Posted to LinkedIn.com
24 January 2010
I will be right up front, Contractorsyoucantrust.com [CYCT] has gone round and round with Angie's List. They are certainly monitoring this information. Have you set up your Google Alerts? They sure have! These comments count. They may not make any changes to A'sList operations, but we are paying attention.Our site (only two years old) is finally on a platform capable of handling nationwide growth. The focus has been on building the model locally first.
Here is what CYCT is based on: Helping anybody [freely] find trustworthy contractors. We do not interrupt the lead or the ability for any visitor to contact the professionals directly. There are no additional fees for the scope of the work. We do not contract or take any part in the job itself.
Here is what we DO:
http://www.contractorsyoucantrust.com/facts.html
CYCT's membership/marketing service has been 'sold' on word of mouth, through local home shows, and targeted marketing. Two years ago, the cost to getting involved was as high as $3,000 for an annual membership. Today we have honed our qualification process to allow for a one-time $399 fee and as little as $49/month for a single listing. A listing is one location, which may have several categories associated with your business. CYCT has always represented exclusivity. We are not looking to be the phone book -- though we all know phone books are being replaced. We expect quality over quantity and have immediately removed contractors from our membership for falling to maintain qualification standards.
FYI, ratings can be bought or manipulated. Our members do not get publicly displayed without meeting all the requirements. Yes, we make physical telephone calls, receive direct emails, and even old-fashioned letters/faxes, from customer references who do not have computers. Our third-party-audit approach to qualifying members works.
More than likely, Contractorsyoucantrust.com is not in your area -- yet.
We encourage premium contractors to participate with CYCT. Our membership is not a Pay For Lead program. By learning and applying proven techniques, your business will be separated from the competition.
CYCT is currently developing membership programs, which include "Local Optimization" and Membership Benefits.
Additionally, attaching your business site to Contractorsyoucantrust.com over the next two years will generate quantifiable results to your web presence. We strongly recommend reciprocal links. There is certainly no extra charge to link to your site; the 'mother-ship' concept is already beginning to develop from our two-year history. We have contractors who understand the benefits of reducing their traditional marketing spending and directing it online -- including directing their Super/Yellow/book/pages' online directories to link to their fixed CYCT listing URL.
We are offering a few banner/button ads to local businesses that compliment our Proud Members. This is also a controlled, geo-targeted process.
Whatever decision you make for marketing your business, it has to be comprehensive. CYCT is not the ONLY place to be 'listed,' but our site is a contractor-specific hub that is less than $1000 the first year and only $49 a month thereafter.
