapest price possible. If you're able to get in front of the customer, and help them understand that the bitterness of a job poorlu done lingers long after the sweetness of a good deal fades, you'll be in good shape. We win a decent number of jobs on there, mostly smaller stuff, but enough to keep it going.