1. Company Profile (Get Listed!)
Your profile on HomeStars serves as your virtual storefront, offering a crucial opportunity to connect with homeowners actively seeking your services. With the ability to effortlessly update and edit your profile, you can tailor it to highlight the specific services you offer!
With a premium HomeStars membership, you are able to craft a thorough online presence. Your profile features a relevant description of your services, a cover image, your logo, and details on your areas of expertise and achievements. Your profile not only enhances your visibility, but also elevates your online presence by boosting your SEO performance. Homeowners frequently rely on HomeStars to find reputable pros, making your profile a vital tool in attracting new clients.
You also have the flexibility to edit or add new categories of work and adjust your service areas as your business expands or shifts locations. By showcasing your completed projects in custom image galleries, you can effectively showcase your work to potential clients.
Your HomeStars profile is a great way to promote your social media links, photos of your work, such as before and after shots, and a great place to boost your company’s SEO presence by keeping your content up to date, responding to reviews, and updating your profile regularly. With a complete profile that describes your work, your specializations and your expertise, project-ready homeowners are more likely to reach out to you for their projects.
2. Verified Customer Reviews
HomeStars is rapidly approaching a milestone of one million approved reviews on our platform! These reviews play a crucial role in assisting homeowners in finding trustworthy and community-reviewed professionals. Our dedicated team meticulously vets and verifies each review to ensure its authenticity and reliability. As a business owner, we understand the importance of managing reviews efficiently, which is why we provide multiple easy-to-use methods for requesting reviews directly from your profile. These streamlined processes save you valuable time while ensuring a steady flow of reviews. Our platform offers the option to autofill review request fields upon completing a job, further simplifying the process. HomeStars prioritizes the protection of your business by investigating and addressing any false or inaccurate reviews. A helpful tip is attaching photos to reviews to significantly enhance their impact, as this can contribute to converting leads into jobs. This can be done by you even if the homeowner forgets to add an image.
HomeStars vs Google My Business
Getting found online is vital for all business owners. Most people will go on Google My Business to search a company or Pro and read reviews before making hiring decisions. Homeowners will trust Google, however, anyone can leave a review on your Google My Business listing, whether it is a trusted customer or not. HomeStars has a trusted reputation when it comes to online reviews. Each review goes through a thorough vetting process so that your HomeStars profile only shows relevant, useful information that is accurate and up to date. You can integrate your HomeStars profile to your Google My Business listing by learning more from this article.
HomeStars vs Kijiji
If you’re in Canada, you may have also considered using Kijiji as another source for finding homeowner leads for projects. It is a great marketplace, but has options for everything instead of allowing you to focus on your niche to source leads. HomeStars helps homeowners find companies they can trust, with vetted reviews, photo proof, and updated profiles. You can learn more about the difference between HomeStars and Kijiji here.
3. Star Score Rating
Your Star Score on HomeStars is a reflection of the quality of service you provide to customers. Calculated based on various criteria, your Star Score is very important when it comes to getting noticed by homeowners. It is visible on all company profiles and is calculated out of 100%. This is based on 5 criteria as mentioned below:
- Average Rating: Customers are asked to rate pros on two trust metrics out of 5 – these are based on satisfaction and likelihood of being recommended as a pro
- Reviews: Receiving positive reviews can help increase your Star Score
- Recency: The more recent reviews your business has, the higher your Star Score
- Responsiveness: Responding timely to customers, leads, and requests is very important and will impact your Star Score
- Reputation: A negative reputation can lower the Star Score, which may include tampering with reviews, bullying homeowners for reviews, and dishonesty
Your Star Score will directly impact a homeowners hiring decision. There are several ways you can improve your Star Score, such as ensuring you receive at least 2-3 reviews per month, continuing to keep your company profile updated with the latest images and updates, and avoiding fraudulent activity. To learn more about the Star Score and how to improve it, you can refer to our blog on everything you need to know about the Star Score. New premium members also get a Star Score boost in the first 30 days to help them succeed in this competitive market. As the Star Score is visible on all profiles, it’s a big contributor to closing jobs with homeowners, so make sure to keep a good score in order to grow your business.
