Updated on November 13, 2024
Lead generation is the end-all, be-all for small businesses, from contractors and construction companies to boutiques and specialty shops. For this article, we’re narrowing our focus to Angi. Angi (formerly Angie’s List) is a lead generation platform that connects service providers with homeowners.
You might already be asking yourself, “Is Angie’s List legit?” or “Is Angi worth it?” The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. We’ll put it this way: Angie’s List isn’t necessary to generate leads for your business, but it could be a good first step for a brand new contractor.
This analysis examines the Angi’s effectiveness as a marketing channel for contractors and small businesses, helping you make an informed decision about including it in your marketing strategy.
Overview of Angi
Angi serves as a marketplace where homeowners can find and review service providers. Founded in 1995, the platform has evolved through several iterations:
- 1995: Founded as Angie’s List
- 2017: Merged with HomeAdvisor to form Angi Homeservices Inc.
- 2021: Rebranded to Angi, with HomeAdvisor Pro becoming Angi Leads
6 Key Considerations for Business Owners Considering Angi Leads
1. Angi has a limited number of members.
Because Angi is a subscription service for both contractors and homeowners, Angie’s List has a limited audience. Homeowners will only see your business listing or ads if they have a paid membership, which rules out potential customers who find you through Google and click on your Angi listing. Instead of being able to contact your business, they’ll be asked to buy a membership from Angi.
2. Angie’s List has self-serving interests.
If you have a business listing on Angi, they provide an icon you can place on your website. It invites customers to read your reviews on Angie’s List—which could help you get more business. However, instead of displaying your hard-earned reviews, the link takes visitors to a sales page for Angie’s List memberships. Only visitors with memberships will be able to see your reviews. It also shows those visitors a list of your competitors, which could cost you a customer.
3. Negative reviews are out of your control.
If you’re unfortunate enough to get a bad review on Angi, especially if you have less than 5 reviews, it will be extremely difficult to recover. The one bad review will stand out and drive your potential customers to your competitors, which, in turn, will make it more difficult to bring in good reviews to drown out the bad one.
4. Only Angie’s List members can affect your review grade.
While it’s true that any of your customers can submit a review of your business on Angi, only members’ reviews will impact your grade. That means that if you aren’t bringing in the majority of your customers through Angie’s List, your reviews won’t count. Even if you have tons of rave reviews from non-members, a single bad review from a paid member can tank your grade and cost you customers down the road.
5. You have to offer a steep discount or coupon to Angi members.
After you pay for your business listing and membership, it’s up to you to attract customers. The main way of doing that on Angie’s List is to offer steep discounts to members. That’s because Angi’s default sorting method in search results is to show businesses with coupons first. On top of that, only 14 businesses can offer a discount in a given category.
Technically, even if you pay to show up higher in search results, you must pay again by eating the cost of your exclusive Angi discount. Talk about getting nickeled and dimed.
6. Lawsuits galore.
HomeAdvisor and Angi, which are both owned by the same company, have faced a number of class-action lawsuits over the years, most of them accusing the companies of selling bogus leads, manipulating reviews, false advertising and other shady business practices meant to benefit their bottom line. It’s no wonder they’ve rebranded.
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Generate Your Own Exclusive Leads with Townsquare Interactive
So, is Angi worth it for contractors? The choice is up to you.
Signing up with Angie’s List may or may not be a great business decision, but you can still build exclusive lead generation and lead management! We’ve already created huge lists of lead generation ideas for contractors, roofers, towing companies, landscapers, plumbers and HVAC specialists, but these are the basics you need to remember:
- Start with a professionally designed website.
- Invest in an SEO (search engine optimization) strategy to get your business on the first page of Google search results.
- Ensure all of your directory listings have the most up-to-date info on your business so customers can contact your directly.
- Respond to your online reviews promptly and professionally, especially on Google.
- Choose a marketing partner who always has your back.
Townsquare Interactive is a business management software and digital marketing solutions company committed to helping small business owners get found online, attract customers and grow their businesses. You’ll work with a dedicated digital marketing specialist who builds your marketing strategy and coordinates with our teams of content writers, web designers, SEO specialists and other subject-matter experts.
Want to learn more about how we can help you generate your own exclusive leads without Angie’s List? Fill out the form below and we’ll contact you soon!
This content is designed for advertising purposes and should not be considered editorial or journalistic material.