Several hundred small companies around the country have signed on to participate in a new online network enabling consumers to find local contractors and home improvement businesses.
California-based LocalPlus Network is getting several hundred hits per day from interested consumers. The company has three sites homeowners can access: http://www.localpluskitchens.com,
http://www.localpluswindowsanddoors.com
http://www.localplusbathrooms.com.
“We enable small businesses to participate in an online marketing program that before could only be afforded by large scale companies,” says marketing manager Victoria Maxfield.
At each LocalPlus site, consumers search for qualified contractors in their Zip code area by job type, housing style or contractor expertise, she says.
To recruit contractors, LocalPlus is utilizing online advertising, direct selling and direct mail, using both house files and rented lists. So far, response rates have met the company’s expectations, says Maxfield.
Once LocalPlus signs on a new provider, the local firm lets the network know its geographic coverage area; then, they are added to the company’s database. LocalPlus captures leads in a pay-for-performance base, up to a monthly budget specified by the company.
To find consumers, LocalPlus is relying on paid search, search engine optimization, media placement, affiliates and e-mail.
“We are also hoping to build a substantial viral market for traffic through the collection and sharing of our reviews,” notes Maxfield.
LocalPlus pulls in revenue by offering pay-for-performance lead generation to small local clients and subscription-based advertising for those clients who wish to spend a set budget each month, says Maxfield.
For 2007 and beyond, LocalPlus hopes to unveil several more vertically specific markets both in the home services and professional service markets.
Network
