If you run a trade business in Australia, you have probably been pitched by a lead platform. Some tradies swear by them. Others cancelled after a few months. Neither group is wrong. This article is a fair look at lead platforms against having your own website and Google listing, so you can work out what fits your business.
How lead platforms work
Platforms like hipages, Airtasker and Oneflare put your trade in front of people who are looking for someone to do a job. A customer posts the job or browses profiles, and tradies respond or are matched. The customer might get several responses and pick one.
Each platform has its own model and changes it from time to time, so check them directly for current fees. You can read about how they work on their own sites, including hipages and Airtasker. Oneflare’s web address currently redirects to Airtasker, so check how that brand runs today before you rely on it.
How they generally charge
We are not going to quote prices here, because they change and we cannot verify them for you. In general terms, lead platforms tend to charge in one or more of these ways:
- A subscription or membership fee to be on the platform.
- Credits or a fee each time you respond to or unlock a lead.
- A service fee taken from the job once it is booked or completed.
The key question for any model is whether you pay only when you win the job, or whether you pay whether or not you win it. Leads can also be shared with other tradies, so ask how many others see the same job. Look at each platform’s own pricing and help pages for the current details, then do the sums for your own trade and area.
What platforms do well
- They can bring in work quickly when your diary is empty, with no website needed.
- They suit new businesses that have no reviews or reputation yet.
- They attract customers who are already ready to hire.
- They take care of some of the paperwork, like profiles and messaging.
Where they can fall short
- You are renting customers. Stop paying and the flow of leads stops. There is nothing left to show for the spend.
- Competition on price. When several tradies respond to the same job, the customer often compares on price first.
- The cost per job is hard to see. Fees for leads you lose are part of the true cost of the ones you win.
- The reputation sits on their platform. Reviews you earn there usually stay there.
- Rules can change. Pricing, lead types and how profiles are ranked are set by the platform, not by you.
What your own website and Google listing do well
When someone searches for a plumber, electrician or painter in your area, Google shows a map with local businesses and a list of websites. A complete Google Business Profile and a clear site are how you appear there. People who find you this way are choosing you specifically. They ring, message or fill in your form. No one else is bidding on the job.
- Everything you build stays yours: the site, the reviews on your Google listing, the repeat business.
- Repeat customers and referrals can book you directly, with no fee to a third party.
- You control the message: your area, your licence, your specialties and your photos.
- The cost is more predictable and does not rise with each lead.
Where it falls short
Be honest about the limits. A new site does not bring in a flood of calls overnight. Getting found in Google for general searches takes time, and our article on how long SEO takes explains why. If your diary is empty this week, a website alone is not the quick fix.
Side by side
| Lead platform | Own site and Google listing | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed to first enquiry | Can be quick | Slower, builds over time |
| Who owns the asset | The platform | You |
| Competition per job | Often several tradies | Often just you |
| Cost pattern | Ongoing, per lead, per job or by plan | Mostly fixed, then optional |
| Repeat customers | May be tied to the platform’s terms | Yours to keep |
Questions to ask before you sign up to a platform
- Do I pay for every lead I receive, or only for jobs I win?
- How many other tradies receive the same lead?
- What happens to my reviews and profile if I leave?
- Is there a contract or minimum term, and how do I cancel?
- Can I deal directly with customers for repeat work, and are there terms about that?
These are fair questions, and a good platform will answer them plainly. Write the answers down so you can check them against your actual results after a few months.
Which kind of tradie suits which
A new business with no reviews and an empty diary may get real value from a platform in the first months. A busy established tradie who mostly wants better quality work, and fewer tyre-kickers, usually gets more from their own presence, because people who find you by name or reputation tend to want you, not the cheapest quote. Many sit in between and use both.
A sensible way to combine them
- Claim and complete your free Google Business Profile first. It costs nothing.
- Get a simple site up with your suburbs, services, licence details and photos. See our Google Business Profile guide.
- Ask every happy customer for a Google review.
- Use a platform to fill gaps if you need work now, and track the true cost per job you win.
- If you want calls sooner than SEO can give, consider Google Ads. Our article on SEO versus Google Ads helps you decide.
- As your own enquiries grow, scale back what you spend on the platform.
What a tradie site costs with us
A site of up to five pages is $500 + GST at Straight Up Web: we write the words, add your service areas and a contact form, set up your Google Business Profile and Search Console, and include three months of Care hosting. After that, Care is $49 a month + GST, month to month. You own the site and the domain. If you want help getting found, Grow is $250 a month + GST and includes local SEO, two posts a month and free management of Google Ads for ad spend up to $1,500 a month. You pay Google directly for clicks. Details are on pricing, SEO and Google Ads.
For the full picture of costs, read how much a tradie website costs. You can also see our electrician example and the tradies page, or get started when you are ready.