HomeStars is Canada’s largest home improvement platform connecting homeowners with community-reviewed home service pros. Our network of pros collect reviews and gain exposure to the millions of project-ready homeowners who visit us each year looking to hire a pro. The Kijiji platform helps consumers exchange goods and services with the help of classified ads. When looking to market your business and get in front of project-ready homeowners, you may have thought about HomeStars or Kijiji as an option – let’s break down the key differences between the two.
Kijiji Is a Marketplace for Everything, Including Pets
When growing your business, it’s crucial to consider the type of customers you’re looking to attract and think about the overall brand you’re looking to build. Kijiji attracts consumers seeking anything from pet adoption to vacation rentals. Does either fit into your business realm? Likely not.
HomeStars is a Home Improvement Site For Homeowners
We provide pros with exposure to the 8 million homeowners who visit us annually looking to hire a pro for their next renovation or repair project, with a robust marketing strategy – including national TV spots – that supports continuous homeowner traffic. When you sign up with HomeStars, you can rest assured that you’re getting in front of your target audience: actively hiring homeowners!
Kijiji Customers Are Often Shopping for the Lowest Rate
Consumers looking to hire a pro on Kijiji are not necessarily concerned with certifications, licensing, previous experience, and other important information. Instead, many are looking for a pro based on cost. If you’re a reputable pro who does quality work with credentials and a slew of previous experience to back you up and factor that into your pricing, Kijiji may not be the place for you.
Kijiji can be simply defined as:
An online classified advertising platform that operates as a centralized network of online communities, allowing users to post advertisements to buy, sell, or trade a wide range of goods and services, it is especially popular in Canada.
HomeStars Homeowners Are Looking for Quality Workmanship
At HomeStars we help homeowners find companies they can trust and rely on to get the job done right the first time. That means if you’re a top-notch contractor or home service professional with a great reputation and reviews to back you up, you can factor that into your fee. Homeowners visit us looking to hire someone great, and they’re ready and willing to pay a premium to get a job done well.
Kijiji Does Not Help Researching Homeowners Find the Right Pros
Many homeowners know what reno or repair work they need done but aren’t sure who to hire. At Kijiji, homeowners are not pointed in the right direction – aka your business. If they’re unsure of who to hire, there is no option to send a service request through the platform – they are left to vet companies and figure it out on their own, leaving your company with missed opportunities to chat with ready-to-hire homeowners!
HomeStars Sends Job Requests to Matching Pros
When a researching homeowner visits HomeStars and needs help finding a pro, they have the option to submit a job request. These job requests, aka “HomeStars Leads”, are then routed to pros who meet the job criteria. While homeowners can reach out to your business directly both by message and phone call, this alternative lead helps pros earn more business and build rapport with customers who may not have originally known of them.
Kijiji Does Not Provide Award Opportunities
Recognition of your business’s achievements can support a great online reputation and help you earn more work. At Kijiji, there are no opportunities for pros to shine and be seen as industry leaders to homeowners. Instead, all advertisers look the same in customer search results, making it nearly impossible to stand out from your competition.
Upgraded HomeStars Pros are Eligible to Win a Best of Award
At HomeStars, we recognize and celebrate our best pros with the annual Best of Awards. Homeowners experience added confidence hiring Best of Award winners as it helps to validate their choice and provides peace of mind. Best of Award badges are added to winner HomeStars profiles, are visible in homeowner search results, and can be utilized as a marketing tactic outside of HomeStars.
When deciding between Kijiji and HomeStars, consider your specific needs. If you are looking for a broad range of classifieds, including various goods and services, Kijiji might be the more suitable option. If you specifically need reviews and recommendations for home service providers, then HomeStars would be the platform to use. While both platforms are here to help grow your business, what sets HomeStars apart from Kijiji is that we are dedicated to the home improvement industry. Our efforts are set on bringing you maximum exposure from project-ready homeowners and we provide resources that help build your online reputation helping you earn more business!
