It has become more important than ever to have an online presence in today’s digital age. Whatever profession you are in, to be able to grow, expand your network, and learn from your peers is extremely important for your overall development. If you are an entrepreneur, or work in the corporate or startup world, check out our article on finding a job on LinkedIn. But if you are selling a service or are an independent consultant or contractor, then keep reading to find out if Thumbtack is worth it.
In this article, we will be doing a full breakdown of Thumbtack to help you decide if it is right for you and can help you generate leads for your business.
What is covered in this article
Let’s dive into learning everything about Thumbtack to help you understand what you are signing up for.
What is Thumbtack?
Thumbtack is a platform connecting local service professionals with users who are looking to hire them. Currently, of all the platforms that exist, Thumbtack offers the most number of services, making it an all-in-one solution and a comprehensive business directory.
On Thumbtack, users can find and match with a professional by just typing in the name of the service and their ZIP code. They can browse through their profile, check out their ratings and reviews, and see how much they charge before contacting them. Check out our article to learn about how Thumbtack works.
Who is Thumbtack for?
Thumbtack encompasses the entire service industry. Whether you are looking for a makeup artist, a lawyer, or an electrician, Thumbtack will most likely have professionals with various levels of expertise listed in different categories.
Thumbtack for contractors
An independent contractor or a consultant who is looking to grow their business can find Thumbtack to be a great tool to generate leads. Professionals just have to create their profile, highlight their skills, and wait to be matched to a potential client. While there is no fee to join the platform, professionals have to pay to communicate with a lead and for targeted ads that can help them reach the right audience.
Thumbtack for clients
A user looking to hire on Thumbtack just has to type in the service they are seeking to see all the available professionals serving their area.The user can apply filters on the search result page to narrow down their options to find the best fit based on their budget and project needs. Once they’ve found a potential service professional they want to work with, they can then answer a few questions about the scope of the project to proceed with booking their service.
Whether you are a professional or a user, our article on everything you need to know about Thumbtack will help you make the right decision.
Thumbtack pros and benefits
Thumbtack as a platform seamlessly connects local service professionals (who are looking to generate leads for their business) to users who want to hire their services. Let’s look at how both can benefit from registering themselves on Thumbtack.
-
Free to join: Users and professionals don’t pay anything to join.
-
Flexibility for the Pros: Professionals can pick the projects that they want to take up and set the number of hours and days they want to work.
-
Pros only pay for leads: As a professional, you only pay for the lead that you want to communicate with.
-
One-stop shop for all services: Users enjoy the convenience of having access to local professionals from all service backgrounds.
-
Great for professionals with no online presence: If you are a small business owner or have just started out as an independent contractor, Thumbtack can be a great place to gain visibility and generate leads.
-
Pros get refunded if the customer doesn’t respond: Thumbtack refunds professionals who don’t hear back from leads within 48 hours.
Thumbtack cons and problems
While Thumbtack seems to have some great benefits, there are also some issues that you must make a note of before you decide to sign up.
-
Lead costs are inconsistent: When professionals reach out to potential leads, the price that they pay to connect with depends on the number of contractors bidding for the job.
-
Pros may have to sell their services at a discounted price: Since Thumbtack lists professionals with varying degrees of expertise and experience, there will be a vast difference in their rates, which may require seasoned professionals to undercut themselves to stay in the competition.
-
Users on Thumbtack may only be price shopping: Since users have to option to see and compare prices, they could be contacting more than one professional and may end up not hiring anyone.
-
Pros are limited geographically: Professionals such as mobile app developers or web designers are limited to reach out to potential clients only in their city.
Is Thumbtack worth it?
If you are a service professional with no online presence, Thumbtack can be extremely beneficial to generate leads and build relationships. As a user of the services that Thumbtack has to offer, you are looking at connecting with a plethora of professionals with a unique set of offerings. Whatever your budget maybe, you’d find professionals to service your request.
Thumbtack makes it convenient to find all types of service professionals in one place. So, if you’ve used Thumbtack to find a plumber earlier, you know you can also discover personal trainers or event planners if you need one. Due to this reason, Thumbtack makes it fully worth it for both parties to discover and connect with each other, since it is free to join and works as a comprehensive business directory.
If you are a professional who wants to grow in your field, relying only on Thumbtack for your assignments may not be the smart thing to do. You must focus on building your own website and investing in ads that can help you rank higher on search results compared to your Thumbtack profile. But for someone who doesn’t understand the complexities of ranking on Google or placing targeted ads, they do the job for you.
Thumbtack Alternatives
Now that you fully understand Thumbtack and its offerings for users and professionals, let us look at the best Thumbtack competitors and how they match up against Thumbtack. In this section of the article we will be discussing 5 alternatives to Thumbtack you can look at to list your services:
HomeAdvisor
Cost for Pros: $350/year + $25-40/lead
Average cost of common jobs: $80 – $120/hour
Highlight: While finding a pro, users can fill in a detailed questionnaire about the scope of the work to find an exact match.
HomeAdvisor is a pioneer in the home services industry that has been in business since 1998. If you are a home service professional in the United States, then you must register yourself on the platform to connect with leads that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to. As a home service professional, check out which platform is better for you, Thumbtack or HomeAdvisor?
Angi
Cost for Pros: Free (Green); $24.99/year (Silver); $99.99/year (Gold)
Average cost of common jobs: $ 50 – $120/hour
Highlight: Report card style rating system from A to F, on five parameters (price, quality, responsiveness, punctuality, and professionalism).
Angi is one of the leaders in the home services industry and most service professionals who have been with them for years have been able to build a strong reputation for themselves, thereby allowing them to charge what they deserve for their expertise. Check out how Angi compares to Thumbtack to generate leads for your business.
TaskRabbit
Cost for Pros: $25 registration fee + 15% service fee that is charged to the customer
Average cost of common jobs: $25 – $60/hour
Highlight: TaskRabbit partners with IKEA, allowing customers to book the professional to pick up, deliver, and assemble their products for them.
TaskRabbit is one of the best platforms for seasonal workers who are looking to fill gaps in their schedule. You’d find service professionals like movers, plumbers, or delivery people who are looking for projects that don’t last for more than a couple hours. See how Thumbtack compares to TaskRabbit to find gigs for yourself.
Upwork
Cost for Pros: Free to join + 20% commission paid to Upwork
Average cost of common jobs: $75 – $200/hour
Highlight: Best for freelancers who are looking for tech or marketing gigs.
Upwork is one of the best platforms for freelancers and independent consultants who can deliver projects online. These would include translators, content creators, and mobile app and website developers, who can pick up projects based on their interests and have full flexibility to work on their own terms. If you are unsure about Thumbtack and Upwork, then our detailed analysis on both can help you decide between the two.
Fiverr
Cost for Pros: Free to join + 20% commission paid to Fiverr
Average cost of common jobs: $5 – $150/project
Highlight: Most small gigs on Fiverr cost $5, that’s where it gets its name from.
Fiverr is one of the best platforms for a freelancer who is looking for short term projects that can be delivered with a quick turnaround. Fiverr talents open themselves up to companies across the world. Our article comparing Thumbtack and Fiverr can help you decide the best platform for your profession.
We hope with this article you got a thorough overview of what Thumbtack is all about and if it is worth it listing yourself or your business on it. Lead generation sites like Angi or Thumbtack can be a great way to get your small home services business or your own profile set up, if your advertising budgets are limited and you like flexibility in your schedule. Based on your career goals and direction that you want to take your company in, choose the right platform to make as a successful freelancer, contractor, or consultant.
