With sites like Yelp, Thumbtack, and Google Local Services, you can advertise your business in front of high-value customers actively searching for cleaning services. When you know how to use these local services marketplaces, you can target the right customer and reach people locally looking to hire you. We’ll explain all you need to know about local services marketplaces so you can use these platforms to attract and retain customers for your cleaning business.
What Is a Local Services Marketplace?
A local services marketplace connects service seekers with service providers for on-demand services. A local services marketplace lets consumers search for services and read business reviews provided by other people before booking. Think of it as the bulletin board at the grocery store, but online and interactive!
You can increase your revenue by thousands if you invest a little extra time and money to use local service sites like Yelp, Google Local Services, and Thumbtack to promote your cleaning business. These marketplaces provide a great advertising resource for cleaning business owners— a place to get local services ads on the screens of high-value customers looking to hire.
How Service Marketplaces Help Small Business Owners
A lot of small business owners underestimate the value of online service marketplaces. You can build your reputation by earning positive Yelp reviews from your satisfied customers, a simple way to get more customers for your cleaning business through word of mouth.
Invest in your business by focusing your time and budget in the following ways:
Complete your business profiles for all online marketplaces and make sure the information is correct. Review your hours, contact information, and website link. Do a trial run as if you were a customer searching for cleaning services in your area. Complete the booking process from the initial search all the way through to scheduling service with your business.
Budget to spend money placing local services ads. You can advertise for free by posting on social media. You can get an even greater return on your advertising dollars using marketplaces like Google Local Services. Consumers on these sites are actively seeking on-demand services and are ready to book! Do research to determine which service marketplace offers the features and has the audience you need for attracting new business through advertising.
What Is Yelp?
Do you remember that yellow phone book with ads and listings for local businesses? Yelp is an online business directory that has replaced the traditional phone book. Instead of flipping through the yellow pages to find cleaning services, customers use Yelp and other online business directories to search for and book services. You can create a Yelp Business profile and build ads that will appear on the screens of people in your area.
How to Use Yelp Ads to Promote Your Cleaning Business:
- Reach people who are ready to spend money locally by placing ads in search results and on competitor pages.
- Create a budget, target your audience, and track how your ads perform to improve their efficiency.
What Is Thumbtack?
Thumbtack is an online marketplace millions of customers use to find small businesses and independent professionals for services. Consumers connect with your business directly using the website and the Thumbtack app and are encouraged to leave a review for your business once you’ve completed service for them.
How to Use Thumbtack to Promote Your Cleaning Business
- Sign up for a Thumbtack Pro account and use the “Get Leads” feature to start connecting with local customers immediately.
- Establish your targeting preferences. Make sure the business info in your profile is complete so Thumbtack lists your business correctly.
What Is Google Local Services?
When local customers search for a business like yours, Google Local Services appear at the top of Google search results. Because so many people opt to do a quick Google search when they need a service, Google Local Services provides an opportunity to greatly expand your customer base. Google’s reach extends across the globe, but they have local search options for consumers seeking services. Any potential customer searching for cleaning services in your service area will see ads for your business before listings for your competitors when you use Google’s local services ads.
How to Use Google Local Services to Promote Your Cleaning Business
- Become a Google Guaranteed business to improve your online reputation and increase trustworthiness in your brand.
- Google uses powerful algorithms to increase the chances of your ads appearing for customers most likely to book service with your cleaning business.
Yelp vs Thumbtack
Make sure to use the best online marketplace to promote your cleaning business. Here’s how Yelp and Thumbtack stack up against one another:
Yelp Advantages:
- Users don’t need to create an account to view your business contact info
- Yelp reaches more potential customers through SEO
Thumbtack Advantages:
- Easier to get customer reviews on Thumbtack
- Thumbtack users are looking to spend on service immediately
Yelp vs Google Local Services
Not sure if you should advertise on Yelp or Google Local Services? See how they compare to determine which is better for you:
Yelp Advantages:
- Customers on Yelp are more intent on making purchases than those on Google
- Yelp’s user demographic is younger and wealthier
Google Local Services Advantages:
- The ad system is designed so you pay the lowest cost per click cost possible
- Google remarkets your ads to bring customers back to your website
Thumbtack vs Google Local Services
Both of these service marketplaces have great features! See the advantages of each to know which is better for your cleaning business:
Thumbtack Advantages:
- Customers are more likely to leave reviews on Thumbtack
- Customers on Thumbtack intend to buy and are not conducting services research
Google Local Services Advantages:
- Connect with customers directly through the Local Services Ads app
- Google will help with refunds through Google Guarantee
Tips to Leverage Local Services Marketplaces for Cleaning Businesses
Use these tips along with local services marketplaces to get the most return on the time and money you spend for online advertising:
- Set up a cleaning business website where customers can easily book service
- Google your business to see what your online reputation looks like
- Get the right CRM software to help you manage an increase in business
- Make sure your profiles on local services marketplace sites are complete and correct
Conclusion
You can use online service marketplaces and business directories to promote your cleaning business and reach people actively seeking your services. When you leverage these online marketplaces in the right way, you can use Yelp, Thumbtack, and Google Services to grow your business and improve your profits by thousands.
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