4. Verified Badge That Boosts Trust & Credibility
The HomeStars Verified Badge is the hallmark of a reputable professional. With millions of Canadian homeowners relying on HomeStars annually to discover top-notch professionals for their home improvement projects, we conduct a comprehensive screening and verification process for these service pros. This process is designed to foster trust and confidence among homeowners when selecting a pro for their projects.
The presence of the Verified Badge on a pro’s profile significantly enhances their credibility and reliability, making homeowners more inclined to hire their services. It’s essential to note that the Verified Badge undergoes renewal every three years, ensuring that homeowners can trust that the pro’s profile remains current and up-to-date. In addition to earning homeowners’ trust and expanding your business, obtaining the Verified Badge also enhances your eligibility for the Best of Awards, distinguishing you from the competition.
The Verification Process
The HomeStars verified process covers a few areas in order to receive a badge. These areas include a background and criminal reference check, soft credit check, online and social media searches, and providing a valid trade license from you as a Pro or an employee. To learn more about the verification process, you can read our article here.
5. Featured Ads and Deals For More Visibility
Apart from creating an outstanding profile with a profile description, certifications, achievements, image galleries and more, HomeStars also offers other tools to its premium members to help them stand out from the competition. You can put your profile at the front and centre of homeowner searches with a Featured Ad. When homeowners look for pros in your category, your Featured Ad can show up at the top of search results. These ads also appear on the unpaid HomeStars profile of your competitors.
During seasonal promos and other offers, you can showcase deals from your business on your HomeStars profile. In our homeowner survey, we found that 32% of homeowners were willing to take up a home project if they were offered a discount. Whether it’s a discount or a bundle offer, you can showcase these offers on your profile. They are also showcased on your profile when they pop up on homeowner search result pages.
Having a featured ad can help you grow your business by putting your company in the spotlight for homeowners to see and make you stand out from other competitors in your industry. It is a great way to boost your company and help you achieve your goals, whether you want to stand out during the busy season, expand your business in a new region, or secure more jobs during the slow season.
Keep in mind that featured ads in each category are limited, and priority goes to top-performing Pros. Ensure that you are verified on HomeStars, continuously maintain a high Star Score, and request recent reviews. Contact your Customer Success Manager to find out whether you’re eligible for a Featured Ad in your category!
6. Homeowner Leads
Establishing connections with leads is arguably the most critical aspect of your role as a Pro. Your objective is to secure as many projects as possible, maintain a consistent workflow, and garner positive feedback on your company profile. At HomeStars, we specialize in facilitating connections with leads to aid in the growth of your business, allowing you to focus on your expertise. This service is one of our main offerings, and we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide to assist you in navigating homeowner leads effectively.
Leads, or service requests, are submitted on HomeStars based on the category of work and the user’s location. As a Pro, you have the choice to accept or reject leads according to your preferences. Our HomeStars algorithm distributes leads to all top Pros with a premium profile, ensuring that you receive high-quality opportunities to secure jobs. We prioritize delivering leads that align with your expertise, enabling you to maximize your business prospects while maintaining an updated company profile. It’s important to uphold a high Star Score, provide detailed information on your profile, actively request and respond to reviews, and enhance your profile with images to boost your success on the HomeStars platform.
How HomeStars Service Requests Work
Lead Inbox
You will see all your leads in your lead inbox when a homeowner lands on your profile and submits a quote request from there. A homeowner could also come across your profile by seeing it under a specific category or task page and then may submit a quote request directly from your profile card. You can see all your leads and manage them by accepting them, responding to their questions, or rejecting them if it’s not the right job for you.
