The peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing economy is a trend revolutionising many industries. Whether it’s eBay in retail, Airbnb in rental property or Uber in the taxi industry, the game has changed. The same is now true for the building industry with HiPages.
Below we explore what HiPages is and how you can use it to win more work than your competitors.
According to their website, HiPages (or Home Improvement Pages) is Australia’s number one site to hire tradespeople.
Over 82,000 tradies are registered with the site, making it the largest network of trade professionals in the country. There are also over 1,300 categories you can choose from, so specialisation is encouraged. And considering that a job is posted every 28 seconds, there’s plenty of work available.
Tradies can use the site or app by setting up a profile. This will include your name, picture, location and company. And it allows you to explain who you are and what you do in the ‘About’ section. It also notes the various service categories you do. For example, if you are an electrician, you can list that you can do lighting, power points, security lighting, new installations, switchboards, etc.
Someone who needs a job done will publicly list it on the site. They will need to include the type of job, its location, when it needs to be started, a short description of the job, and their contact details. They can then press ‘Get Quotes’ to connect this message to the relevant tradies in the area.
Importantly, HiPages also ensures all listed tradies have their licences and registrations in order through their verification process.
Further, it lists and verifies your customer reviews. This is important because research from Deloitte tells us that more than 81% of prospective customers read these reviews before requesting quotes. And since this report found that customer reviews are the most trusted source of information (on par with recommendations from family and friends), good reviews can significantly increase the volume of work you win.
We’ve found that there are five top tips to win more work on HiPages:
1. Have a friendly profile – Take the time to get a good photo of yourself in your work attire. It allows customers to put a face to the name and feel like they know you. You should also include pictures of your team and past work that you’re proud of. This builds trust and improves the likelihood that customer will trust you with their project.
2. Make sure you’re receiving notifications – There’s no point having an account if you’re not getting the information when it comes through. Because when you do check it, the work might be gone. Getting notifications ensures you can view projects as soon as they’re listed.
3. Get the right type of leads – Refine your leads in the ‘Tradie Portal’ so you’re always getting notifications for the jobs that you actually want to do. Irrelevant jobs and enquiries will waste your time, so take a minute to organise your preferences well.
4. Contact them early – No one likes to be kept waiting. The earlier you call your lead, the more likely you are to get them as a customer. A study at MIT university found that calling a lead within five minutes will increase the chances of closing a deal by 21 times. This is because they’re thinking about it now and this is when they want the problem solved. Obviously a five-minute window isn’t always possible, but try to be prompt. It’ll be worth it.
5. Ask for a review – As discussed earlier, customer reviews matter. The more positive reviews you have, the more work you’ll win.
The sharing economy is only going to increase with time. So, get on board and use these tips on your HiPages account to win you more work and grow your business.
For more business advice for builders, enrol in our Building a Better Trade Business eCourse today.
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