A couple weeks back I wrote about Google Local Services Ads. The home services industries (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc.) are very competitive and each conversion can be very profitable. Google also eliminates lead aggregators and just sells leads directly to service providers.
Amazon Home Services
At about the same time I wrote that post I ordered a GFCI outlet from Amazon. I had to replace one in my basement and it was a small enough project that I decided to do it myself (I took a high school electrical class so I’m totally qualified, maybe). Then I got the following email in my inbox:
That’s an email advertising the services of an electrician to install the outlet I just bought. WOW!
First thought is “how cool is this for targeting?” Amazon knows I bought an outlet and therefore I’m installing it (I think it’s safe to say that this type of purchase isn’t just for collecting). This is the perfect time to advertise for the services of an electrician.
How Does It Work?
I clicked the “Book Now” button at the bottom of the email and it took me to this landing page:
This is customized to me and my shipping address zip code. They ask what type of outlet and how many (which they technically already know) you need installed. While the service isn’t actually available for my zip code (small town) I’m guessing it would send my info to the professional and I’d get the work done. Prices are upfront and the pros are “handpicked” by Amazon. Pretty cool.
Some Issues Still
The obvious one here is that the service is marketed to me, but not available in my zip code. That’s a big swing and miss on their part even if they did offer to email me when it was available. Also, if you read the landing page copy, at the very bottom under “What happens next?” it talks about assembling a trike. They need to tighten up the copy here a little.
Getting Started With Amazon Home Services
I did some research and found this page that explains they’re offering services for assembly of products to home theater installs to yard work. If you click the Apply button on that page you go to their service provider application that’s quite lengthy:
I couldn’t get it all in one shot, but there are 14 required fields and 16 total. As opposed to Google, there doesn’t appear to be background checks here. But the payment is all being handled through Amazon instead of just selling a lead.
On the surface, this seems very similar to the Google offering, but looking deeper there are significant differences. Amazon is taking a much larger role to facilitate the service, even handling the money. While this could make life easier for a newly independent service provider, I feel like most established businesses would like to “own” the relationship with the customer more.
Have you tried Amazon Home Services yet? We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments!