Efficient lead management can help you understand your business insights better. From the number of leads to job opportunities – lead management is an effective way to understand where your business needs improvement. At HomeStars, we make lead management easy for you – whether it is accepting leads, marking them as ‘Not Hired’ or even archiving them. This efficient lead management system from HomeStars also ensures that you never miss out on new leads and get accurate insights into the performance of your business at HomeStars. As a premium HomeStars member, you can contact project-ready homeowners through your HomeStars profile. When homeowners come to your profile or send out a service request that matches your category and area of work, you will receive a lead in your inbox. You can contact the homeowner directly to understand more about the scope of work and thus convert the opportunity into a job. You can read this article to learn more about how to convert leads into opportunities and tips for securing more jobs.
Homeowner Badges
A helpful way to navigate your leads when considering accepting a new job is by looking at the Homeowner Badges. These are visual indicators that appear on eligible homeowners’ profiles based on their engagement with the HomeStars platform. It is important to note that not all homeowners or leads you receive will have these badges enabled. Only the homeowners that have previously engaged with the HomeStars platform enjoy this benefit. However, each inquiry represents a potential opportunity for growth and partnership. Every lead, badge or no badge, is a new chance to build relationships and showcase your expertise.
The badges will appear under the homeowners’ name. There are four badges that a homeowner can receive:
- ‘Endorsed By Pros’ Badge
- ‘Review Writer’ Badge
- ‘Hires HomeStars Pros’ Badge
- ‘Frequent User’ Badge
To learn more about Homeowner Badges and what each badge means, you can check out our article here.
7. HomeStars Dashboard with Your Success Metrics
Understanding your business’s performance and the effectiveness of your profile is crucial for success. At HomeStars, we are committed to more than just connecting you with homeowners – we are dedicated to enhancing your online visibility. With our website welcoming an impressive 8 million Canadian homeowners annually, we recognize the significance of providing you with the tools necessary to thrive in this competitive landscape.
To streamline your online presence and access valuable resources, we’ve developed a dashboard tailored to meet your needs. This dashboard offers an array of tools and information essential for efficiently growing your business. From tracking lead conversions to analyzing your audience’s demographics, our dashboard provides an in-depth analysis of your HomeStars profile in one centralized location.
Within your dashboard, you’ll find a summary of your profile’s performance and key metrics, allowing you to calculate your success on HomeStars with clarity. This includes insights such as the number of reviews you’ve received, leads generated, and profile visits. Your dashboard serves as a powerful tool for showcasing your online reputation and provides invaluable insights into your business’s performance. For more information on the dashboard’s functionalities, you can check out our article.
Vacation Mode
Business management is not just for the days you work but also for your well-deserved time off. With a premium HomeStars profile, you can activate the Vacation Mode on your profile, which lets homeowners know about your vacation days. This ensures that you do not appear unprofessional or unresponsive. It also ensures that homeowners know when to reach back out to you if they want a home project done by your business once you are back to work.
8. Multi-User Management
Recognizing that as a business owner, you may delegate various tasks to different team members, such as managing your HomeStars profile or handling invoicing, we offer a solution to streamline these processes. With a premium HomeStars membership, you have the flexibility to add multiple team members to your profile, granting them visibility into service requests and other important details. This feature helps facilitate seamless business management for all members of your team, ensuring everyone stays informed and coordinated.
If you have multiple companies listed on HomeStars, our platform allows you to effortlessly switch between profiles, enabling you to manage multiple profiles and leads simultaneously. This feature enhances efficiency and convenience, allowing you to effectively oversee all aspects of your business operations.
9. Custom Reply Templates & Auto-Replies To Save Time
Whether you offer different types of home services or simply have different questions coming your way, reply templates are a great way to save time and manage your business. On your HomeStars profile, you have the option to create customized reply templates that make it easy and quick for you to get back to clients. As a professional, it is not always easy to quickly respond to messages, especially while on the job. With the HomeStars auto-reply feature, you can send an automatic response to the homeowner when you accept a lead. We have multiple templates and response variations that you can use and rearrange to help you save time.
HomeStars automated replies make business management a breeze. Most homeowners expect to hear back from pros as quickly as possible, and auto-replies are a great way to prevent leads from disqualification. Whether you are on a job or simply commuting, auto-replies can help your profile look more professional, while not losing out on opportunities. You can learn more about how to use the HomeStars auto-reply feature here.
