Lead platforms or own enquiries?
A lead platform brings in work quickly, own enquiries build something that stays yours. That way you make the choice that fits your business.
100+ businesses and growing
Leadplatforms leveren snel aanvragen, maar die deel je vaak met andere bedrijven en je betaalt per lead, ook als de klus niet doorgaat. Eigen aanvragen via je website, Google Ads, SEO en Bedrijfsprofiel komen alleen bij jou binnen en blijven werken. Marketingkenners adviseert vakmensen met grotere klussen om op prijs per getekende klus te vergelijken en geleidelijk af te bouwen.
Two ways to get enquiries
A lead platform sells you enquiries that it brings in itself. Own enquiries come directly to you, via your website, Google Ads, SEO and your Google Business Profile. Both bring in jobs. The difference lies in who shares the customer, what you pay per job and what you've built up after a year.
Platforms like Werkspot and Trustoo serve a real purpose. Consumers quickly find a tradesperson there and tradespeople get work without their own marketing. For some businesses that's exactly right. For those who want to grow on bigger jobs, it pays to do the sums honestly.
What you get with a lead platform
Most platforms work on the same model. That has advantages and a few fixed consequences.
Quick enquiries
You sign up and within a short time the first enquiries come in. You don't need to arrange a website or ads yourself.
Shared enquiry
An enquiry often goes to several businesses at once. Platforms promise consumers several quotes, so you and a few others.
Pay per lead
You pay per enquiry or per response, even if the job doesn't go ahead. The more you want, the more you buy.
Competing on price
The customer compares quotes side by side. Whoever responds fastest and is lowest has the best chance.
Data stays with the platform
Reviews, profiles and the customer relationship sit on the platform. If you stop, you take little with you.
Nothing built up
If you stop paying, the enquiries stop. Nothing grows along with it that still works next year.
Lead platform and own enquiries compared
Lead platform
- Quick first enquiries, without your own marketing
- The enquiry often goes to other businesses too
- Pay per lead, even if the job doesn't go ahead
- The customer mainly compares on price
- Reviews and data sit on the platform
- If you stop, the enquiries stop
Your own enquiries
- Takes longer to build, the first months are an investment
- No competitor in the same enquiry
- You pay for reach that you steer yourself
- The customer chooses based on trust in your business
- Reviews, site and customer data are yours
- Website, SEO and Business Profile keep working
When a lead platform is handy
A lead platform isn't bad. In these situations it's often a sensible choice.
- You've just started and don't yet have a website, reviews or a name in the region
- You have gaps in your schedule and want to fill them quickly
- You mostly do smaller jobs where speed matters more than the relationship
- You want to test a new service or region before investing in it
- You don't have the time or budget to build your own channels
What own enquiries bring you
With an own enquiry the customer has chosen you. They found you via Google, saw your projects and reviews, and contacted your business. There's no competitor in the same enquiry. That gives you room to sell on quality instead of on price.
Own enquiries come from four channels that reinforce each other. A website that turns visitors into enquiries. Google Ads aimed at people who are searching right now. SEO which in time brings in free visits. And a Google Business Profile that makes you visible in Google Maps.
It takes patience. A website and SEO need months to get going. Google Ads works faster, but only if the site also converts the visitors. That's why in 9 out of 10 cases it starts with the foundation and only then with more traffic.
How to phase out without a gap in your schedule
You don't have to stop all at once. Most tradespeople switch gradually.
Measure what you have now
List how many enquiries you get per channel, what they cost and how many get signed. Read how you calculate cost per lead .
Build the foundation
A website that brings in enquiries, tracking through to the quote and a complete Business Profile with your own photos and reviews.
Start your own traffic
Google Ads on buying intent in your own service area, for the jobs you like doing most. SEO builds up alongside.
Phase out the platform
Once your own channels deliver enough, you scale the platform down or use it only for gaps in your schedule.
What customers say on Google.
I'm very happy with the collaboration. They're very engaged and we're seeing a nice rise in enquiries.
A lot has been achieved in online marketing in half a year. Niels is always well prepared and comes with concrete suggestions and recommendations.
Our sales have risen sharply since we started working together. Marketing is finally truly measurable. Highly recommended!
They listened carefully to our wishes, thought along actively and everything is professionally and sharply put together.
Thom and Niels know what they're doing, they get the most out of our website and know how to translate our technical knowledge into language consumers can understand.
Our photobooth sales shot up straight away and the website looks super sleek. They think along well with new ideas.
When it comes to CRO, SEO and SEA, the guys deliver visible results time after time. They work in a structured and focused way.
Thom put our website at the top of Google like a shot. He keeps all his agreements, correctly and reliably.
I had previously been let down by another agency, but Thom and Niels exceeded all expectations.
They know their stuff, are very pragmatic and proactive, and importantly: they keep their agreements. A pleasure to work with.
Thom and Niels helped me with my SEO and Google Ads, and as a result I've gained a lot of new customers!
We're very happy with how they think along and with the improvements to our sites and online visibility.
Always on hand and thinking along. Highly recommended for entrepreneurs looking for a top-sport mentality.
Frequently asked questions
Don't see your question here? Call, WhatsApp or email us. You'll get an answer within one working day.
Are lead platforms like Werkspot and Trustoo worth it?
For some tradespeople, yes. They bring in enquiries quickly without your own marketing, which is handy if you're just starting or have gaps in your schedule. The downside is that you often share the enquiry with other businesses and pay per lead, even if the job doesn't go ahead.
Why is an enquiry through a platform shared with several businesses?
Because the consumer wants to compare several quotes. Many platforms promise exactly that in their ads. For the platform, every extra tradesperson who responds also brings in extra revenue.
What does an own enquiry cost compared with a platform lead?
That differs per industry, region and job, so a fixed number wouldn't be honest. The right comparison is the price per signed job, not per lead. A shared lead you rarely win can end up costing more per job than an own enquiry you win more often.
How long before own enquiries start coming in?
With Google Ads it can happen within a few weeks, if the website is in order. SEO and a strong Business Profile need months, but keep working afterwards without you paying per visit. That's why we combine them.
Should I stop using lead platforms straight away?
No. Only stop once your own channels deliver enough. Many tradespeople keep a platform as a supplement for quiet weeks and phase it out gradually. That way you don't risk an empty schedule.
Who are own enquiries best suited to?
For tradespeople with jobs from a few thousand euros who want to grow on bigger jobs in their own region. On those jobs the customer chooses on trust, and you build that better with your own site, reviews and projects than on a platform.
Ready for more enquiries?
Choose where your growth should come from. A specialist picks it up within one working day.
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