Online directories can be a great tool for tradespeople, but they don’t work towards solving any of the problems within the industry. Directories are simply an introductory tool, similar to a business card or a leaflet, only with less information.
Most directories make their revenue from those who list with them, so there’s no real way to tell who is genuine, who is good at their trade and who is lazy, a rogue, or just completely fake. The business model for all business, including directories, is to make money, and they do that well enough as it is so I wouldn’t expect any changes.
They do work for some people and can give some tradespeople a return on their investment in terms of actionable leads, but not for most. For most tradespeople they tend to fall flat.
Without credibility attached to each individual who is listed, consumers don’t have much faith in these sites because they simply don’t give enough information. Consumers want to know as much as they can in one sitting. So, finding the name of a tradesman or woman from a directory, then researching them, just isn’t going to cut it anymore.
So, what’s the alternative to these directory sites? How do we generate actionable leads?
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This new platform focuses on the relationship between consumer and tradesperson, making it a mandatory requirement for both parties to leave each other a rating for everybody to see. This will help the good, honest, reliable tradespeople and genuine customers stand out while weeding out the bad pennies.