10. HomeStars for Pros Mobile App
At HomeStars, we understand that it’s not always possible to be in front of a computer to manage your business. That’s why we have the HomeStars for Pros app which allows you to monitor your business from your phone. Whether it’s accepting leads or contacting the homeowner – there’s every business management tool on the app that you would need to effectively monitor your business. You can also follow the onboarding guide on the app to set up your profile for the first time. The app also allows you to manage your leads efficiently and make necessary changes to your profile. The HomeStars for Pros app ensures that you do not miss out on any leads and can keep an eye on all the activities on your profile while on the go.
To use the HomeStars for Pros app, log in with the credentials provided in your Welcome email. Once you are logged in, the guide pops up and will show you step by step what you need to complete your profile. Here is a helpful guide on how to set up your HomeStars for Pros app.
If you would like to know more about how HomeStars helps you manage your business effectively, get in touch with your dedicated customer success manager today.
11. Best of Awards To Stand Out From Your Competition
The HomeStars Best of Awards, initiated in 2019, celebrate annual achievements by recognizing Pros who have exceeded customer expectations. These awards honor businesses for their integrity, exceptional customer service, and unwavering consistency. In 2022, only 2.5% of Pros received this award, signifying excellence and setting them apart from competitors, which helped to enhance their visibility and create connections with homeowners.
There are three types of awards your business can be eligible for depending on the criteria you meet:
Winning the award has many benefits, including driving better connections with homeowners. Earning an award signifies that your business is trustworthy, has a good reputation, and it helps to tell your story.
To win a HomeStars Best of Award, there are a few criteria you need to meet to then be invited to our annual BOA Gala. These criteria include maintaining a high Star Score, achieving a certain number of reviews on your profile, and not engaging in fraudulent activity. You can read more about how to win a Best of Award in this article and how to make the most of your award by showcasing it in different ways. Ultimately, these awards serve as a testament to your business’s commitment to excellence, reassuring homeowners that they have made the right choice in selecting your services.
12. Stickers and Vehicle Decals
In addition to showcasing your HomeStars profile, another effective method to promote your business is by utilizing vehicle decals and stickers. Whether affixed to your truck, office, desk, or any other workspace, these decals serve as a powerful advertising tool. HomeStars offers various types of decals, including Verified Badge decals, Reviews decals, and vehicle stickers honoring any Best of Awards you may have won.
For businesses operating primarily from their vehicles, such as contractors or service providers, vehicle decals and stickers are particularly impactful. They serve as mobile advertisements, sparking conversations about your business wherever you go and prompting interested individuals to contact you for potential work opportunities.
This mode of promotion is especially beneficial for businesses without a traditional office space, as it allows them to effectively market their services while on the move. Whether your office is your truck or any other location, vehicle decals and stickers help draw attention to your business and generate interest among potential customers.
13. HomeStars Pro Centre To Keep You Informed
HomeStars provides an array of resources through our Pro Centre tailored specifically for service professionals like yourself. This dedicated website serves as a hub for valuable information on marketing strategies, lead generation, business management advice, and more, spanning various industries. Within the Pro Centre, you’ll find an extensive collection of blogs and videos covering everything you need to know about HomeStars, ranging from setting up and maintaining your profile to optimizing the customer experience for your clients.
To ensure you stay informed and up to date, we deliver these valuable resources and updates directly to you through timely newsletters and emails as well.
14. Dedicated Customer Success Manager
When you sign up with HomeStars, you are assigned to a dedicated customer success manager who helps you with onboarding and managing your business with our platform. They are a team of experts on everything about HomeStars and can help answer any queries you may have about the process or the product. With years of experience in helping businesses grow, they also share tips and guidance on how to best utilize your profile to grow your business. They can help you with continuous support and advice on business management, maintaining an all-star profile, and tips for best practices for communicating with potential leads and homeowners.
With so many resources available, your business is sure to succeed at HomeStars. If you would like to know more about our services or sign up with us, get in touch with us today!
