Did you know that the home services market is currently worth more than $500 billion in the US?

Since this industry employs around 5 million people (only in the US), it’s clear that the competition is fierce. Besides getting feedback on your website, there are also home services websites that are very popular among customers, thus, it’s extremely important that your company is also present there. 

 

In this post, we’ll explain why home services websites are important for your business. We’ll also cover what are the best websites to be listed on, as well as how to make your listing stand out.

 

What are home services websites?

 

Home services websites are review websites that offer detailed information about different, nearby businesses that customers can hire. Therefore, they’re a great way to increase your business potential and find new customers in your area. 

 

Unlike home sales or the construction industry whose services are one-off requirements, home improvements are something that people constantly come back to. Whether it’s cleaning, gardening, redecorating, or fixing something around the house, customers are always on the hunt for good home service companies.

Truth be told, these services can very often be on the more expensive side, so it's understandable that customers heavily rely on online reviews when making a decision. If your company is providing high-quality service, you certainly have positive reviews coming to your social media, website, or Google Business Profile page. 

 

But, make sure not to neglect home services websites either. 

 

How can home services websites help your business grow?

Regardless of the industry or company type and size, customers always search for reviews before making the final decision. Around 88% of customers read reviews before making a purchase. Moreover, when deciding to hire a business for the first time, customers tend to read more than 10 reviews left on different platforms! Thus, all service-related businesses are heavily dependent on customer reviews, and home services are no exception.

While your website, social media, and Google Business Profile might be primary sources to leave online reviews, home service websites can also be great places to get customer feedback. The more reviews you can get, the merrier. More reviews, especially on different platforms, mean a higher boost for your online reputation. The majority of customers find home services websites as reliable sources, therefore, they pay close attention to what’s being said over there. 

 

Being listed on such websites will bring you more reviews, and potential customers, but to do that, your listing needs to stand out among the competition. 

 

How to make your listing stand out?

Creating an appealing listing is not an easy task. You need to meet both customers' and Google’s standards. In other words, your listing needs to be optimized so that it fits Google search results and user search intent. 

 

So, what can you do to achieve this?

 

Profile accuracy

 

The more listings you have, the more trustworthy your business will be. Google pays close attention to this and scrapes all the information that can be found about your business. Getting listed on various home service websites is beneficial, but it’s only the first step. If you only create a profile, and then neglect it and revise it never again, you’ll not be so well-ranked in the eyes of Google. 

 

After creating a profile, make sure that all the information is accurate. A detailed bio, high-quality images, price plans, and customer reviews are what make your profile reputable. Moreover, whenever you make even the smallest change to your profile, Google takes it as a signal that you’re active and that webpage is worth being scraped again. 

 

Content improvements

 

Besides providing accurate information, make sure to optimize the rest of the content as well. 

 

What does that mean?

 

Well, as you might know, Google treats listings as any other type of content, therefore it’s extremely important to have it properly optimized. Text length, readability, keyword use, and image optimization are just some of the ways that can help you create a stunning home services profile. 

PRO Tip: For keyword optimization, you can use tools such as SEMRush, or even the ones that are free, such as Keyword planner. In that way, you will discover the best-ranking keywords in the home services industry, as well as the keywords that your competitors are using. 

 

Managing reviews

 

As we said, success in the home services industry depends on your reputation. Your reputation will not only depend on the quality of your service, but also on how you communicate with customers on different channels. That is why you must respond to reviews diligently. Whether they are positive or negative comments, you should respond to each one.

 

Of course, you can try to do it manually, but tracking and responding to reviews on different platforms is not that efficient. A much better and simpler option is to hire an online review aggregator tool that will do the job for you. Whether it's about comments on your home service website, on social networks, or other sites, these tools can find all those reviews.

 

Responding to reviews promptly creates the image of a responsible and up-to-date business that is interested in both positive and negative customer reviews and works to improve day by day.

 

What are the best home services websites to be listed on?

 

Well, now you might be thinking that all this sounds great, but there are so many home services websites out there! How to know where you should be listed?

 

Here is a list of a couple of the best ones:

 

Houzz

 

When people decide to make home improvements, Houzz is one of the first websites they check. This website offers hundreds of detailed business profiles so the customers can see what to expect and decide if a certain company is the right one for them. 

 

HomeAdvisor

 

HomeAdvisor is also a great place for customers to start their investigation process. This website does a serious background check of every home service business before approving their listing. Moreover, it matches potential customers with companies and professionals who would be the best fit. Thus, if you are a home service company, make sure to check your options of being listed here. 

 

Porch

 

Porch is a website that works very interestingly. Customers can enter all their needs, provide pictures, propose their budget, and all the information they find relevant. After that, Porch informs everyone about the new offer, and businesses like yours can check it out, and apply if interested. You can reach out to the potential customer, explain your work, and quote for the project. Worth checking out! 

 

Conclusion

 

Nowadays, every business depends on online reviews. However, this especially applies to those who provide some type of service. Therefore, the home services industry should take additional account of this. 

 

Here we have pointed out the importance of home services websites and how to better stand out on them. It is not an easy task, but it must be done.

 

We hope that you’ll find our tips useful! Feel free to share your two cents on this topic, and maybe help someone else with your example.