I’ve had 8-10 new customers say they heard from us through the NextDoor app in the past month. Two people mentioned it today. It has exploded since I first heard about it last year.
This seems to be the next big referral source. At least if people are using it in your area.
Anyone else seeing a dramatic uptick in NextDoor referrals?
I’ve got a couple in the last year but nothing crazy
I’ve never even heard of it. Is it something you need to sign up for?
It is a smartphone app that lets nearby neighbors talk to each other. So someone asks who they should use for windows and their neighbors hopefully say your name.
This is probably going to be area specific. Seems a lot of places around here are active on NextDoor.
It’s basically a local social media with very limited functionality. Posts are limited to:
For sale
Recommend a business or inquire recommended businesses from neighbors
Lost & found
Crime + safety
Public notice
Etc.
It’s not dramatic for us, but we’ve gotten more than a few jobs. I do ask people to recommend us on NextDoor. Also for our area, whenever someone asks for a recommendation for any services we offer, I comment that we have our own business and if they’d like an estimate to give us a call. Some people have seen me comment on other posts and get in touch with us.
It’s ok… its also kinda like Facebook local referral groups, someone asks for a pressure washer or window cleaner every person in the neighborhood refers some lowball outfit. That said have gotten some nice gigs out of it
Yeah this irritates the heck outta me. For tree trimming everybody plugs Coconut Cowboy. All their vehicles look like they were rescued from a salvage yard and their employees look homeless.
I dunno. Cities/neighborhoods who are more affluent have had no problem recommending me, and I’m no low-baller. I think it just depends on the area. If they’re recommending cheapos and not you, you’d probably not get the people who are hiring those outfits… just my 2 cents.
It definitely depends on the area. I wasn’t tracking NextDoor referrals as a separate source so I can’t tell. I should be though.
The two jobs I got today are $350 and $550. I don’t think they are cheap, that is usually Angie’s List.
we’ve probably gotten 15-20 from next door
what’s funny is at least for my neighborhood, where i live, my neighbors aren’t my target audience.
What’s funny is the neighborhoods I can reach on Nextdoor are full of DINKs (Double Income, No Kids) in 3000-5000 Sq Ft homes near the bay or the beach. EXACTLY my target market, yet for all my plugs I get very little. Like 2 or 3 calls in the last year little.
Anyway, not such a big deal cause I don’t rely on it. If I did I’d be sunk lol
our experience with next door started when a customer said “hold still i’m gonna take a picture of your shirt” (which had our phone number on it) and she posted it on next door. i think we got six jobs from her post alone, all in her neighborhood which is our target market.
Gotta love that! Maybe I’ll ask my next resi customers to do the same.
If people aren’t recommending you then you won’t see a boost from NextDoor.
This system also skews towards larger operations. If you have a lot of customers (and do a good job), the higher chance you will be recommended. It is not like Yelp or Angie’s List where you can buy your way in.
Now anytime someone asks about window cleaning in LeavingNC’s area at least 7 people are going to recommend him.
Give it time, they will be charging just like the rest of them
I have only gotten small local neighborhood jobs off of it. Well, one was a full in/out window clean and gutter clean. But I’m not sure that most people view it as more than a PT handyman service finder for small jobs in the neighborhood. No time for that, so you have to BE SURE TO present yourself as a full on business.
As with any form of exposure it is just a small piece to the puzzle of marketing your business. Multiple exposure points build the exposure you seek.
The baffling thing is I go 1 for 1 with all other window company recommendations combined. I’ve even got some clutch customers who I can text at the drop of a hat and have them chime in on a recommendation post. The response has still been very meager.
But, like I said, it’s not a big deal cause I don’t rely on it. Most of my calls come from my website, door hangers, and direct solicitation.
Also plenty of direct referrals, without the nextdoor app as intermediary.
